Live commerce , live shopping , shopstreaming , or live stream shopping , also called live commerce, is the sale of products or services through live video streaming in an interactive environment. Furthermore, it's done in an environment with features for completing purchases.
In other words, live commerce is a real-time online sales experience. This experience can occur, for example, through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Additionally, it can be done via a super app , in an online store, or through other communication and sales channels.
In any case, shopstreaming differs from traditional e-commerce in that it involves the human factor. That is, while in e-commerce the consumer chooses products on their own in a self-service manner , in live commerce the products are displayed by a person.
Live trading is also different from TV trading. The latter, in turn, has the human factor, but does not allow direct interaction with likes, comments, shares and other resources that only the internet has.
Live stream shopping , finally, has another important feature: gamification . In other words, the content presented by the host can include activities like games and playful interactions with the viewer.
TYPES LIVE COMMERCE
There are several types of live commerce . You can use this feature to, for example:
- Dos unboxing of a product: take a product out of the box while showing some of its external, internal and accessory features;
- present a product: show the main characteristics of a product such as material, colors, details, dimensions and options for the consumer to choose from;
- Perform tutorials: explain how a product works or, more than that, demonstrate it in practice. Literally put the product to work during the live commerce;
- Launch a new product: present the new version of a product while making a counterpoint with previous versions;
- introduce a brand: instead of talking about a product, make a live commerce to talk about a brand. Meanwhile, present the main launches of this brand over the years;
- Show multiple products: expose several products of your e-commerce in a single live,. Present each item quickly and encourage consumers to purchase.
Remember, these are just a few examples. You can also use live shopping to showcase promotions, encourage the use of discount coupons, show the atmosphere of your physical stores, talk about special dates like Black Friday, and much more. Make it your own!
WHO PRESENTS LIVE COMMERCE?
Anyone can host a live commerce event . However, ideally, the host should have strong communication skills and know how to captivate the audience. Salespeople, for example, generally possess these characteristics.
Nowadays, however, the most common thing is for companies to hire a digital influencer for this. An influencer is a person who already has a specific audience over which they have credibility and a certain dominance. Therefore, he can convince and sell something to this audience more easily.
You can hire influencers through the Squid by Wake platform . This platform offers access to all types of influencers and provides performance reports. Therefore, in addition to finding the most suitable influencer for your project, you can measure the results.
To use the Squid by Wake platform successfully, use the support of Agência e-Plus. The e-Plus Agency has been certified in Wake technologies since the beginning and, therefore, is qualified to migrate, integrate, deploy and manage projects with this brand. To hire, click on the following button and start a conversation via messenger app right now:
LIVE COMMERCE AROUND THE WORLD: NUMBERS AND TRENDS
In China, in particular, the live commerce market is growing continuously. According to information from McKinsey & Company , it took less than 5 years for live stream shopping in that country to reach a penetration of 10%.
Also according to McKinsey, Chinese live trade reached US$171 billion in 2020. There, the categories most displayed live are fashion apparel (36% share), beauty and food products (7%), consumer electronics (5%) and furniture and home decor (4%).
A 2020 study cited by the Emplifi blog shows that in Poland, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom, more than 40% of consumers expressed interest in buying electronics during live streams on e-commerce websites and apps. In the US, it is predicted that by 2024 e-commerce revenue from live shopping will triple, reaching US$35 billion, according to a Statista study.
It's worth noting that the live commerce market grew worldwide, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to another study by Statista , the percentage of respondents who made purchases during live streams increased by an average of 76% globally throughout the pandemic. Of the regions included in the research, Europe had the highest growth during this period with 86%, followed by the Middle East (76%) and North America (68%).
LIVE COMMERCE IN BRAZIL: STATISTICS
The live commerce market is booming. To give you an idea, according to data from the VTEX blog , more than 88% of Brazilian consumers have already indicated that they intend to participate in a live shopping session in the future. In fact, brands like Lojas Americanas widely use this feature here .
However, for now, in Brazil, according to the E-commerce Trends 2024 survey conducted by Octadesk and Opinion Box with over 2.088 online consumers aged 16 and over, 50% have already purchased products after watching a live stream from a brand, company, or influencer . It's worth noting that in the 2023 edition of the same survey, this number was 46%. Of the consumers who have purchased via live stream , 14% did so only once, 28% a few times, and 8% do so frequently.
The study also reveals the most popular live streaming platforms in the country. In this regard, Instagram comes in first place with 60% adoption. Next is YouTube with 46%, the app store with 18%, Facebook with 15%, and the live streaming app with 10%. Finally, TikTok comes in last with 9% preference.
The NuvemCommerce 2023 8th Edition report , which compiled responses from 2.000 retailers between November and December 2022, reveals that live shopping is already one of the most used marketing strategies by e-commerce retailers, alongside email marketing and discount coupons, among others. However, while on average only 5% use live shopping , among more mature businesses the usage reaches 15%. In other words, the more developed the brand, the greater the chance of implementing the feature.
ADVANTAGES OF LIVE COMMERCE
There are several good reasons for you, as a retailer, to start using live commerce . With it you can, for example:
Show product details:
In a live broadcast, a presenting salesperson can show the characteristics of a product through audiovisual resources. He can display the item from different angles and even put it to work while viewers ask questions in real time. This, in fact, can increase the desire to buy and generate many more sales.
improve engagement:
Live presentations generate a lot of interest, so viewers feel much more energized to enjoy, share, and comment on content about products and brands. Therefore, they help engage people. Throughout the live streams , many consumers want to feel part of the "family" and, therefore, comment and ask questions as if everyone were in the same room.
improve the experience:
In common e-commerce, the consumer often has doubts about a product and cannot solve them without doing a Google search or in the virtual store itself. But in live trading, just ask the presenter. This greatly improves the shopping experience. If the salesperson is good, he can convince not just the person who asked, but many other people to buy a product.
Carry out promotions:
You know those e-commerce dates like Father's Day, Mother's Day, Black Week , Black Friday , and Cyber Monday , among others, where great promotions are possible? Well, you can broadcast these promotions in real time and make big profits via shopstreaming . For example, do a 1-hour, 2-hour, or even 24-hour broadcast on these dates highlighting your best promotions. Your sales are sure to increase.
All these advantages ultimately culminate in the greatest advantage that every retailer seeks: an increased sales conversion rate. While in traditional e-commerce it hovers around 1%, live commerce undoubtedly makes it possible for it to be much higher.
HOW TO APPLY
To implement live commerce, you must start with planning. Define which platform or tool you will use for the broadcasts. Then, prepare the setting. Choose the presenters, who can be your own salespeople or digital influencers.
It's important to note that one of the best platforms for live commerce today is VTEX Live Shopping . It's available for use by all merchants on the VTEX platform through the VTEX App Store , making it easy to implement.
One of the best VTEX Live Shopping case studies is that of Samsung Chile . Using VTEX Live Shopping , the management of this multinational company held a 60-minute live commerce event in 2022 , during which they achieved engagement from over 1.500 people, who together made 1.600 interactions with the brand. And, most importantly, orders grew by 163% compared to a normal day of online shopping.
In addition to choosing a good platform, also prepare each event in the smallest details. Define which products you will exhibit, which promotions you will do. Prepare games and games in advance. Test the payment links and buttons and other features.
Also, have a list of persuasive arguments to encourage consumers to click the "Buy" button. I recommend using Cialdini's sales triggers and neuromarketing techniques . And remember, after each presentation, think about what you can improve for future ones.
If you finally need help implementing live commerce , don't worry. You can always turn to Agência e-Plus , which specializes in VTEX. Click the button below and start a conversation with us via WhatsApp to learn more:
