We discuss how China’s livestream industry enables brands to connect with Chinese consumers in an engaging and interactive manner and relevant marketplace regulations. E-commerce giant Alibaba’s Taobao Live has top market share in this industry, followed by Douyin, Kuaishou, JD.com, and Baidu.
China’s livestream industry has witnessed exponential growth in recent years. This medium offers brands a unique opportunity to connect with Chinese consumers in an engaging and interactive manner.
In 2022, the total revenue of China’s e-commerce livestream sector is projected to reach RMB 1.2 trillion (US$180 billion) with total of 660 million viewers. This figure is expected to further grow to RMB 4.9 trillion (US$720 billion) in 2023, according to a 2021 iResearch report. This will account for 11.7 percent of total e-commerce sales in the country, injecting new impetus into the economy.
Livestream functions as a key means for brands to boost sales and for smaller operators, such as farmers, to have better access to consumers. It grew exponentially during the pandemic, which promoted people to shop online and gain interactive and immersive experiences amid lockdowns. Currently, the e-commerce giant Alibaba’s Taobao Live has taken the lion’s share of livestream, taking up 68.5 percent of consumers, followed by Douyin and Kuaishou. Other major Chinese internet players like JD.com and Baidu are also trying to grow their presence in the market.
In this article, we explore how livestream can generate profits and what are the effective ways to enter this massive market.
What is livestream and why is it popular?
The typical livestream session, enabled by mobile devices, features hosts promoting and selling goods while customers watch, chat with others, and shop, all at the same time. Livestream allows hosts to answer call-in questions from audiences in real time, which significantly enhances shopping experiences and attracts