What is BOGO Offers and How to Use Winday for BOGO Sales

Everyone likes free products and items with significant discounts, right? When you see the irresistible offer “Buy 1, Get 1 Free”, it’s really motivating to engage with the brand and get this free product, whether it is another pair of shoes, pizza, or an extra month in the gym.

That’s what BOGO promotions are aiming for: grab your attention, tap into fear-of-missing-out, offer a generous, valuable offer, and drive you to instant purchase. BOGO campaigns are profitable for both businesses and customers, and they lead to greater conversions, clearance of inventory, and higher customer engagement. When doubled with gamification features from the Winday platform, these BOGO sales become a powerful tool in the hands of marketers that can boost participation and drive valuable results. So, what is BOGO and how to use it? Let’s clarify it!

What is BOGO, and What Does it Mean in Sales?

BOGO is a crucial sales principle that translates to Buy One Get One free offers, meaning offering an additional product or service to the buyer for free or at a reduced cost. What does BOGO mean in sales practice? For instance, BOGO 50% means getting an additional product with a 50% discount, while BOGO free means that the customer gets an extra product for free.

The BOGO Free promotion

The key element that distinguishes a buy one get one free promotion from standard percentage discount is the quantity of products that customers can obtain for a lower price, resulting in more value and rewards for the customer. This is the result of aiming into deep psychological triggers, such as the zero-price effect, where the “free” word motivates customers, increased perceived value, according to which customers get more value for their resources, or Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), which drives quick decisions under the pressure of time.

According to the most recent surveys, BOGO offerings are one of the most popular nowadays, with 93% of customers using BOGO discounts at least once, while 36% of customers prefer BOGO as free shipping grows.

The BOGO share, according to surveys on the most popular type of discounts

What is The Main Types of BOGO Offers

At first glance, BOGO offers are clear and simple. However, there are various BOGO approaches and strategies that are tailored to different customer segments and types of eCommerce models. For instance, if your goal is to increase cart size, clear inventory, or boost average order value (AOV), you have to implement different types of BOGO discounts.

BOGO Free (Buy 1 Get 1 Free)

BOGO free is the standard and most recognizable among all BOGO offers. It means that when customers purchase one product or service, they get another for free, which literally means buy one get one free offers. This BOGO approach is a better fit for low-cost, fast-moving consumer goods, such as cosmetics, snacks, T-shirts, or seasonal products. BOGO Free promotions are straightforward and effective because customers consider a “free” product as an ultimate win, even if the total cost is equivalent to a discount. BOGO Free effectively boosts unit sales, encourages impulse purchases, and offloads surplus and overstocked inventory.

BOGO free promotion example

Did You Know?
Gamified BOGO promotions are much more effective than usual ones, because they create an interactive experience and make customers not just get rewards, but earn them. It can lead to an increase of coupon redemption rates 37% compared to non-gamified campaigns.

BOGO Discount (Buy 1 Get 1 at 50% off)

BOGO discount applies a different approach: instead of giving the second product for free, it offers customers a partial discount, most commonly 50% off. Even without a “free” product, BOGO discount is quite effective in terms of value for customers and maintaining profitability. This type is used when businesses have high-margin or premium products that can’t be released for free, such as shoes, home goods, and accessories. BOGO 50% off is a balanced option for both customer incentive and business sustainability. Use it if you want to drive volume while keeping your price strategy.

An example of BOGO Discount

Did You Know?
BOGO discount is less performative than BOGO free for obvious reasons: a free product is much more valuable for customers than a product with a 30% discount.

Tiered BOGO (Buy 2 Get 1 Free, etc.)

Tiered BOGO offers, like buy one get one deals, drive customers to purchase more products to get the freebie. The main reason is to encourage customers to fill shopping cards with collections of products, bundling products, and upselling, which makes tiered BOGO the best solution for retail, like groceries, accessories, and skincare sets. This discount offer increases AOV, offers customers greater value, and helps businesses move inventory.

Mixed BOGO (free shipping, bundles)

Mixed BOGO is an advanced type of promotion that combines the traditional BOGO offerings with other promotions, like free shipping, percentage discounts, and pre-packaged bundles. Such a complex, multilayered approach appeals to value-seeking customers and often leads to higher retention rates.

For instance, a BOGO with a free shipping offer seems very valuable and profitable for customers and can motivate hesitant buyers to purchase. Such mixed types of BOGO are very effective for special occasions and events, like Black Friday, Back to School, or holiday sales.

An example of BOGO with a free shipping offer

Why BOGO Offers can Boost Sales

BOGO promotions are one of the most efficient ways for boosting sales due to their data-driven insights and deep roots in marketing psychology. Its “free” elements aim at the zero-price effect, where customers lean towards getting more value for free, which overshadows the rational price comparison. Additionally, buy one get one free promotion is tailored to key eCommerce KPIs, such as increasing AOV, improving conversion rates, clearing inventory, and enhancing customer lifetime value. Let’s look at each of them in detail!

