Context: Average basket size is rarely decided by assortment breadth or shelf layout, it is decided in the moment a shopper hesitates, explores, or commits.

Challenges: Store associates focus on speed and availability, digital journeys rely on fixed recommendations, and promotions apply broadly rather than contextually, so by checkout the basket is already mentally closed.

Solution: The Basket Value Guidance Agent, an AI agent built using Microsoft Copilot Studio, monitors browsing depth, dwell time, and hesitation patterns as a shopper moves through the journey and intervenes during product discovery and cart-building, flagging the right moment for a relevant suggestion or bundle before the purchase decision hardens.

Impact: Retailers adopting this approach see add-ons feel timely rather than forced, with basket size growing because behavior shifts earlier in the journey, not because of post-sale optimization.