Quick Summary
With the availability of so many e-commerce stores, shoppers will always opt for one that offers advanced features and solutions. One such feature is live commerce. Top researchers expect the live streaming shopping market in the US to be worth around 10-20% of all e-commerce by 2026.
Hosts can showcase items in live sessions, answer questions in real time, and create an experience of instant purchasing.
Live commerce turns passive browsing into interactive decision-making. It gives retailers stronger engagement, higher conversion rates, and clearer insight into customer intent.
This blog explores how live commerce is changing online shopping. We’ll look at what it is, its types and formats, key benefits, challenges, practices, and more. Let’s start now.
Live Commerce is a combination of e-commerce and live streaming. It’s the modern, interactive version of a home shopping network (like QVC), but built for the social media and smartphone era.
In traditional e-commerce, you have pre-recorded product videos. But in live commerce, shoppers can watch a live host demonstrate and talk about products in real-time. They can immediately purchase the product without leaving the video stream.
But how does it differ from social commerce?
| Factor | Live Commerce | Social Commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Core Format | Real-time, interactive video stream. | Static or pre-recorded content (posts, stories, feeds). |
| Interaction | High (Synchronous). Direct, real-time Q&A with a host and other viewers via live chat. | Low (Asynchronous). Comments, like, DMs, but no immediate response is guaranteed. |
| Nature of Shopping | Impulsive & Emotional. Driven by FOMO, scarcity, and the host’s personality. | Considered & Intentional. Users browse at their own pace, often based on algorithms. |
| Engagement Level | High interactive, Q&A, and time-sensitive offers. | Static posts, stories, reels, product tags, and in-app stores. |
| Top Platforms | Amazon Live, Bambuser, CommentSold, Facebook Live, and TikTok Live. | Instagram Shopping, Facebook Shops, TikTok Shop, etc. |
Social commerce is the broad spectrum term for selling products directly through social media platforms. Live commerce, on the other hand, is a specific format of social commerce that uses real-time video sessions to drive sales.
The process is designed to be seamless and engaging:
In essence, live commerce transforms online shopping from a static, transactional experience to a dynamic, social, and entertaining event. It takes the best aspects of in-person shopping and puts them in a digital format. Like, personal recommendations, immediate answers, and a sense of discovery.
There are several types and formats of Live e-commerce. We discuss each of them – what they are and how they help businesses.
Large platforms like Amazon Live host countless live streams from various brands and sellers simultaneously. This digital shopping mall has a “going live” feature for vendors to compete for attention.
Goal: For sellers on online marketplaces, live streaming drives sales for a wide range of products within a competitive, high-traffic ecosystem.
A real-time, interactive auction is where the host showcases an item and viewers place bids via the live chat or integrated bidding buttons. It’s often used for unique, collectible, or high-value items.
Goal: Sellers can create intense excitement and competition to maximize the final selling price.
The product demo tutorial is a “show, don’t tell” feature. With it, the host shows how to use a product in a real-world scenario. This is a common live commerce feature for makeup, kitchen gadgets, tech products, and more.
Goal: With this feature, sellers can overcome the buyer’s online shopping hesitation by proving the product’s value and use case. They can show how it works and how easy it is to use, thereby reducing returns.
A popular influencer or creator hosts a live stream to promote products they love or have partnered with. Their authentic endorsement is the primary driver of sales.
Goal: With influencer streaming, you can leverage influencers’ trust and relationship with their audience to generate authentic buzz and high-conversion sales.
With product launches, you can turn a new product release into an event. The brand CEO or a key designer hosts the stream. They unveil the product, explain its features, and share the story behind it.
Goal: Influencers can generate massive initial hype, educate the core audience, and drive Day One sales.
Q&As and interviews are a part of the conversational format. A host interviews a brand founder, industry expert, or even a happy customer. The focus is on storytelling and answering pre-submitted or even live questions and queries.
Goal: This strategy can build brand authority, deepen customer relationships, and softly promote products through storytelling.
This format is meant to build brand transparency and value. A stream from a factory, design studio, or farm showing how a product is manufactured, crafted, or sourced.
Goal: The goal is to foster brand trust, highlight quality, and ethical practices. It can help create a narrative that justifies the product’s value.
The type of live commerce will dictate how you approach the setup and configuration. So consider the products, target audience, and more, and choose from the above types and more. You will also need to consider the live format, some of which are listed in the next section.
Experts implement a few popular technical and interactive methods to execute the live stream e-commerce. Let’s look at them one by one.
This format is meant to broadcast the same live stream to multiple platforms simultaneously (for example, streaming to YouTube, Facebook, etc. at once).
Benefits
This is a personalized, premium format. A viewer connects for a private video call with a sales associate or stylist. It digitally replicates the in-store, personal shopping experience.
Benefits
This format integrates immersive technologies–AR & VR– for a better shopping experience. Augmented reality allows viewers to “try on” products virtually through their camera. For example, sunglasses, makeup, or seeing a piece of furniture in their room. The host can often see and comment on the viewer’s AR try-on.
Virtual reality, on the other hand, creates a fully immersive, computer-generated environment where users can interact with products and other shoppers in a virtual store.