Average Order Value (AOV)

BOGO sales encourage customers to purchase more products than initially intended through tiered BOGO and Buy 2 Get 1 Free discounts, which leads to an increase in Average Order Value. By purchasing multiple products rather than a single one, customers fill shopping carts and maximize perceived value.

It’s a great and efficient approach for industries like fashion, beauty, and supplements, where products are more effectively released in sets, collections, and as complementary products. For example, when using BOGO offers, beauty businesses can sell skincare sets or hair care sets, thereby increasing the AOV while creating the illusion of a great deal.

BOGO promotions directly influence AOV

Useful Tip:
Use gamification in your BOGO campaign because it offers customers an interactive experience, during which they can win, earn, or unlock their BOGO promotion. With challenges and a sense of achievement, the gamified BOGO campaign will be much more performative.

Inventory Turnover

By using BOGO promotions and offering a second product for free or at a discount, businesses can flawlessly and effectively improve their inventory turnover and sell slow-moving and seasonal products. This strategy seamlessly clears overstocked SKUs and last-season product sets without affecting margins.

For instance, if a fashion business struggles to clear last-season inventory, a BOGO promotion can motivate customers to purchase and get free clothes, thereby increasing sales volume and freeing up space for new receipts.

Customer Acquisition and Retention

A BOGO offer exceeds AOV and inventory clearing, and also can serve as a tool for acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones. For new customers, a BOGO offer is a safe deal with low risk because it offers a great value for the purchased products. Simultaneously, for the existing customers, the BOGO promotion serves as an exclusive reward that enhances their loyalty and enables them to return over and over again for more repeat purchases.

An example of BOGO promotion on Black Friday

Additionally, when offering perks, BOGO sales can be useful in referral programs and re-engaging dormant customers. They can motivate dormant customers to return to the funnel, and benefit both the referrer and the new customer through the promotion. As a result, BOGO promotions create great conversion rates, retention, and deep brand engagement.

Promotion Response Rate

Due to the more benefits and greater value that BOGO promotions offer to potential customers, they lead to higher click-through and redemption rates than standard percentage discounts. When customers get the “Buy one, get one free” offer, it seems to them much more profitable than simply “Save 40%”. Thereby, they will be more likely to respond to your promotion.

There is one tip that can help you improve the promotion response rate. Add to your promotion the sense of urgency by implementing a limited-time BOGO. It triggers in the audience a fear of missing out and motivates immediate action. As a result, you’ll significantly increase your conversions.

Useful Tip:
Launch a smart BOGO campaign by segmenting your audience into different parts with different BOGO formats. For instance, use BOGO Free only for new customers, while regular customers can get other types of BOGO promotions.

Examples of BOGO Offers

Domino’s Pizza – BOGO Pizza Deal

Domino’s Pizza regularly launches various BOGO campaigns

Domino’s Pizza is one of the most remarkable businesses in the food industry, and of course, they used BOGO campaigns to boost user engagement, showing one of the best BOGO examples in the industry. For instance, they used their application and website as a platform for promoting “Buy one large pizza, get one free via app or website”. As a result, they not only increased sales, but also promoted the download of their application.

Starbucks – Seasonal Beverage BOGO

Starbucks also launches various BOGO promotions, often to coincide with seasonal events and holidays

Starbucks constantly uses BOGO campaigns to engage users and increase conversions and show one of the best buy one get one free promotion examples. Their “Buy one holiday drink, get a second free” during the festive season boosted foot traffic and social buzz.

Sephora – Beauty Insider BOGO

Sephora regularly uses BOGO campaigns to clear its inventory and sell more items to clients

Members of the Sephora beauty shop have access to an exclusive BOGO offer, like free skincare products or discounts on hair items that are also personalized according to the customer’s purchase history. It’s one of the great buy one get one free promotion examples in the beauty sector.

Famous Footwear – BOGO Clearance

Famous Footwear uses BOGO coupons to boost sales.

Famous Footwear continuously launches diverse BOGO campaigns which became remarkable bogo examples in this sector. This time it’s a promotion that offers purchasing one item and getting a second item of equal or lesser value for half price.

Pharmeasy – BOGO Promotions

Pharmeasy runs BOGO campaigns to sell more diagnostic packages to patients effectively

One of the bogo examples in the pharmaceutical business is PharmEasy. They offer users various BOGO deals, including body checkups and diagnostic packages for free when they purchase another package.

How to Use Winday for Gamified BOGO Promotions

As a no-code gamification platform for business, Winday empowers businesses of all sizes and sectors to launch gamified marketing campaigns without design and technical experience. Among various personalized features, Winday also allows you to integrate BOGO promotions into your gamified campaign, enhancing the outcome and conversions through engaging and fun experiences.

