What you need to know about livestream shopping

Think of it like shopping on FaceTime with a friend, and thousands of others. Livestream shopping is a fairly mature phenomenon in China, and it’s slowly seeping into the West and beyond. It is an infomercial meets Instagram live—and has been quoted as “QVC on steroids”.

The Internet is rapidly becoming cheaper and more accessible and the Chinese market tapped into the medium very early on. The livestream “host” will showcase a range of products, from luxury brands to everyday essentials. This host can be anyone from a mainstream celebrity to a so-called livestream influencer. Hosts are called “key opinion leaders'' and larger influencers are essentially a new kind of celebrity, with some even having audiences of millions. Chen Tingjuan, (screename: Fashion Meimeida) revealed she made around $1,900,000 in 2017, selling through the Taobao Live platform. Kim Kardashian West also appeared as a guest on a popular livestream show, Tmall Global, to sell her KKW perfume, which sold out 15,000 bottles within minutes.

So what happens exactly? The host will often have their own scheduled daily show time, in which they will try on clothes, makeup, or whatever their area of expertise, and sell to the viewers. The items are often only available in a one hour window, with special discounts, which encourages on-the-spot purchasing.

The relatability is what has made this so popular in China. It’s providing a certain level of trust, which cannot be emulated through online shopping. If a viewer has been following a host for a number of years, it does almost feel as though they are watching a friend. Back in February 2020, when COVID-19 hit China, Taobao Live, the biggest livestream platform, saw a surge in sellers of 719 per cent. Not surprising when many manufacturers were trying to keep things “business as usual”.

No one can deny, the Chinese really know their stuff when it comes to innovation. A number of brands and shopping platforms in the West are utilising this to give a unique shopping experience, while also engaging with the Asian market.

Luxury fashion retailer Moda Operandi, launched ‘Moda Live’ where they focus on one brand and showcase products from season's upcoming collections, which are then ready to preorder on the site. Johanna Ortiz showcased her spring/summer 2021 collection, live from Colombia. She had models dressed in complete outfits, and talked through her fabrics, colours, and was able to explain small details—like hand beading on a purse—something that may have otherwise been skimmed over. Also available, a live chat in which viewers were asking questions about items, and Johanna’s team were able to respond in real-time. Tommy Hilfiger went one step further with TOMMY LIVE and in amongst the usual stream, got Lewis Hamilton tuned in to talk about his cult collaboration, TommyXLewis.

All of these things collated make the most interactive shopping experience you could have without ever leaving your house, and where China leads, the world will surely follow.

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