Live Shopping in China: Major Changes in the Industry

Stores are now trying flashy ways to connect with customers in a competitive market. Among those ways, livestream shopping is a cool trend with a fun shopping experience. It became trendy in China in 2020 when the pandemic led to a physical market shutdown. This unfortunate incident led to the growth of the digital industry worldwide, becoming a blessing in disguise.

China's live shopping keeps growing because of its diversity and advanced AI technology. Learn about how this live shopping experience has developed across the border through this review article.

Part 1. The Basic Concept of Livestream Shopping: What It Is?

Livestream shopping is a practice that involves product promotion through a live video. This innovative concept creates an engaging environment for shopping through live video entertainment. Unlike traditional e-commerce, livestream shopping encourages active audience participation. As a result, viewers can get real-time product demonstrations and responses from the hosts.

Now that you know the concept of livestream shopping in China, let's head to its requirements. You don't need any physical platform as it operates completely online. Navigate through this section to learn about the requirements for successful livestream shopping:

1. Video Equipment

You need a fine camera to ensure clear video for high-quality product display. Also, there should be a tripod stand to keep this camera stable and cover multiple angles. You may also use ring lights or LED panels, as good lighting is crucial for better visibility.

2. Audio Equipment

Make sure to use an external microphone, as a dedicated one ensures better audio quality. Also, a hands-free microphone makes operability easier for hosts moving around in the live stream.

3. Live Streaming Setup

You must have a computer to handle streaming software and many applications. Use any of the streaming software, but make sure to have a strong internet connection. You also need a platform that supports live-stream shopping, like Facebook or TikTok.

4. Monitoring and Analytics Tools

You need multiple-screen monitors to keep an eye on the live stream, chat, and any content. Plus, make use of an analytics tool to track viewer engagement and other relevant metrics. Considering all these factors, it is clear that you do not require a physical brand store to run a live campaign. Anyone can conduct live selling China sessions with products.

Part 2. China Live Shopping: Is It Booming or Devaluing?

Livestream shopping took an exciting turn in its success and productivity. It didn't just happen to grow on its own; there's a whole course of action and history behind it. To make your understanding clearer, read this brief history of China's live shopping:

History of China Livestream Shopping

The start of promoting and selling products through live video occurred in China in 2016. The giant social platform “Taobao" introduced the concept of live-streaming e-commerce. This trend came to the attention of millions of Chinese consumers. Also, it appeared to be a convenient way, as everyone got smartphones and payment cards for easy procession.

Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic proved to favor this shopping trend. This was because the physical market was almost shut down completely. Thus, China's live shopping took growth progress to approximately $352 billion by 2021. Yet, there reached a point when it slowed down and devalued. Here are some of the critical reasons for the brief downfall of livestream shopping in China:

1. Saturated Market:The market became overcrowded with the gradual increase in livestream shopping. The increased competition among hosts led to its saturation and the pause in its growth.
2. Consumer Fatigue:Continuous exposure to livestream shopping events made consumers less enthusiastic. Also, regular promotional messages and a lack of variety made them lose interest.
3. Scandals:Mismanagement of live stream events and fraudulent practices hurt audiences' trust. It made this shopping method less reliable and trustworthy in viewers' eyes.
4. Decreasing Innovation:Live stream shopping in China gained sudden popularity. Yet, it no longer remained unique when more competition entered the market. It led to a decline in the excitement and engagement of consumers.

Rise of China Live Shopping With Advancement in Technology

As we discussed the downfall of live-streaming shopping in China, there is another point to ponder. The lack of technology was the main factor for all those reasons for downfall. With the advancement of AI and virtual avatars, it has again taken the pace of growth. These new technological systems are offering more versatility and security in livestream shopping.

According to Statista, there is a gradual increase in livestream shoppers in China. This increase can be seen in the comparison chart pasted below:

A Chinese tech giant “Tencent” adapted to the challenges of this shopping trend. They released an in-app shopping feature in the “WeChat” messaging service. It led to a gross profit of almost $14 billion in the overall valuation. Moreover, several tools are now working in favor of livestream shopping, increasing users' diversity. Provided are three essential types of tools serving in this industry:

1. Social Platforms

Some trending social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok represent different marketing features. The audience is already there, so you just need to go live to catch their attention.