Here is our detailed breakdown on how to easily set up your own gamified BOGO campaign:

1. Sign up and get your first free plan with all functionalities available, including full control over game building, reward setup, and promotions.
2. Select the game type you require: Instant game (quick, single-play, and easy games) or tournaments (leaderboard competitions).
3. Then, choose your gameplay mechanics. Will it be a bubble shooter or match3, or something else? Choose the game’s parameters, session length, rate, and win goal.
   
4. Define the look of your game through color palettes and visual skins, start and end screens, including BOGO messaging.
   
5. Set up rewards and BOGO offers. Assign reward rules according to in-game performance, and generate various BOGO coupons, including BOGO Free, BOGO % Discount (e.g., 20%, 30%, or 50%), Tiered BOGO, and Mixed BOGO.
   

   Reward images can be selected from the library or a custom image can be uploaded for BOGO promotions

   

   BOGO coupon creation by generating new codes on Winday platform

6. Configure campaign duration and launch your completed game. For maximum reach, promote your game via your website, social media platforms, newsletters, and influencer partnerships.
   
7. Last but not least is to track and analyze your game metrics in real time, monitoring performance through built-in analytics.
   

Best Practices and Warnings for BOGO Promotions

Before approaching the BOGO campaign, it’s essential to define your goals, outline your strategy, and prepare for all potential bottlenecks that may arise along the way. To help you go through it smoothly, we’ve prepared a few pieces of advice. Here is our experience with launching efficient and successful BOGO campaigns, along with a few handy tips.

Timing (Seasonal Events, Clearance)

Timing can be your friend or enemy, depending on how you use it. If you run your BOGO coupons during the customer buying cycle or seasonal events, it can significantly boost your performance, relevance, and conversion. Additionally, the best time to launch a BOGO promotion is holidays, back-to-school season, Valentine’s Day, and summer sales, when customers are more likely to spend more money, and when a limited time creates a sense of urgency. For strategic planning of these periods, refer to our marketing holiday calendar for 2025, which outlines key dates ideal for gamified campaigns. BOGO is also effective in moving inventory without the loss of perceived value.

An example of a seasonal BOGO offer

Clear Rules, Limit per Customer, Urgency Countdowns

Every BOGO campaign appreciates clarity. When the rules of your campaign are too complex, vague, or confusing, it can cause frustration among customers, lead to cart abandonment, and result in negative reviews. It’s crucial to set clear and understandable terms and conditions regarding which products are eligible, what exclusions apply, whether there’s a limit per customer, and how free or discounted products are applied.

To make your BOGO campaign more effective, try implementing urgency tactics, like countdown timers, “limited quantity” alerts, or banners with the message like: “Offer ends in X hours.” Tapping into fear-of-missing-out, these tactics boost conversion. Additionally, make sure that your BOGO campaign is legally compliant in your advertisements in order to prevent and avoid potential legal risks.

An example of a BOGO offer limited by time

Inventory Prep & Cost-margin Analysis

Before launching a BOGO promo code, it’s crucial to forecast demand and assess profitability carefully to avoid unexpected spikes in sales. It may strain inventory levels, disrupt fulfillment, and even erode margins. During the cost-margin analysis, pay attention to every detail and look for alternatives. For instance, if the profit on a single product is too small, use another option, like “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” or “Buy 1, Get 50% Off”, trying to balance between revenue for you and value for customers. One more advice for you: prepare your warehouse and logistics in advance, especially if your BOGO campaign aligns with peak sales seasons.

Avoiding Overly Frequent Funnels

BOGO campaigns are very attractive for businesses and for customers. However, too frequent launching of the BOGO promotions can seriously harm your business. Overused BOGO campaigns can erode perceived value, and customers will learn quickly to wait until the next BOGO campaign rather than purchase your products at full price. So the lesson is clear–use BOGO promotion strategically, not constantly.

Link your BOGO campaign with special events or specific objectives, like flash sales, seasonal events, product launches, and customer win-back efforts. Also, rotate BOGO campaigns with tiered discounts, loyalty rewards, or exclusive member perks to keep your funnel fresh and intriguing.

An example of an exclusive BOGO offer

Final Takeaways

BOGO campaigns are tested by time, efficient strategies that aim directly at human psychology, including the fear of missing out, the sense of urgency, and the needs of customers to make valuable purchases at a lower price. BOGO promotions significantly increase retention, average order value, boost sales, and drive customer acquisition.

When doubled with gamification features, made on platforms like Winday, BOGO brings marketing strategy to a whole new level. While Instant games and tournaments successfully engage customers, motivate participation, and build emotional engagement, customizable BOGO promotions offer users additional benefits and drive them to interact.

It’s easy on the Winday platform to experiment with new formats, timings, and game-like features. As well as to use built-in comprehensive analytics to track the performance of your newly launched campaign and enhance it to maximize the outcome.