What's old is new: Brands craving connection with consumers turn to livestreaming

While this motivation may be latent—even subconscious, for most—in the U.S., it’s an economic driver that’s well understood in China, fueling a thriving video ecommerce market. In Asia, the powerful force of video entertainment shopping has spawned a livestream ecommerce industry akin to professional movie production. It’s more than a place where a... See more

Use of the online video platform continued to surge in recent months as brands and merchants impacted by Covid-19, including mall operator Intime and furniture retailer Easyhome, increasingly turned to livestreaming to resume operations.

Livestream sellers put forward their point of view and editorial eye on the products they select and evaluate. Facebook Shops and Tik Tok Shopping similarly give opportunity to sellers of all stripes to set up their shops.

There’s no true equivalent to Taobao Live in America, and so the U.S. is still playing catch-up.