Upsells

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of encouraging customers to purchase related or more expensive products to enhance their initial selection is often employed in sales strategies
2. A technique used in marketing which involves suggesting additional or upgraded products to increase the total transaction value is common in retail
3. The practice of promoting complementary or higher-priced items to consumers during a sales interaction is widely adopted in various markets

Etymology: "Upsells" is the third-person singular form of "upsell", so the core story belongs to the verb it inflects. "Upsell" is a compound of "up" and "sell", with the sense of "up" meaning to a higher level or greater amount, so the word describes selling more, or selling a costlier version of what a customer already intends to buy. The combination works as a straightforward English formation: "sell" has long meant to exchange goods for money, and "up" attached to it signals that the transaction is pushed higher in value. Its everyday meaning in retail, persuading a buyer toward a pricier or fuller version of a product, is a direct reading of those two parts rather than a shift from some older sense.

Synonyms: cross-sells, promotes