After college, Kelsey Krakora works full-time in steakhouses, bartending and meals.
She dabbled in selling clothes online, but only worked part-time.
But in 2021, Ms. Cleveland-based Ms. Cracola has changed.
She used to sell clothes on Whatnot and Poshmark instead – online marketplaces where people can also sell items using live videos.
“My first live show with Poshmark was November 27, 2022. I sold zero in the first show…but that lasted a long time!”
Now she has about 100 items per show, worth about $1,000 in sales (£773).
Her show averages three hours, and she plays two to three games a week.
“These activities are inclusive and enthusiastic, and you can shop in PJ and you don’t have to go to the mall,” Ms. Krakora said.
On-site shopping is very popular in the Asia-Pacific region, and it has been a while since social networks such as Douyin in China often host on-site shopping traffic, but now European and American brands are trying this new product for sale.
On-site shopping is an intimate relationship with shopping channels such as QVC, urging viewers to call and buy products displayed by the host.
However, on-site shopping is a faster shortcut from buyers to products, especially in the era of one-click purchases, and is popular among online retailers such as Amazon.
Similarly, as younger generations increasingly cut chords and lack access to cable TV, shopping channels don’t have the same sameness as before.
It is estimated that the on-site shopping market has reached $32 billion, with the most active industries being fashion, cosmetics and collectibles.
A 2024 survey by digital commerce platform VTEX found that 45% of consumers in the U.S. have browsed or purchased from live shopping events over the past 12 months.
The CEO of Livemeup CEO Guillaume Faure (a live shopping video software) remembers when you are interested in shopping in real time.
“When Instagram launched the reels, when YouTube launched the shorts, we saw live shopping really take off.”
He noticed the popularity of tutorials and operational videos in live shopping events, such as how the host teaches shoppers how to apply a certain type of cosmetic, or arranges various flowers to provide the most evocative bouquet.
However, some analysts believe that the appeal of on-site shopping may be limited.
“Many companies have tried shopping in real time, but they didn’t scale at all,” said Sustarita Kodali, retail analyst at Forrester Research.
She added: “Maybe it works in China, in the United States, they don’t have the same store density as the ones we have in the United States, and here, it’s better for consumers to try something instead of looking at the host to try a piece of clothing.”
