Voltora is a growing e-commerce retailer specialising in consumer electronics, offering a portfolio that spans high-value devices such as laptops and tablets alongside high-volume accessories.
As the business scaled, leadership identified a need to better understand what is truly driving revenue across the product portfolio, and where the largest opportunities exist to improve Average Order Value (AOV).
I partnered with the Head of Operations to analyse transactional sales data with the goal of supporting more informed decisions across sales, product, and marketing teams.
Voltora’s sales analysis of approximately 25,000 e-commerce transactions between 2022 and 2024 reveals a top-heavy product portfolio, where a small number of premium products drive a disproportionate share of total revenue. During this period, Voltora generated $4.09M in total revenue, with performance largely concentrated in high-value laptop products.
Premium laptops—including the ASUS ROG Zephyrus, HP Spectre x360, Lenovo ThinkPad X1, and Dell XPS 13—account for over 40% of total revenue, despite representing a relatively small share of total order volume. These products exhibit the highest Average Order Values (AOV) in the catalog, ranging from $965 to $1,018 per order, indicating that revenue growth is currently driven by transaction value rather than sales volume.
In contrast, accessories such as HDMI cables, portable SSDs, power banks, and USB-C chargers generate high order volume but contribute less than 3% of total revenue, with AOVs averaging around $40. While these items play a limited role as standalone revenue drivers, they represent a significant missed cross-sell opportunity. Market basket analysis confirms a zero-attachment rate between hardware and accessories a factor directly linked to the identified 15% year-over-year decline in unique customers.
Mid-tier products—including smartphones and gaming devices—provide a stabilizing layer of revenue, contributing approximately 25–30% of sales through consistent order volume and moderate AOVs. While this segment supports cash flow, it does not materially shift overall revenue performance. The findings suggest that Voltora’s strongest opportunity lies in optimizing product strategy through bundling, cross-sell initiatives, and targeted merchandising.
Addressing the "Single-Item Trap" by improving accessory attachment rates could materially increase Average Order Value and unlock incremental revenue without relying on increased customer acquisition costs.
This database structure as seen below consists of four tables: Orders, Customers, Geo-lookup and Order_status, with a total row count of 25,000 records.
Voltora Dataset ERD
Customer Lifecycle Stability – Analysing month-over-month trends in unique customer retention to ensure long-term brand health. Monthly Metrics reveal a 15% year-over-year decline in unique customers, highlighting a critical need to convert "one-off" buyers into repeat ecosystem shoppers.
Revenue vs. Volume Concentration – Evaluating the balance between high-ticket revenue drivers and high-frequency volume drivers. Analysis shows that a top-heavy portfolio relies on a small number of hardware launches, with 16 products generating 80% of total revenue, creating a significant dependency on flagship device performance.
Premium AOV Efficiency – Analysing the "upsell" performance of top revenue-driving products to maximize transaction value. While Pareto Analysis shows premium laptops drive over 40% of revenue, current transaction data identifies a 0% accessory attachment rate at the point of hardware sale.
Ecosystem Attachment Rate (AAR) – Analysing the frequency of multi-item transactions versus standalone purchases to evaluate cross-sell efficiency. Current analysis of the Cross- Sell Heatmap confirms a "Single-Item Trap," where customers purchase products in total isolation, missing high-margin accessory revenue and reducing customer lifetime value.
Baseline Demand Volatility: Longitudinal analysis of transaction volume reveals significant monthly fluctuations across all three years. While Q1 starts with "Steady Demand" mirroring stable baseline needs, the business faces a recurring Q2–Q3 Mid-Year Slowdown where order counts dip to their lowest annual levels.
The Retention Decay: Despite the recurring Q4 Seasonal Lift driven by aggressive holiday demand and promotional events there is a measurable 15% year-over-year decline in unique customer activity. This indicates that Voltora is successful at capturing "seasonal shoppers" but is failing to convert them into long-term brand loyalists.
