Welcome to the era of real-time shopping or the empire of live shopping. This innovative concept combines live streaming with online shopping, allowing consumers to watch their favorite shows and then purchase items featured in the stream, such as the iconic 60s sofa from „Mad Men.“
Products are presented to consumers in video format through live broadcasts. This type of shopping gives merchants the opportunity to showcase their products in an innovative way, while allowing customers to not only make purchases but also ask questions and engage in the sales process.
This new trend is rapidly changing the retail landscape on a global scale. Chinese businesses are leading the way in live shopping, with live shopping accounting for over 10% of the entire e-commerce market in China. Global players are also entering this space, with e-commerce giant Amazon launching Amazon Live, a platform for live shopping. Amazon Live successfully sells products by leveraging influential personalities and influencers in their promotional videos.
Major players in the business world organizing similar events include L’Oréal Paris, fashion brand Zara, and others. According to McKinsey, live shopping sales are projected to represent between 10% and 20% of total e-commerce sales by 2026.
Organizing a live shopping event requires a team of experts specializing in video services rather than just sales of clothing and furniture. In Bulgaria, a pioneer in streaming, STREAMER.BG, offers a similar service with 15 years of experience in various video services, including filming, streaming, directing, distribution, and other related productions.
The company has over 1600 events in its portfolio and has recently added live shopping services in Bulgaria. Their operators, directors, technicians, and streaming specialists know everything needed for a good picture and a great user experience.
During the live broadcast, product visuals are overlaid on the video, allowing viewers to click on items and make purchases without leaving the video. This streamlined shopping experience saves time by providing all product information, including price and size, in one place.
Live shopping is essentially a product presentation with an accelerated decision-making process for purchases. It follows the „see-now-want-now“ model, particularly popular among the younger generation who want to buy instantly without waiting. This is typical for Gen Z, who have grown up with instant access to information on social media.
Shopping through video streaming is most popular among customers aged 25 to 34, with Millennials being the most frequent users, accounting for nearly 38% of live shopping users, according to McKinsey data.
This video service is a significant advantage for businesses as it creates engagement with their customers. Through platforms like STREAMER.BG, users can ask questions about products, express concerns, receive instant answers, and make informed decisions, saving time.
Viewers can purchase products directly through the live broadcast interface without leaving the platform, either through integration with a mobile app or the brand’s online store. This live, interactive, and somewhat entertaining shopping experience helps increase brand engagement and conversions compared to traditional e-commerce.
On the customer side, the retail chain dm in Bulgaria is one of the brands relying on STREAMER.BG for their live shopping shows – dmLIVE. Twice a month, always on Wednesdays in the My dm-App mobile app, users can shop „live“ through a stream broadcast by the STREAMER.BG team. dmLIVE allows customers to ask questions, comment in the chat during the broadcast, and make online orders in real-time.
Those who miss the live broadcast can watch recordings of all shows on the dm website, with the company noting that the percentage of viewers watching live versus recorded varies depending on the show’s topic.
Live shopping is now part of the Bulgarian market, solidifying the position of consumers and businesses in the country as early adopters. Thanks to fast internet and perhaps inherent Bulgarian curiosity, new trends quickly catch on here without resistance – quite the opposite.