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Pricing & Promotions
Gift with Purchase (GWP)
A gift with purchase (GWP) is a promotion that gives a free product, usually a sample, mini size or accessory, when a shopper buys something, often above a set order value. It rewards the purchase without cutting the price of the product itself.
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What a gift with purchase is
A gift with purchase adds something to the order instead of taking something off the price. Typical mechanics are a free mini or sample with any order, a free gift above an order value, or a choice of gifts for loyalty members. A close relative is purchase with purchase (PWP): an extra product offered at a reduced price with the main purchase.
Beauty companies use the mechanic widely. The Estée Lauder Companies describe, in their fiscal 2026 annual report, sampling programs including purchase with purchase and gift with purchase as coordinated promotions, and say their gross margins and operating expenses are affected quarter by quarter by holiday and key shopping moments, their launch calendar and the timing of those promotions.
Why it matters for an ecommerce brand
A GWP protects the price. The product page keeps its full price, so the brand avoids training shoppers to wait for a discount, and the gift introduces a product the shopper may buy at full price next time.
For competitors, a GWP is easy to miss. It rarely appears as a lower price, so a price tracker that only reads prices will not see it. It shows up in banners, emails, ads and the cart. A competitor running a generous GWP during your sale can win shoppers without discounting at all, and a competitor that switches from discounts to gifts is changing its promotional strategy.
A worked example
This example is hypothetical. A skincare brand plans a 20% sitewide sale for a week in May. A competitor it tracks has, for two years running, offered a free three-piece mini set on orders over a set value in the week before Mother's Day, announced by email first and then on its homepage.
Knowing that, the brand can choose to offer its own gift instead of a discount that week, so its full prices stay intact, or move its sale to a week when the competitor has no offer running.
How to track competitors' gifts with purchase
1. Watch the channels that announce gifts. Homepage banners, email newsletters, ads and the cart message carry GWPs; product prices do not.
2. Record the conditions. The order threshold, the gift and its size, and whether it is for everyone or members only.
3. Date every offer. GWPs cluster around gifting moments and launches, so the dates build a promotional calendar.
4. Read gifts and discounts together. RivalSweeper tracks competitors' promotions and coupon codes, homepage banners and marketing messages, the newsletters they send subscribers, and their Meta and Google ads activity, with dates, checked daily. Gift offers appear in those channels even when prices do not change.
Frequently asked questions
What does GWP mean?
GWP stands for gift with purchase: a free product given when a shopper buys something, often above a set order value. It is common in beauty, where the gift is usually a sample or mini size.
What is the difference between gift with purchase and purchase with purchase?
With a gift with purchase the extra item is free. With purchase with purchase (PWP) the extra item is sold at a discount alongside the main purchase. The Estée Lauder Companies, for example, describe both as promotional programs in their annual report.
Is a gift with purchase better than a discount?
It depends on the goal. A gift keeps the product's price intact and can introduce a new product; a discount is simpler and more visible. Many brands use gifts to avoid frequent price cuts, and keep discounts for clearance and big events.
Related terms
Promotional Calendar
A promotional calendar is the dated plan of a brand's sales, offers and campaigns across the year: which promotion runs when, for how long, on which products and through which channels. A competitor's promotional calendar is the same plan reconstructed from what they actually ran.
Discount Depth
Discount depth is the size of a price reduction, expressed as the percentage taken off the reference price: (reference price − sale price) ÷ reference price × 100. For example, a $100 item on sale for $80 has a discount depth of 20%. Tracked over time, it shows how aggressively a brand promotes.
Free Shipping Threshold
A free shipping threshold is the minimum order value at which a store stops charging for delivery, for example free shipping on orders over $75. It is set to lift order value and to remove an extra cost that drives shoppers away at checkout.
Reference Price ("Was" Price)
A reference price is the price a shopper compares the current price with. On a product page it is usually the crossed-out "was" price or the list price next to a sale price. In the shopper's head it is the price they expect to pay. A discount looks only as big as its reference price makes it.
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