Why Retailers Should Be Taking Live Shopping Seriously

For more than two decades, ecommerce has focused on making online shopping faster, simpler and more efficient. Retailers have invested heavily in better search, smoother checkout, personalised recommendations and self-service experiences. Those investments have transformed online retail, but another sales channel is now growing rapidly by combining digital convenience with real-time customer interaction.

Live shopping allows customers to watch products being demonstrated, ask questions and complete a purchase without leaving the broadcast. It combines the convenience of ecommerce with many of the characteristics that have always made physical retail effective.

The growth of the channel is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

A recent BBC report highlighted the experience of several UK businesses using TikTok Shop. Glow For It, founded by Daisy Kelly in 2020, now generates annual sales of around £6 million. More than 40% of those sales come through TikTok Shop, with one twelve-hour live event generating more than £100,000 in revenue.

The pattern extends beyond beauty products.

Malik Butchers in Wolverhampton sold £8,000 worth of products during a three-hour live broadcast, a volume of sales that would normally take several days in-store. Jewellery retailer Adorina increased from around 50 orders per month to 500 orders per week after introducing regular live shopping sessions. TikTok says more than 6,000 livestreams now take place on its UK platform every day, while UK sales through TikTok Shop grew by more than 30% year-on-year during June.

These examples reflect a broader change in customer behaviour.

Retail has always relied on demonstration, conversation and trust. Customers have traditionally asked questions, compared products, sought advice and watched products being demonstrated before making a purchase. Ecommerce replaced much of that interaction with product descriptions, reviews and search functionality. Live shopping brings those two approaches together by allowing customers to interact with a presenter while completing a purchase within the same experience.

That combination is particularly effective for products where explanation or demonstration influences purchasing decisions. Beauty products, food, homeware, gardening equipment, consumer electronics and hobby products all benefit from seeing a product used in real time rather than relying solely on static photography.

The principle is not limited to beauty brands or social media influencers.

Any product that benefits from demonstration is a potential candidate for live commerce. A garden centre can show customers how to plant a seasonal display while selling every product being used. A kitchen retailer can compare appliances and answer questions in real time. A specialist engineering supplier can demonstrate new equipment to procurement teams without asking them to download another brochure. Even in B2B markets, where buying decisions are often more considered, there is value in giving customers the opportunity to ask questions while seeing a product in use.

The technology supporting live shopping is also developing quickly.

Platforms including TikTok Shop, Instagram Live, YouTube Shopping, Amazon Live and eBay Live all support different forms of live commerce. Some retailers will choose to build audiences on those platforms, while others will increasingly look to integrate live shopping into their own websites to retain greater control over the customer relationship.

Artificial intelligence is likely to strengthen the channel even further.

Presenters can be supported with real-time access to product specifications, stock availability, compatibility information and frequently asked questions. AI can recommend complementary products, surface relevant promotions and provide instant answers during busy broadcasts. The presenter remains responsible for building trust with customers, while AI improves the quality and speed of the information being shared.

Live shopping should be viewed as another channel within an ecommerce strategy rather than a replacement for conventional online retail.

Many customers will continue to search for products, compare prices and complete purchases through traditional ecommerce journeys. Product search, category navigation and efficient checkout remain fundamental to every successful ecommerce platform. Live shopping adds another route to purchase for customers who value demonstration, interaction and immediate answers before committing to buy.

The opportunity for retailers is to identify where this format creates genuine commercial value.

Products that require explanation, encourage demonstration or benefit from expert advice are likely to produce the strongest results. Retailers should evaluate where live shopping complements their existing channels, measure its commercial performance carefully and integrate it into their wider digital strategy rather than treating it as a standalone marketing initiative.

The development of ecommerce has always reflected changes in customer behaviour. Live shopping represents the next stage of that evolution by combining digital convenience with direct human interaction. Retailers that understand where it fits within their customer journey are likely to build another valuable revenue channel alongside their existing ecommerce operation rather than in competition with it.

Feature image: Daisy Kelly https://glowforitshop.com/