As expected, the pandemic will change how businesses and consumers approach one of the biggest shopping days of the year, Black Friday. But did you know that China’s Singles’ Day is still the largest online shopping festival in the world?
Even more impressive this year is that e-commerce live-streaming — a new way to attract consumers — has experienced explosive growth during the pandemic. For retailers, what are some of the best marketing strategies to gain online consumers and boost sales as the public focuses on convenience and health?
Image via Jeffrey Towson
E-commerce live-streaming is taking China by storm and has affected many people’s consumption habits. For example, Viya — named “the world’s livestream queen” — controls a $60 billion empire of live online shopping. Last year, the 34-year-old Chinese online personality single-handedly sold $6 billion worth of products in her live-streaming room. Global brands, such as Tesla and Procter & Gamble, have recently turned to Viya to introduce them to the Chinese market.
Image via Bloomberg
On China’s Singles Day, a large number of businesses use livestream platforms to sell their product, build trust, and win customer loyalty. The boom in China suggests livestream shopping has the potential to become a deeply embedded habit for consumers and a crucial tool for businesses.
An increasing number of retailers have integrated shoppable live-streaming platforms into their websites and social media.
This engaged shopping strategy has made its way to North America. This June, Clinique hosted a livestream on Clinique.com on both mobile and desktop — featuring Emilia Clarke, from “Game of Thrones”, as she showcased her everyday skincare and makeup routines.
Each time a product was shown, it would pop up on the screen where shoppers can then click to purchase directly on the website.
Image via China Daily
Brands also adopted social media channels, such as Instagram Live, to encourage participation and drive e-commerce. As well, TikTok has gained popularity during COVID-19, and its growing live-streaming function has been widely utilized by beauty brands to sell products online.
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According to a new Statistics Canada report, online shopping has doubled between February and May with sales surging over 99%.
With consumers preferring to shop online rather than in-store, e-commerce live-streaming offers a new route to the market and creates a sense of community.
Image via CBC