How ‘shoppertainment’ and live stream e-commerce is filling physical store gap in APAC
By Jack Herbert • August 22, 2019
E-commerce companies in South East Asia are taking inspiration from China’s “shoppertainment” trend to sell goods during live streams. Lazada and Shopee are among those companies that believe live stream e-commerce shopping can greatly help brands and help sellers connect with audiences in South East Asia. As Amazon’s Twitch creates shoppable experiences in the west, in China, Alibaba (owner of Lazada) is seeing great success also turning e-commerce into entertainment on a grand scale.
A spokesperson from Alibaba explains, “Live streaming helps to bridge the omnichannel retail gap as consumers no longer need to visit a physical store to see a product, speak to a store attendant, and fulfill the order. All of this can be done online. In fact, live streaming could potentially offer greater convenience to shoppers and buyers who can communicate and transact from the comforts of their homes or on the go.” Lazada has coined the term “shoppertainment”, which it said are innovations that merge shopping with entertainment and social experiences, so consumers watch, play and stay.