What is live shopping and will fly off?

After graduating from Kelsey Kracora College, she works full -time in Steakhouse, bartender and serving dishes.

She was dealing with online clothing, but only part -time.

But in 2021, everything changed for Cleveland-based Mrs. Kracora.

It has switched to sell clothes on what else, and then Poshmark – online markets where people can also use live video to sell items.

“My first live show with Poshmark was on November 27, 2022. I sold zero things in my first show … But that didn't last long!”

It now sells about 100 items per show, worth about $ 1,000 sales (£ 773).

Its shows are an average of three hours and it makes between two and three weeks.

“These events are inclusive, welcoming, you can shop at PJS. No need to target the mall,” says G -ja Krakora.

Live shopping has been popular in the Asia-Pacific region for some time, where social networks like China Douyin have regularly host live shopping streams, but now European and American brands are experimenting with this new way to sell their products.

Live shopping is close to shopping channels like QVC, where viewers are urged to call and buy the products demonstrated by the presenters.

But live shopping acts as a faster shortcut from buyer to product, especially in the era of one-click purchases made popular by online retailers like Amazon.

Moreover, since the younger generations are increasingly cutting the chord and there is no access to cable TV, the shopping channels do not hold the same meaning as it ever.

It is estimated that the live shopping market has reached $ 32 billion, with the most active sectors being fashion, cosmetics and collector value.

A 2024 study from the Digital Trade Platform VTEX found that 45% of US users have seen or purchased from live shopping events in the last 12 months.

Guillaume Faure, CEO of LiveMeUP, which provides live video software, remembers when you are interested in live shopping.

“When Instagram introduced reels and when YouTube released shorts, we saw that live shopping really took off.”

He noticed the popularity of lessons and videos with live shopping events, such as how hosts can teach buyers how to apply a certain type of makeup or organize a variety of flowers to deliver the most challenging bouquet.

However, some analysts believe that live shopping is likely to have limited attractiveness.

“Many companies have tried live shopping, but it just doesn't scale,” says Sucharita Codali, a retail analyst at Forrester Research.

“Maybe it works in China where they do not have the same type of store density we have in the United States where it is better for users to go and try something instead of watching a host to try a piece of clothes,” she adds.

Jonathan Reynolds, academic director of the Oxford Institute for Retail, the University of Oxford, also stresses that the Chinese market is different.

“In China, the so -called key leaders of public opinion (Kols) like Li Jiaki, the so -called King of Lipstick, are well established,” he says.

“Did he carefully build his personal brand to demonstrate his experience and to build consumer confidence. Kols also works in much more complex ecosystems on the platform,” explains G -N -Reynolds.

Even D -Ja Kkora admits that not all products work in live shopping.

For example, she prefers to shop for jeans in person. “I'm tall and have specific cuts of jeans I wear,” she says, “and has tried and tested styles and brands I like.”

Bruce Winder, a retail analyst in Toronto, also says that for some buyers the convenience of live shopping can be too attractive.

“Users can be addicted to the show or channel … And some users may not stop watching and spend while caught now,” he adds.

Despite these potential pitfalls, the main brands and platforms have jumped on the live shopping tape.

Nordstrom, Kit Kat, Samsung and L'Oreal have sold products during these streams as the hosts demonstrated new or discount, and join Poshmark as the host of these events are Amazon, Ebay, Tiktok, YouTube and Instagram.

“Live shopping allows buyers to talk to someone who knows the products being sold, and this generates a lot of excitement,” says Manish Chandra, CEO and founder of Poshmark.

“He also creates a community where other buyers are in the same show and this is a really different experience than traditional shopping.”

For some brands, live shopping is a change of game.

The high -end fragrance brand The House of Amouage has partnered with Nordstrom at the end of 2024 to bring its live shopping events to the United States.

Oman Amouage -based is tracing the success they enjoyed in China. In the 140 live streams, which host Chinese Douyin and Taobao Social Platforms in 2023, they sold more than 3,000 units.

Renaud Salmon's chief creative director says it helps the company learn about what its customers want.

“In the past, we would use customer satisfaction studies,” says G -n -Salmon, “but with live shopping we get feedback immediately and I return it to my team to help refine our products.”