Desktop image grid instead of carousel: +16.7% CR, not significant
Test run byClean CommitCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsReplacing the desktop product image carousel with a static grid of every photo, plus sticky product details, lifted conversion rate 16.7% and revenue per visitor 22.1%.
Clean Commit ran this test for an anonymized Shopify store and published it in its A/B test library.
We count it as inconclusive: over 25 days nothing reached significance, and add-to-cart, the target metric, rose only 3.0%.
- Add-to-cart rate (the target): +3.0%, with a 62.3% probability of beating the carousel. Not significant.
- Conversion rate: +16.7% and orders +19.6%. A positive signal, not proof.
- Revenue per visitor: +22.1%, with average order value up 1.2%.
- Click-through rate dipped 3.4%, which matters less than the purchase metrics.
The change
Desktop swaps the carousel for a scrolling image grid beside sticky product details.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Desktop product pages showed photos in an image carousel.
Variant
Desktop pages showed every photo at once in a scrolling grid, from lifestyle and flat lay to detail shots, with the product details sticky on the right and click-to-zoom. Mobile was unchanged.
Why it likely came out this way
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- A grid shows every image without clicking, so shoppers may see the detail shots that answer their questions.
- Sticky product details keep the price and add-to-cart button in view while shoppers scroll the photos.
- Carousels hide most images behind clicks, and many shoppers never go past the first one.
Caveats: Ran for 25 days and no metric reached significance, so treat it as a signal. Desktop only, and the grid, sticky details and zoom changed together. Sample size was not shared.
Who ran it
Clean Commit ran this test for a Shopify store (anonymized) and published the results (Clean Commit A/B test library). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on Clean Commit →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we show all product images in a grid on desktop with sticky product details, then add-to-cart rate will rise because shoppers see every angle without clicking.
- Primary metric
- Desktop add-to-cart rate
- Guardrails
- Desktop conversion rate
- Revenue per visitor
- Page load time
- Who should test it
- Stores with several good photos per product and meaningful desktop traffic, such as fashion or home goods. It matters less if you only have one or two images or most traffic is mobile.
Questions
Is an image grid better than a carousel on desktop?
This test pointed that way, with conversion up 16.7%, but it wasn't significant.
It's worth testing if you have many good photos.
Should the product details stay sticky next to the images?
It keeps price and the buy button in view while shoppers scroll photos.
In this test it shipped together with the grid, so its own effect is unknown.
Should I use an image grid on mobile too?
This test left mobile unchanged. On small screens a swipeable gallery is usually the norm, so test that separately.
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