Unfiltered with Roshan Byjnal: Wish Lists: The Simple Feature That Quietly Drives Serious Sales

Often seen as a small convenience or a “nice-to-have”, wish lists quietly provide one of the clearest signals of customer intent. They capture the moment a shopper says: “I’m interested… just not right now.” And for businesses that know how to read and act on that signal (think Amazon or Takealot), the commercial upside is significant!  

Why wish lists matter more than most businesses realise

Most customers don’t browse online in a straight line. They compare, delay, re-evaluate, save items for later, build mental budgets, and wait for the right moment. Wish lists support that natural behaviour. And in doing so, they give businesses valuable visibility into what truly matters to their customers. 

When someone saves an item to a wish list, they’re doing more than bookmarking. They’re making a micro-commitment. They’re signalling interest, desire and often future intent. 

Businesses that understand this can act in three powerful ways: 

1. Turn intention into action

A wish-listed item is an invitation to follow up at the right time, not to chase blindly. Subtle prompts - a price change, availability update or complementary offering - can nudge a customer from “later” to “now”.

2. Understand what drives projects, not just purchases

Wish lists often form around themes:

• a home renovation,
• a new hobby setup,
• redoing a workspace,
• preparing for a child,
• planning a holiday.

This context gives businesses a deeper view of customer motivation. When you understand the project, you can recommend bundles, curate sets, or guide them with expertise rather than promotions.

3. Shape your product, pricing and merchandising decisions

When you look at what customers save, not only just what they buy, friction points become visible:

• Products people want but hesitate to commit to.
• Items with strong appeal but weak conversions.
• Categories gaining traction before sales reflect it.

Wish lists are the “leading indicator” long before revenue shows up.

Wish lists in B2B: Different name, same power 

In B2B, the behaviour exists even if the terminology doesn’t. Procurement teams plan ahead. They build lists for next month, next quarter, or the next budget cycle. They save preferred product codes, compare options and create draft orders that wait for approval.

That’s simply a wish list by another name.

By embracing that behaviour within eCommerce platforms, businesses help B2B customers:

• plan more efficiently,
• organise stock requirements,
• simplify approvals,
• reduce repeat admin,
• pre-build predictable purchasing cycles.

And you help your business:

• forecast demand earlier,
• approach clients proactively,
• secure orders sooner,
• identify upcoming requirements,
• strengthen account relationships.

When companies enable these “future planning lists”, they convert silent intent into visible pipeline.

Simple enhancements that deliver a big impact 

Wish lists don’t need to be complex to work well. Even modest enhancements can deliver meaningful results:

• Allow multiple lists with custom names.
• Make saving items effortless, even for unregistered users.
• Enable customers to convert a list to cart (or draft order) in one action.
• Offer subtle, value-led reminders (never spam).
• Use wish list data to improve stock planning and content quality.
• For B2B: convert lists into quotes, procurement requests, or scheduled orders.

These are straightforward capabilities that unlock serious commercial value.

The bottom line

Wish lists are more than a UX feature; they are a window into customer intention.

Handled well, they help businesses:

• accelerate sales,
• increase average order value,
• reduce friction,
• personalise at the right moment,
• plan inventory more intelligently,
• strengthen customer relationships.

As eCommerce matures, the businesses that win will be those that understand intent, not just behaviour, and act on it thoughtfully. The wish list remains one of the cleanest, simplest and most underused intent signals available.

Most businesses are sitting on this insight. The smart ones are acting on it.

Klipboard’s eCommerce software helps businesses access new sales channels, streamline operations and reach more customers – supporting smarter selling through better visibility, integration and automation.