Benefits
The most successful livestream e-commerce strategies often mix and match these types and formats to keep the content fresh and engage the audience in different ways.
In recent years, livestream shopping has reached the next level in growth and popularity. It’s driven by significant, mutual benefits for both businesses and shoppers.
The seamless integration of “see now, buy now” removes friction. The shopper won’t have to open a new tab, search for the product, and proceed through a lengthy checkout. The purchase happens in the moment of peak excitement.
The result is a higher average order value (AOV) and a higher conversion rate compared to traditional static pages.
Live video is inherently more engaging than passive content. It transforms a transaction into an interaction, with real-time Q&A sessions, live polls, and responding to comments by name to make shoppers feel heard and valued. This builds a community around the brand, not just a customer list.
A brand’s personality, values, and expertise are on full display during a live stream. Whether it’s a founder’s passion or an expert’s knowledge, live commerce gives a human element. Plus, it will be a little more difficult for competitors to replicate.
With live commerce, the psychological principle of “Fear of Missing Out” is on full display. You can offer limited-time offers and flash discounts that expire when the stream ends. Plus, you can include a live countdown of the stock running out to create a sense of urgency.
The livestream shopping is often fast-paced, interactive, and hosted by charismatic (and entertaining) individuals. So it’ll feel like an event or a show, making the shopping experience enjoyable and something to look forward to.
With live shopping, shoppers build a parasocial relationship with the host. They trust the host’s recommendations because it feels like advice from a knowledgeable friend, not a faceless corporation.
Livestream commerce provides the convenience of online shopping with the demo and social proof of in-store shopping. That means a more informed and confident purchase without the hassle of visiting a physical store.
With live shopping, viewers can see the product in real-time from all angles. They can see how it functions in real-world conditions (like how the fabric drapes, how a blender handles ice), and get answers to their queries instantly.
This shopping format manages customer expectations effectively. It leads to higher satisfaction and fewer product returns.
For businesses, it’s a powerful sales and marketing channel. And for the shoppers, it’s a more informative, engaging, and satisfying way to shop.
Launching live commerce doesn’t require a massive setup–you just need the right strategy and clear execution. Here’s how it goes.
Highlight items that benefit from demos and tutorials. Consider top sellers, new launches, bundles, or products with visual appeal. Prepare key talking points, use cases, and comparisons to make the session informative.
You have to be strategic with your live shopping session. Don’t choose a popular shopping period like Black Friday, as shoppers are out and about and already know what they want to buy. Start with 20-30 minute sessions to maintain engagement–then you can adjust based on performance and viewer retention.
It’s better to leave your audience wanting more than to have them drop out of boredom.
Decide whether you want to livestream on social platforms like TikTok and YouTube or online marketplaces like Amazon Live. You can also opt for a dedicated live commerce solution for your existing e-store. Align the platform with your audience size, goals, and integration needs.
| Platform | Best for | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Beginners, B2C, Brand Awareness | Built-in audience, easy setup, “Live shopping”, pin comments. | |
| TikTok | Gen Z & Millennials, Trendy Products | Highly viral, immersive full-screen video, strong algorithm for discovery. |
| YouTube | Tutorials, demos, niche products | High video quality, SEO power, and integrates with Google Merchant Center. |
| Amazon Live | Sellers on Amazon, direct sales | Access to Amazon’s massive shopping audience, directly integrated with product pages. |
| Dedicated Live Commerce Tools (like CommentSold) | Serious sellers, scaling operations | Advanced features like on-screen checkout, multi-streaming, and analytics. |
Here’s what we recommend. Start with the platform where you already have the most engaged followers.
Complexity is the enemy of a smooth show. Your core setup is just three key things:
Rehearse switching between products and your phone’s camera view to build confidence. Glitches happen; your calm reaction builds trust.
Build anticipation, don’t just announce. Use countdown stickers in Stories, tease behind-the-scenes (BTS) snippets, and clearly state the value of tuning in live. For example, “live-only discount”, “Q&A with our founder”, etc.
Remind your audience across all your channels–email, social, or your website–that an event is coming.
Capture the magic of “FOMO” (Fear Of Missing Out). Create urgency with time-sensitive offers that are exclusive to your live viewers. Offer a “flash sale/discount” for the next 10 minutes or a special bundle. You can also do a giveaway for those who comment “Sold” makes the audience feel like insiders and drives immediate action.
If you want to set up a live commerce solution for your e-store, consult with a professional e-commerce development company. The experts will help integrate the best solution as per your brand and the target audience.
For the best results with the livestream commerce, you need to consider a few key practices and strategies. Let’s look at them one by one.
The host is the most important aspect of your live stream, other than the product. Choose someone who is not just knowledgeable but genuinely enthusiastic and relatable. Authenticity sells far better than a polished sales pitch.
Whether it’s your bubbly employee or a trusted influencer, their energy and credibility will become your brand’s energy for that hour.
Quality builds trust. You don’t need a TV studio, but a clean, well-lit space with stable audio is non-negotiable. Prioritize a ring light for a flattering glow and a lapel mic for crystal-clear sound. A shaky, echoey stream subconsciously tells viewers your brand is unprofessional, while a clean setup signals you’re credible.
