Quantity selector defaulting to 2 soaps: up to +54% revenue per user
Test run bySplitBaseCRO agency
Commentary byLiftArchiveOur analysis, not theirsAdding a quantity selector to bar soap product pages, with 2 bars set as the default, raised revenue per user for soap buyers by up to 54%.
SplitBase ran this A/B test for Dr. Squatch.
The figure is the best result across several versions of the test.
- Revenue per user among soap purchasers: up to +54%.
- 'Up to' covers several iterations of the quantity selector, so not every version did this well.
- Effects on conversion rate and order value were not reported separately. The goal was to lift order size without hurting conversion.
The change
A quantity selector preset to 2 bars added above add to cart.
Simplified mockup drawn by LiftArchive from the shared screenshots.
Control
Bar soap product pages had no quantity field. Buying several bars meant clicking add to cart again for each one.
Variant
A quantity selector was added next to add to cart, with 2 bars preselected instead of 1.
Why it likely won
Our reading of the result, not the practitioner's claim.
- Analytics and surveys showed many customers already bought more than one bar. The default matched what they were going to do anyway.
- With no quantity field, nothing prompted shoppers to think about buying more. A preset of 2 makes that question visible.
- Defaults are sticky. Many people keep the preselected option, especially on a low-priced item.
- Removing repeat add-to-cart clicks also made buying several bars easier.
Caveats: The 54% is the best result across several iterations, and sample size, duration and confidence were not shared. The $800K+ a month on the case study is for the whole program, not this test.
Who ran it
SplitBase ran this test for Dr. Squatch and published the results (SplitBase case study). The numbers are theirs; the summary and commentary on this page are ours.
Read the original case study on SplitBase →
How to run this test on your store
- Hypothesis
- If we add a quantity selector to the product page and preset it to 2, then revenue per visitor will rise because many shoppers already buy multiples and a default nudges the rest to consider it.
- Primary metric
- Revenue per visitor on the product page
- Guardrails
- Conversion rate
- Return or complaint rate
- Repeat purchase rate
- Who should test it
- Brands selling cheap, consumable items that customers often buy in multiples, like soap, snacks or candles. Skip it for high-priced or one-per-person products, where a preset of 2 can feel pushy and hurt conversion.
Questions
Does a default quantity of 2 increase revenue?
It did here, by up to 54% per user for soap buyers.
It works best when data shows many customers already buy more than one.
Will a higher default quantity hurt conversion rate?
It can. Track conversion rate as a guardrail; if fewer people buy, the revenue gain may not hold.
Should product pages always have a quantity field?
For items people buy in multiples, yes. Without one, shoppers have to add the item again and again, and may not think to buy more.
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