2. Production Tools

These tools can improve your production experience, leading to better conversion rates. Some even let you stream across multiple platforms and get comments.

3. E-commerce Tools

The focus of this type of tool, like Shopify, is on the buying and delivering process. They handle things like bundling, discounts, cart management, and more. Their assistive role in developing live shopping systems is evident across the market.

Provided next is resourceful data obtained from a platform, ECDB, showing the live commerce platforms used across China. The obtained data has been gathered against a decided sample space during the year 2022:

This statistical comparison can verify all the advancements in live selling in China. The following table shows countries with the most livestream e-commerce shoppers:

Part 3. Wondershare Virbo Live: A New Direction to Innovation in China Live Shopping

As technology progressed, Wondershare Virbo emerged as the pioneer to embrace this progression. Its live streaming feature adapts cutting-edge technology to redefine the streaming experience. The tool offers AI-driven avatars that conduct live shopping events on social media. Also, it incorporates various languages and accents to ensure global reach. This feature enables businesses to connect with audiences worldwide.

Wondershare Virbo Live ensures compatibility with many social apps like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and more. Plus, this tool safeguards against unpredictable content issues during live shopping scenarios. Users can get continuous 24/7 broadcasting without interruptions. You can use AI streamers with natural movements in different attire and ethnicities to provide realistic content.

Key Features of Wondershare Virbo Live

1. Virbo Live introduces a personalized Q&A database for businesses. They can set up automatic responses and connect with their audience intelligently.
2. It offers cloud-based operation to its users to enjoy flexibility. Businesses can manage their products without downloading them.
3. You can enter text to trigger AI streamers. This allows for real-time interaction through text input within live streams.
4. The online tool goes beyond language barriers with AI translation. It translates text into multiple languages and generates multi-lingual AI streamers.
5. AI live shopping script generation creates shopping scripts during live streaming.

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Steps of Creating a Stream Room in Wondershare Virbo Live

Creating a China live shopping stream room is easy with Wondershare Virbo Live. Following is the step-by-step guidance to promote your Chinese products using this tool:

Step 1. Get the Tool Online To Make Stream Room

Begin by accessing the tool online through your favorite web browser. From its official website, open the main interface of Wondershare Virbo Live. On this page, hit the “Create Stream Room Now” button on the left side of the screen.

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• Step 2. Start Creating a Blank Livestream Room

Once you’ve accessed the editing window of the tool, you can customize your AI avatars. Now, click the “Create a Blank Livestream Room” button at the top middle of the screen. Afterward, you’ll find a new window with many options for customizing your livestream setup.

• Step 3. Select Your Preferred AI Avatar

In the upcoming window, navigate to the top-right and opt for the “AI Avatars” tab. A dialog box will open with different avatars in different poses and dresses. Choose any of them according to your requirements, and it will appear on the right side of the screen.

• Step 4. Make Changes in the Background

Next, tap the "Background" tab and select the background for product representation from various categories. Here, opt for one of them to move forward with this live-streaming process.

• Step 5. Insert the Text Prompt or Access AI Smart Script

Afterward, move to the text box on the window's left side to enter the text. Type in or paste any dubbing script in the text section. Also, you can prompt the tool to create automated scripts with an AI smart script. For this purpose, scroll down the page and press the "AI smart script” button.

• Step 6. Begin Live Streaming of Your Products

You are ready for live streaming once you've selected all the required things. Press the "Start livestream” button at the top right and see your inputs come to life.

Conclusion

Live shopping in China proved to be an effective solution for the market. Advanced AI technology has made its success rate even more promising. We have informed you of the various options you can use to upscale livestream shopping. Moreover, you know that Wondershare Virbo Live is the ultimate solution to raising the bar of live selling toward success.