Acquisition Dependency: The current growth model is heavily reliant on expensive new customer acquisition during peak periods. The sharp drop-off in volume following November peaks suggests a "one-and-done" purchasing pattern, leaving the business vulnerable to high revenue instability during non-promotional months.
Critical Operational Conclusion: The consistency of the Q2–Q3 dip across 2022, 2023, and 2024 proves that the current product strategy is not sustaining year-round interest. To stabilize the customer lifecycle, the business must pivot toward products or services that incentivize mid-year engagement and repeat transactions.
Volume-Driven Revenue Swings: The analysis confirms that Voltora’s revenue fluctuations are primarily driven by order volume rather than strategic pricing adjustments.
The February "True Revenue Decline": February represents the most significant risk period, where a simultaneous drop in both volume (Sales Growth) and transaction value (AOV Growth) indicates a severe post-holiday demand shock.
The November "Efficiency Peak": November is the only month where both metrics align positively. This "Perfect Surge" confirms that the business is currently optimized for holiday hardware acquisition but lacks a stable "floor" for the rest of the year.
The August "Demand Gap": A major dip in August shows that even when customers buy, they are buying significantly cheaper items, dragging down the total revenue health of the company.
The 80/20 Revenue Distribution: A Pareto analysis confirms that Voltora’s financial health is heavily concentrated. Out of the entire product catalog, only 16 flagship products (approx. 6%) generate 80% of the total $4.09M revenue.
The High-Volume/Low-Impact Gap: There is a significant disconnect between what customers buy most frequently and what drives the bottom line. High-volume items, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 and Sony Headphones, facilitate high warehouse activity but contribute less than 3% to total revenue.
Core Hardware Dependency: Revenue is primarily anchored by four premium laptops: the ASUS ROG Zephyrus, HP Spectre x360, Lenovo ThinkPad X1, and Dell XPS 13. These units command an Average Order Value (AOV) of $960–$1,018, making them the primary engines of growth.
Critical Operational Risk: This "top-heavy" structure creates a high dependency risk. Because 80% of revenue relies on a narrow selection of 16 items, any supply chain disruption, stock-out, or competitive price-undercutting of these specific models would lead to an immediate and material impact on total company earnings.
Flagship Price Anchoring: Analysis confirms that premium hardware products serve as the primary "price anchors" for the entire catalog. The top five products—led by the ASUS ROG Zephyrus, MacBook Air M2, and Dell XPS 13—command an Average Order Value (AOV) of approximately $960 to $1,018.
The 2.7x Revenue Multiplier: These flagship laptops drive a transaction value that is 2.7x higher than the store-wide average. This confirms that Voltora’s revenue health is fundamentally dependent on high-ticket hardware sales rather than consistent volume across all categories.
Low-Margin Volume Centres: Conversely, high-volume accessories like 4K HDMI Cables, USB- C Chargers, and MagSafe Power Banks sit at the bottom of the efficiency scale, with an AOV of roughly $40. While these items facilitate high transactiion frequency, they currently contribute negligible value to the total revenue per customer.
The "Attachment Gap": The extreme gap between the top-performing hardware ($1,000+) and the high-volume accessories ($40) highlights a significant unrealized cross-sell opportunity. The current data suggests these products are purchased in silos; "attaching" even one $40 accessory to a flagship laptop sale would represent a 4% increase in that order's total value
The Transactional Silo: A Market Basket Analysis of the 25,000 transactions reveals a persistent "Single-Item Trap," where products are purchased in total isolation.
Zero-Attachment Correlation: The heatmap shows a heavy concentration only along the diagonal axis, confirming a 0% accessory attachment rate at the point of hardware sale. Despite high volumes of items like USB-C Chargers and HDMI Cables, these peripherals are almost never bundled with flagship laptops.
Root Cause of Retention Decay: This lack of an integrated "ecosystem" is the primary driver behind the 15% year-over-year decline in unique customers. Because customers are not incentivized to purchase their entire setup at Voltora, they satisfy secondary needs elsewhere, ending their brand lifecycle after a single high-value purchase.
