BirkenstockCategory page
Category page top-view tile images
What changed Swaps each product tile's main photo to a top-down view
Seen 15 Sep to 21 Sep 2026
Outcome being confirmed
ABSee / Guides / Category page optimisation
GuideCategory page optimisation. What brands test on listing pages.
This guide covers what ecommerce brands test on category and listing pages, where shoppers browse a range before they choose a product. ABSee has recorded 100+ brands testing here over May to October 2026.
Updated October 2026 · Source: ABSee record · Methodology →
What brands are testing
Nine themes on listing pages. The changes brands put to a test.
Each tile is one kind of change brands tested on category and listing pages. The chip is a size word: how many brands in the record tested it, counting a brand once however many tests it ran.
- many
Shortcut tiles and pills
Subcategory cards, shop-by-fit links and category pills above the grid; several brands removed picture shortcuts.
- many
Filters and sort
Filters beside the grid, pinned filter bars, filters open or hidden, sale filters, popular-filter chips.
- several
Product-tile badges
Best seller, top rated, selling fast and online-only badges on tiles.
- several
Tile imagery
Lead photo swaps, on-model defaults, swipeable photos on tiles, front against back shots.
- several
Price and discount on tiles
Savings shown as an amount, a green sale price, the original price removed.
- several
Quick add and quick view
Added, removed, or trimmed to a size choice only.
- several
Ratings on tiles
Star ratings added, hidden, or moved onto the photo.
- several
Swatches on tiles
Colour swatches added to tiles, enlarged or reduced.
- several
In-grid tiles and banners
Promo tiles, email sign-up tiles, delivery tiles, cart reminders, hero banners removed.
The themes, one by one
The themes, one by one. What brands actually changed.
Four of the themes, with what brands changed. The named examples come from the wider record and show the format.
Shortcut tiles and pills
What sits above the grid is tested in both directions. Many brands added subcategory cards, shop-by-fit or shop-by-type links and category pills; several removed rows of picture shortcuts to bring the products up the page.
Filters and sort
Filters moved beside the grid or pinned to the top as the shopper scrolls, filters hidden or expanded by default, sale filters and popular-filter chips, and a pickup-in-store toggle.
Product-tile badges
Badges such as best seller, top rated and selling fast. One brand ran a long series of near-identical selling-fast badge tests; on this page it counts once, as one brand.
Tile imagery
Which photo leads the tile: on-model or product only, front or back, one photo or a swipeable set. Birkenstock tested a different lead photo of each sandal on its listing tiles, shown at the top of this page.
What a record looks like
One experiment, in full. The record behind every theme.
Every theme above is made of records like this one, with every field shown: before and tested, what changed, the likely hypothesis, the takeaway, the dates and what the brand did next.
LancômeCategory page
Rolled backIntelligence plan
Category page hero layout update- What changed
- Hides the top promotional slot and introduces a responsive hero banner.
- Likely hypothesis
- By hiding the top promotional slot and updating the category hero layout, we can increase product click-through rates, because shoppers face less visual distraction above the fold and can begin browsing the inventory more easily.
Seen 8 Jun to 21 Jun 2026
Problem being solved and strategic takeaway
- Problem being solved
- Intrusive promotional slots and misaligned header text distract users from the core browsing experience.
- Strategic takeaway Intelligence plan
- Simplifying top-of-page layouts by removing secondary promotional slots can help visitors focus immediately on the main content.
- Principle Intelligence plan
- Cognitive Load
Bring a hypothesis
Bring a hypothesis. See who tested something like it.
Three hypotheses to bring to your assistant about listing pages, each written as if, then, because:
- Shortcut tilesIntelligence plan
Our hypothesis: if we remove the picture shortcuts above the grid, then more shoppers will click a product, because the products appear sooner.
Comes back with comparable experiments, for and against.
- FiltersIntelligence plan
Our hypothesis: if we pin the filter bar as shoppers scroll, then more will narrow the range, because filtering is always one tap away.
Comes back with comparable experiments, for and against.
- Tile photosIntelligence plan
Our hypothesis: if we lead each tile with an on-model photo, then more shoppers will open the product, because they can judge the fit from the grid.
Comes back with comparable experiments, for and against.
How to use this
How to use this. Evidence for a hypothesis, not an answer.
Find the problem in your own data
Start from where your own shoppers leave or hesitate.
Check what the market tried
Find brands like yours, what they tested and what they did next.
Test it yourself
Only your own experiment tells you what works on your site.
What this page does not tell you
What this page does not tell you. And why.
Whether it works
No outcome rates. Whether each brand kept a change is part of the Intelligence plan.
When a brand started
First seen is when ABSee first recorded a test, not when the brand began it.
What will work for you
One experiment is one brand's decision, with its own shoppers.
Questions
Questions
Which category page changes increase conversion?
ABSee publishes no rate for any theme here. The record shows, per experiment, whether the brand kept the change; that is part of the Intelligence plan.
What do brands test most on category pages?
In the ABSee record, many brands tested shortcut tiles and pills above the grid, and filters and sort. Several tested badges, tile photos, prices on tiles and quick add.
Why count brands, not experiments?
One brand can run many near-identical tests. Counting brands stops one busy brand from making a theme look bigger than it is.
Which brands are named on this page?
Lancôme and Birkenstock, as public examples. The other brands are named in the record.
Ask your assistant
What do brands test on category and listing pages?
Works in Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini once ABSee is connected.
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