Scandinavian Working Papers in Business Administration

SSE Working Paper Series in Business Administration,
Stockholm School of Economics

No 2025:1: DO SALES MECHANISMS PAY OFF? EVIDENCE FROM A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Lily (Xuehui) Gao (), Yuxin Jia and Daniyal Aqeela Aizar Yulzardi
Additional contact information
Lily (Xuehui) Gao: Marketing and Strategy, Postal: Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden
Yuxin Jia: Center for Retailing, Postal: Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden
Daniyal Aqeela Aizar Yulzardi: Center for Retailing, Postal: Stockholm School of Economics, P.O. Box 6501, SE-113 83 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract: This study aims to understand how cross-selling, upselling and add-on selling, respectively, impact sales and revenue. In pursuit of this research objective, we conduct a systematic literature review encompassing 147 papers published between 2000 and 2024 from two databases: Web of Science and SCOPUS. We identify an overall positive relationship between the three sales mechanisms (i.e., cross-selling, upselling and add-on selling) and performance outcomes, including sales, revenue, and profitability. We also find that while all three mechanisms positively influence sales outcomes, they do so through distinct pathways. Cross-selling is most effective when supported by targeted promotions and in-store strategies; upselling benefits from personalized, emotionally resonant messaging; and add-on selling yields higher returns when tailored to loyal customers and adapted to product complexity.

Keywords: Cross-selling; Up-selling; Add-on; Systematic Literature Review

16 pages, July 8, 2025

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