Revenue Leakage: By failing to bridge the gap between $1,000 hardware anchors and $40 accessories, Voltora is experiencing significant revenue leakage. Capturing even a small percentage of this missing attachment would materially increase Average Order Value without requiring additional customer acquisition costs.
The Impact: This aligns the high-frequency volume drivers with the high-ticket revenue drivers, fixing the Structural Portfolio Risk where 80% of revenue is anchored to a dangerously narrow selection of items.
Implement Ecosystem Bundling: Create "Core Essential" kits for the 16 flagship hardware products that drive 80% of revenue. By bundling a high-volume $40 accessory at the point of hardware sale, Voltora can bridge the "Attachment Gap" and realize an immediate 4% increase in per-order AOV.
Optimize Low-Margin Volume Centre’s: Re-position standalone accessories like 4K HDMI Cables and MagSafe Power Banks as "Add-on Essentials" within the digital checkout flow. This shifts high- frequency items from negligible standalone sales to high-margin upsells for larger orders.
Boost Repeat Purchases: Address the 15% year-over-year retention decline by launching an automated "30-Day Post-Purchase" re-engagement sequence. Target hardware buyers with personalized offers for compatible peripherals (audio, storage, charging) to convert "one-off" buyers into repeat ecosystem shoppers.
Leverage Core Customer Insights: Analyse the behaviours of high-AOV repeat customers to refine tiered rewards. Introduce referral incentives that reward existing flagship owners for bringing in new premium-segment customers, reducing acquisition dependency.
Stabilize Off-Peak Revenue Floors: Introduce "Ecosystem Refresh" promotions during the identified February and August demand shocks. By focusing on accessory volume during these periods, Voltora can maintain transaction frequency and a stable cash flow "floor" when hardware demand naturally dips.
Maintain Quality Integrity: Sustain the current low refund rates by replicating successful 2023 quality control practices. Ensure that increased accessory volume is supported by detailed product descriptions and robust post-purchase support to meet customer expectations.
Focus on High-Performing Regional Hubs: Allocate marketing resources to top-performing geographic regions identified in the audit. Utilize regionalized promotions to solidify market presence and reduce the volatility seen during off-peak months.
Enhance Mobile Ecosystem Experience: Improve the mobile app’s "One-Click Bundle" features to capitalize on rising mobile usage. Streamlining the path from a $1,000 laptop to a complete setup will reduce cart abandonment and increase AOV.
Customer ID Mapping: Does the customer_id consistently track the same individual across guest checkouts and registered accounts, or could a single user generate multiple unique IDs?
Marketing Spend Context: Was there a significant reduction in top-of-funnel marketing spend or a change in acquisition channels between 2023 and 2024 that could correlate with the 15% retention decline?
Inventory Availability: Were the 16 flagship hardware products consistently in stock during the "Demand Shock" months (February and August), or were these revenue dips influenced by supply chain shortages?
Data Completeness: It is assumed that the Orders_Cleaned table represents a full and final record of all successful transactions, excluding test orders, employee purchases, or pending returns.
Currency Standardization: All financial figures are assumed to be standardized in USD based on historical exchange rates at the time of the transaction.
External Stability: The analysis assumes that the 15% decline in retention is an internal performance trend and does not account for external macroeconomic shifts or major competitor price wars.
Correlation vs. Causality: This analysis identifies a strong correlation between zero accessory attachment and declining retention. However, without qualitative customer feedback, we cannot definitively claim that a lack of bundling is the sole cause of customer churn.
Gross vs. Net Revenue: All insights are based on Gross Revenue. The analysis does not account for Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), shipping overheads, or marketing CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), which may vary between hardware and accessory categories.
Guest Checkout Bias: If a high percentage of transactions are processed via "Guest Checkout" without persistent identifiers, the reported 15% retention decay may be slightly overstated due to ID fragmentation.