From Elm’s “system” to Rhode’s mini kit: Bundles that sell themselves

Hi, I’m Nithya Sudhir. I collect words, chase patterns, and write about whatever makes me curious.

Martha Stewart just launched her first skincare line, Elm Biosciences.

And we don’t get a hero product, we get two: the A30 Elemental Serum (~$135) for external repair and the Inner Dose Daily Supplement (~$50) for internal balance.

But here’s the real play — Elm doesn’t want you to choose.

It positions both as the Dual Pathway Skin System, complete with a CTA that reads: “Get the System.”

It’s Monday again and I’m here to tell you why this works!

So, the serum is well a serum, and the supplement is a supplement — nothing none of us wouldn’t have tired at some point of time.

But Elm biosciences has put them side by side and created a ‘system’ — and suddenly it feels like the obvious choice.

Why settle for half a solution when you can have the whole package?

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What they are trying to make their consumers experience is called the bundling effect.

In marketing and behavioural economics, the bundling effect refers to the phenomenon where consumers perceive greater value or utility when multiple products or services are offered together as a bundle — often at a discounted price — compared to buying those items separately.

Bundled offers increased purchase likelihood by up to 35% compared to the same items sold individually.

Clearly, consumers respond well to that “completeness” or “package”.

What’s more interesting is that shoppers find that bundles are treated as separate products (distinct from component products) by consumers.

Behavioral economists Nicolau & Sellers call this the one-click effect.

Which means, when multiple products are bought in one transaction, people are more willing to pay more for it than they would if buying items separately.

So Elm isn’t just selling products — it’s selling relief from decision fatigue.

And in a market where over [60% of consumers say they prefer buying curated sets over singles](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/consumer packaged goods/our insights/state of beauty/2025/the-state-of-fashion-beauty-june-2025-f.pdf?), Elm makes the “yes” feel inevitable.

Behavioral economics shows that people gravitate toward anything that feels like a deal.

Bundles exploit this instinct by creating the impression of “more for less”.

But wait, here’s the catch: bundles only work if people actually use what’s inside.

Behavioral researchers call this the bundling bias — our tendency to overvalue a package at checkout, but under-consume it later.

Think of the beauty advent calendar with unopened doors, or the city pass where two attractions go unvisited.

In those cases, the bundle isn’t a deal at all — it’s higher cost per use and, worse, a hit to brand trust.

Bundles aren’t about stuffing more into a box.

They’re about reducing friction, reframing value, and creating outcomes customers actually use.

Here are 5 ways to do just that:

As always, hit reply if something in here hits home.

See you next week,
Nithya

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