Sam Blumenthal

Platforms like Taobao, owned by Alibaba, and WeChat function as both hybrids of social media and eCommerce platforms, essentially offering users a plethora of services from microblogging, messaging and online shopping, all in one experience. This interconnected economy of services means that live stream shopping is simply an extension of the... See more

The desire for good advice drives Chinese consumers to turn to experts. In China, “even farmers have become influencers,” Weinswig said. “People will buy their groceries from a farmer on a livestream.”