Live-streaming e-commerce is the fastest-growing area of China’s internet, but buyer’s remorse is common
- About a third of China’s internet population has viewed e-commerce live-streams, the fastest-growing internet application according to a new report
- But impulse buying is rife, and almost half of online shoppers are unsatisfied with goods bought through such channels
Live-streaming to sell products is the fastest-growing internet application in China this year, with 309 million users in June – about a third of the country’s internet population – but nearly half of the shoppers who buy through these channels are unhappy with their purchases, according to a new report.
The report by government-affiliated China Netcasting Services Association (CNSA) was based on several sources, including interviews with more than 3,000 users who had watched video content online in the last half a year, surveys of industry experts and other research.
Around 15.7 per cent of users surveyed said they were convinced solely by live-streaming shows or online videos to buy goods and over half of these have spent more than 500 yuan (US$74) on their purchases, according to the report released on Monday.
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Impulse buying among live stream viewers was the highest in the daily necessity and food and beverage categories, the report said, adding that only 51.5 per cent of those that had bought products through online live streams were satisfied with the goods they received.
