Good catch: Carlson Labs reels in 20% AOV boost with Rebuy

Carlson Labs began in 1965 in founder Susan Carlson's small Chicago apartment. A pharmacist by training, Susan watched her father struggle with heart issues — until he found relief taking natural-source vitamin E. Inspired, she created one of the first full lines of vitamin E in the world, and a family business was born.

Six decades later, Carlson remains family-owned and female-led by Susan's two daughters, with a catalog that's grown to more than 300 vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and nutritional supplements. The brand helped launch the omega-3 market in North America in the early 1980s, importing wild-caught, sustainably sourced fish oils from Norway — oils that today are refined and bottled at Carlson's own state-of-the-art facility in Søvik, Norway.

That catalog depth is a strength. But online, it presented a challenge: how do you help a shopper who knows what they need (better heart health) but not what they're looking for (a specific omega-3 formula)?

"Many customers already knew exactly what they wanted. But newer shoppers often needed more guidance. Helping people quickly find the right supplement has always been a priority."

Marketing Manager at Carlson Labs Mike Paravola

Challenge: guiding shoppers through a deep, specialized catalog

As Carlson Labs prepared to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify, the team saw an opportunity to rethink the entire on-site experience. They identified a few key goals:

• Personalize product discovery: Help shoppers find the right supplement fast — especially those searching by health goal rather than product name
  
• Boost average order value (AOV) the right way: Surface complementary products in a way that feels helpful, not pushy
  
• Simplify the buying journey: Guide customers from search to product page to cart to post-purchase with relevant recommendations at every step
  

"We were looking for ways to create a more personalized shopping experience while making it easier for customers to discover products that fit their needs," Mike said. "We also wanted to increase average order value in a way that felt helpful rather than overly promotional."

Finding the right fit with Absolute Web

Carlson Labs didn't tackle the migration alone. They partnered with Absolute Web, the ecommerce agency behind their Shopify build — and it was Absolute Web who brought Rebuy to the table.

"As Carlson Labs prepared to migrate from BigCommerce to Shopify, they wanted to take advantage of new opportunities to strengthen product discovery, merchandising, and personalized shopping experiences," said Kyle Larin, Director of Solutions & Client Growth at Absolute Web. "We introduced the Carlson Labs team to Rebuy because we believed it was the best solution to help them deliver AI-powered product recommendations and a best-in-class cart experience."

For Mike, the appeal was how far the platform stretched beyond a single feature. "Rebuy offered much more than product recommendations. It gave us the ability to personalize the shopping experience across the customer journey, from search and product pages to cart recommendations and post-purchase offers. That flexibility made it a strong fit for a supplement brand where education and personalization are important."

Smart Search: turning health goals into found products

Ask Mike which Rebuy feature has become most valuable and he doesn't hesitate: Smart Search.

For a supplement brand, search isn't just a navigation tool — it's a conversation. Shoppers rarely type exact product names. They type goals. And with Smart Search, a query like "omega for heart health" lands them on the right product instantly — a fitting example for a brand whose entire story began with one family's search for better heart health.

"It's incredibly important," Mike explained. "Many shoppers don't know the exact product name — they're searching for a health goal or benefit. If someone searches for something like 'omega for heart health' and immediately finds relevant options, it creates a much better customer experience than forcing them to browse multiple categories. Reducing friction during product discovery helps customers make decisions more confidently."

That confidence shows up in the numbers. Over the last 30 days alone, Smart Search drove nearly $30,000 in sales — 56% of all Rebuy-attributed revenue on the Carlson Labs store — making it the single biggest Rebuy revenue driver on the site.

Recommendations that feel like guidance, not upsells

Beyond search, Carlson Labs uses Rebuy-powered recommendations across the shopping journey — on product pages, in the cart, and after checkout — surfacing complementary products naturally.

The results speak for themselves. Rebuy lifts Carlson Labs' storewide AOV by nearly 20% — an almost $10 lift added to every order the store takes. What’s more, about one in five Carlson Labs orders now includes a Rebuy recommendation.

"Those numbers reinforce something we've believed for a long time: when recommendations are relevant, customers see value in adding complementary products to their order," Mike said.

"It's not about encouraging larger baskets for the sake of it — it's about surfacing products that make sense together. Seeing about one in five orders interact with Rebuy also shows that customers are engaging with those experiences."

One pleasant surprise? Post-purchase offers.

"It's a natural opportunity to introduce customers to complementary products after they've already completed their purchase, without disrupting the checkout experience," Mike explained. "It allows us to continue personalizing the customer journey beyond the initial transaction."

From one-time buyers to lifelong customers

Many of Carlson Labs' top Rebuy-driven products are daily-use staples — fish oil, cod liver oil, and omega gems — exactly the kind of products designed to be taken consistently. That makes converting one-time buyers into subscribers especially valuable.

It's working: over the last 30 days, Switch-to-Subscription prompts drove more than $14,500 in sales — over a quarter of all Rebuy-attributed revenue on the store.

"Subscription programs help create a better experience for customers by ensuring they don't run out, while also increasing customer lifetime value," Mike shared. "When customers have a convenient way to stay consistent with their wellness routine, it strengthens long-term relationships instead of focusing only on one-time purchases."

A partnership that pulls its weight

Rebuy is a powerful platform — but Mike is quick to credit Absolute Web for helping Carlson Labs get the most out of it.

"We give Absolute Web a great deal of credit for the results we're seeing," he said. "As a small team, we leaned heavily on Absolute Web's expertise to help us implement, optimize, and continually improve the customer experience. They truly became an extension of our team, allowing us to accomplish far more than we could have with our internal resources alone."

The feeling is mutual. "The partnership with Carlson Labs has been highly collaborative," Kyle said. "Their team has been open to new ideas, trusts our expertise, and is willing to embrace data-driven recommendations. That level of trust has allowed us to move quickly and focus on long-term growth rather than debating every implementation detail."

And when it comes to the platform itself, Kyle pointed to ease of use as the difference-maker:

"From configuring merchandising rules to launching personalized product recommendations and Smart Search experiences, the platform makes it easy to implement, test, and optimize without unnecessary complexity. That allows our team to focus less on technical hurdles and more on continuously improving the customer experience."

Doing more without adding more

For a small team, automation is everything. Rebuy has allowed Carlson Labs to automate much of the personalization that would otherwise require manual merchandising.

"Instead of constantly managing recommendations ourselves, we can focus more on strategy, content, promotions, and optimizing the overall customer experience," Mike said.

Healthy results, healthier growth

Over the last 30 days, Carlson Labs has seen:

• Nearly 20% AOV boost across the store
  
• Nearly $30,000 in sales through Smart Search — 56% of all Rebuy revenue and the store's single biggest driver
• $14,500+ in Switch-to-Subscription sales — turning one-time buyers into subscribers
• 1 in 5 orders now touch Rebuy

Mike's advice for other brands in the space?

"If you're a supplement or wellness brand on Shopify looking to create a more personalized shopping experience, I'd absolutely recommend Rebuy. It helps customers discover the right products more easily while creating meaningful opportunities to increase average order value and improve the overall shopping experience."

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