Livestream shopping: definition, benefits, and organization

Around the world over 265 million people¹ regularly watch livestream shopping.

This new format of teleshopping is very popular in China, in particular through Taobao Live, the Alibaba group's online distribution platform which makes up almost 80% of the country's live shopping² revenue.

To get the most out of this potentially powerful format, a business should prepare well, determine the best time slot, and choose the right platform…

Find out exactly what live shopping involves and our 7 tips for making it work for you.

Livestream shopping: definition and advantages

What is livestream shopping?

Livestream shopping (or live selling) is a selling event, broadcast live and hosted by a brand expert or an influencer. During these sessions, shoppers can interact with the presenter, ask questions, and buy products directly.

Through livestream shopping, consumers get a hybrid experience somewhere between shopping and entertainment: live chat, survey, possibility to buy on the spot… and can see the product in use.

The benefits of livestream shopping

Livestream shopping can increase conversion rates by up to 30%³, which is 10 times higher³ than in traditional eCommerce. It also reduces the rate of product returns. Shoppers buying through live shopping sessions are 40% less likely⁴ to return a product than if they buy through an eCommerce site.

With these figures in mind, 81% of marketing professionals⁴ intend to increase and/or maintain their investments in live shopping.

7 tips for a successful live shopping event

1. Prepare well

Making a success of your livestream shopping event requires preparation: determine the key phases of the session, select products to showcase, determine how much time to spend on each product… and ensure that the chosen products are relevant⁵ to the context (holiday season, Cyber Monday, seasonal sales…).

Good preparation will ensure that your shoppers get a unique and authentic live shopping experience: for 90% of shoppers⁶ this is an important factor in their choice of brand and/or retailer.

2. Choose the right platform

When preparing a livestream shopping event, research the different platforms available (Instagram, Facebook live, Amazon live…) and identify the specifics of each one (features, usability, target audience…).

Platforms designed for livestream shopping allow businesses to broadcast their content in replay on their own eCommerce sites: 70% of sales⁷ from a live shopping event are placed after the event. These platforms also allow you to use their specific features: integrated chat, instant payments, product datasheets integrated into live videos…

3. Decide on the best time slot

Part of the success of your live shopping event depends on choosing the right time slot.

If you decide to go with an influencer, you should choose a person matching your company values and attracting the right audience (profile, interests…). Depending on the influencer you choose, your business can benefit from their renown among a specific population: 44% of Gen Z shoppers⁸ take the influencer's opinion into account as part of their purchasing decision.

5. Make sure you're using the best image quality

For a successful live shopping event, the quality of the image is so important and requires up to date and high-quality equipment: tripod, ring lights, external microphone… You should also choose a location with a neutral background or a specific décor which will contribute to showcasing the products in question.

High quality images are essential for attracting shoppers as 67% of them⁹ see this as the most important part of a livestream shopping event.

6. Communicate

For a successful live shopping session, you must communicate widely beforehand: teaser video, advertising, stories… and highlight the benefits for the shopper (discount code, special offer, competition…). You should also vary the communication channels used: text message campaign, social networks, emailing…

This will greatly increase the visibility of your livestream shopping happening and create excitement around the event: there are 50,000 live shopping sessions¹ organized every day.

7. Create a unique product experience

Live shopping also plays an informative role allowing shoppers to find out more about a product they are researching. 60% of shoppers that have tested this format¹⁰ have noticed a great improvement in their overall shopping experience.

During a live shopping session, the presenter can share tips¹¹ for using a product that are not necessarily mentioned on the brands website. They can also provide a live demo of the product¹¹ in use to allow shoppers to imagine themselves using it.

One example could be the influencer trying on a fashion accessory during the livestream and showing examples of how to associate it with a piece of clothing to make it look great.

To sum up, livestream shopping attracts shoppers and creates a connection between a business and its customers. To make your live shopping event work, you need to prepare well ahead of time, ensure that it runs smoothly (the right time slot, high quality equipment, choice of presenter…) and drive engagement between the shopper and the product in question.

It is important to make these efforts to provide a high-quality live shopping session and create an optimal experience around your product which will encourage shoppers to buy from you.

¹ E-Commerce Nation. (2021, September 24). Live shopping : la nouvelle tendance E-Commerce qui attire les consommateurs. ecommerce-nation.fr.
² Baird, N. (2023, March 5). Livestream Shopping Is Not Going To Take Over E-Commerce. forbes.com.
³ Ropars, F. (2022, November 14). Webinar : les opportunités et bonnes pratiques du live shopping décryptées. blogdumoderateur.com.
⁴ Wynne Lockhart, J. (2022, January 18). Live Shopping: How to Launch a Live Event That Drives Engagement and Conversions. shopify.com.
⁵ Raffin, E. (2022, (September 5). Social commerce et live shopping : les bonnes pratiques de Dealabs. blogdumoderateur.com.
⁶ Stackla Survey Reveals Disconnect Between the Content Consumers Want &maps; What Marketers Deliver. (2019, February 20). businesswire.com.
⁷ Leuenberger, M. (2022, May 23). Live shopping : la tendance e-commerce qui booste les ventes. shopify.com.
⁸ How to Use Instagram Live Shopping to Drive Ecommerce Sales.bigcommerce.com.
⁹ Golum, C. G. Live Video Stats: What Consumers Want [Infographic]. livestream.com.
¹⁰ Hodge, B. (2023, January 27). 15 Livestream Selling Statistics to Know in 2023. Fit Small Business.
¹¹ Beinard, B. (2023). Live Shopping : Définition, Outils, Chiffres et Exemples. LEPTIDIGITAL.