Plan a roadmap, not a monologue. Structure your script around key moments: a strong opening, product demos, and planned CTAs. Don’t just list features; paint a picture through storytelling.
Instead of “This jacket is waterproof”, share the story of designing it for a rainy commute. Try to connect the product to a feeling, a problem solved, or an aspiration.
Also, include prompts like “Tell me in the comments…” or “What color should I show next?”. Make sure it’s a two-way conversation, not a lecture.
Your first task is to welcome people, not sell to them. As viewers join, greet them by name, ask where they’re tuning in from, and pose a simple, open-ended question. This initial interaction makes them feel seen and sets the tone for an interactive community event. It dramatically reduces drop-off rates in the first few minutes.
Let the audience sell for you with social proof. Actively read out and react to positive comments during the livestream, like “Sarah just said this is her favorite dress!” You can also announce milestones like, “We just sold out of the blue mug!” This creates a powerful bandwagon effect and builds immediate credibility by showing hesitant viewers that others are trusting, enjoying the brand.
Finally, your first live stream is a learning opportunity. Afterward, dive into the data: What was the peak concurrent viewer count? Which product demo sparked the most comments? Use these metrics as a blueprint for your next, more successful event. The goal is constant refinement.
Live commerce is a combination of entertainment and instant shopping. While it offers some outstanding advantages, as mentioned earlier, its execution presents unique challenges.
A silent stream or a small audience fails to generate sales momentum.
Solution: Promote events heavily across emails, social media, and SMS in the days leading up to the broadcast. Partner with relevant influencers to tap into their established audience.
Poor quality video, audio, or a shaky connection can instantly erode brand trust and cause viewers to leave.
Solution: Conduct thorough tech rehearsals. Invest in foundational equipment: good lighting, a clear microphone, and a stable internet connection. A dedicated host and a behind-the-scenes producer can manage the flow seamlessly.
An uncharismatic or underprepared host cannot build the excitement necessary to drive impulse purchases.
Solution: Train hosts extensively on both the product and the art of live engagement. Use a dynamic script with clear calls-to-action and practice handling common questions and objections in real-time.
If clicking the “buy” link is complicated or the checkout process is slow, you will lose sales.
Solution: Integrate one-click purchasing directly within the live stream interface (like via a shoppable video player). Make sure the entire mobile checkout process is optimized for speed and simplicity.
You can evade these challenges with a clear strategy. That includes high-visual-appeal products, event promotions in advance, influential and high-authority hosts, and one-click purchasing for live purchasing.
If you want help with this execution and integration for your e-store, hire e-commerce experts with BrainSpate. And the kind of results you can expect with our expert help is shown in the example in the next section.
One of the best examples of live streaming commerce is Nordstrom. This retailer launched a dedicated live shopping channel called Nordstrom Live. Viewers could shop directly from the stream, participate in live chat, and engage with stylists and brand representatives.
What They Did
Live commerce is not just about going live–it’s about aligning the broadcast with brand strategy and customer needs. Nordstrom chose a topic their target audience cares about–styling, luxury, and beauty. They also used stylists and experts to maintain trust and authenticity.
All of this helped ensure interactive engagement, curated content, and a seamless bridge between in-store and online experience. That meant higher conversions and sales.
A few other great examples of well-implemented live commerce include Aldo and Quivr.
Aldo used Bambuser to set up livestream shopping events. The result was a staggering 70-80% sales after the event. Their social media experts are contemplating future live events.
There’s also Quivr which went the social media and marketplace route. They started with live sessions on Instagram and TikTok before settling on Amazon Live, hosting live shopping on the latter to this day.
Live commerce is much more than a passing trend; it’s a fundamental shift back to the heart of shopping, i.e., human connection. It bridges the gap between the convenience of online browsing and the trust-building power of in-store interaction.
Start with a basic setup. Authenticity is the most important aspect of your stream. Focus on storytelling, genuine engagement, and providing real value to your audience. That’s how you transform a simple transaction into a memorable event.
So, want help with setting up live commerce and other trending tactics? Then connect with us today!
Not at all. You can start effectively with a minimal setup: a smartphone with a good camera, a stable internet connection (wired is best), and a source of good natural light. You can also use an affordable ring light.
Traditional e-commerce is static–customers read product descriptions and reviews. Live commerce is interactive, offering real-time demos, social engagement, and faster decision-making.
Popular options include Facebook Live Shopping, YouTube Live, TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, and more. There are also dedicated tools like CommentSold, Bambuser, etc.
Most brands start with 20-40 minutes. The ideal length depends on audience engagement, the number of products, and platform analytics.
Absolutely. Small brands can use live streaming to show authenticity, build trust, and reach niche audiences without major marketing spend.
John Niles is a highly specialized Technical Consultant at BrainSpate focusing on the critical areas of Payment and Gateways. He is at the forefront of identifying and implementing next-generation solutions designed to elevate an e-commerce brand's technical capabilities and overall experience for the modern audience. John ensures seamless transactions and future-proof digital infrastructure.
