How luxury livestreamers are interacting with and drawing Chinese consumers
Livestreams are the newest shopping experience in China, offering customers a more immersive, informative experience than most physical store and e-commerce platforms can
This article was written by Ruonan Zheng and originally published in Jing Daily
“It gives you a cooling sensation,” livestream host Haoran says, applying a small dose of cleansing cream to her face and wiping away the make-up residue with a towel. It is 10am on a Friday in New York City’s West Village and, while there is barely any traffic inside the C.O. Bigelow store, it doesn’t feel quiet. Almost 1,500 people in China are getting a real-time glimpse of the products in store via livestream.
“I heard it’s not good for dry skin?”
“Haoran looks more beautiful without make-up!”
“Could you turn around so that we can see the back of your sweatshirt?”
The audience is chatty and keeps sending messages to the host and each other. Haoran’s partner Wanwan reads the questions aloud so Haoran can answer. Haoran and Wanwan are Chinese women who have been living in New York for years. When it comes to what to buy in the city, they are the go-to people for their friends and families back home, and now for fans online.
After 30 minutes has passed, the chats are still going strong.
Livestreams are the newest shopping experience in China and, with the ability to interact with trusted reviewers in real time, they offer shoppers a more immersive, informative shopping experience than most physical store, e-commerce platforms and home-shopping channels. Within a few minutes, it’s easy to gain a full picture of the product in front of your eyes, including how to use it with other items, how it makes the user feel, and more.
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