In 2025, China continues to lead the global social commerce revolution, integrating social media, live streaming, and e-commerce into a seamless consumer experience. This article delves into China's current social selling landscape, highlighting key statistics, sales figures, prominent brands, leading marketplaces, and the most effective social media platforms for live shopping in China and across Asia.

1. Social Commerce in China: Market Size and Growth

Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and Market Share

• Social Commerce GMV: In 2023, China's social commerce sector achieved a GMV of approximately 3.42 trillion yuan, marking a 19.7% year-on-year growth.
  
• Penetration Rate: Social commerce is projected to account for 17.1% of China's online retail sales by 2025, up from 14.3% in 202.
  

Live Commerce Surge

• Market Size: China's live streaming e-commerce market reached nearly 5 trillion yuan in 2023, a significant increase from 420 billion yuan in 2019. It is forecasted to surge to 8.16 trillion yuan by 2026.
  
• Consumer Engagement: As of June 2023, the number of live streaming watchers in China hit 765 million, with shopping-related content being the most popular among viewers.
  

2. Leading Brands Utilizing Social Selling and Live Shopping

International Brands

• Procter & Gamble (P&G): To counteract a significant sales decline, P&G has intensified its efforts on China's Douyin platform. By investing in enhanced packaging and marketing strategies, particularly for Pantene shampoo, P&G has seen growth in online market share. Influencers on Douyin promote Pantene's benefits, aiding in reversing sales slumps.
  
• Estée Lauder: During the 11.11 Singles’ Day shopping festival, Estée Lauder partnered with influential beauty KOLs on Alibaba's Tmall platform, hosting interactive product demonstrations and tutorials. These efforts garnered 500 million views and generated $28 million in sales, solidifying Estée Lauder as the top beauty brand in pre-sales on Tmall.
  

Domestic Brands

• OSTMARS and APLX: In response to the U.S.'s newly imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, Chinese exporters are seeking to offload unsellable stock meant for the American market by appealing to domestic consumers on the social media platform Rednote. Livestreams from sellers showcase discounted products, effectively tapping into nationalistic sentiment fueled by U.S.-China trade tensions.

3. Top Marketplaces for Social Selling and Live Shopping

Taobao Live (Diantao)

Taobao Live, Alibaba's dedicated live-streaming platform, remains a dominant force in China's live commerce landscape. It seamlessly integrates with Alibaba's vast marketplace, allowing consumers to move seamlessly from discovery to purchase.

JD.com

JD.com has launched a 200 billion yuan ($27.35 billion) fund to help Chinese exporters sell their products domestically. This fund supports the push to redirect export surplus into China’s domestic market amid geopolitical strains.

Pinduoduo

Known for its innovative group buying model, Pinduoduo continues to be a significant player in China's e-commerce scene, offering unique opportunities for social commerce.

4. Best Social Media Platforms for Live Shopping in China and Asia

Douyin (TikTok China)

Douyin has become a central platform for live commerce in China. Its integration of short videos and live streaming with e-commerce functionalities has attracted numerous brands and consumers.

Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)

Xiaohongshu has evolved into a powerhouse for lifestyle content and social commerce. Its platform combines user-generated content with e-commerce, making it particularly popular among young Chinese women.

WeChat

WeChat has become a central e-commerce channel, allowing brands to sell items directly through the platform. Its messaging, social networking, and payment services integration provide a seamless shopping experience.

5. Consumer Behavior and Trends

Purchase Frequency

According to a survey by Rakuten Insight in May 2024, 51% of respondents reported making more than six purchases through live commerce platforms, indicating high consumer engagement.

Popular Product Categories

Apparel remains the most popular category in live commerce, followed by beauty products and food items, reflecting consumer preferences in live shopping environments.

Motivations for Live Commerce Purchases

New discount offers emerged as the biggest motivation for purchasing items through live commerce, highlighting the importance of promotions in driving sales.

Social selling in China has become an integral part of the retail landscape, driven by the seamless integration of social media, live streaming, and e-commerce. With significant investments from domestic and international brands, and the continuous evolution of platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat, China's social commerce market is poised for sustained growth. Understanding consumer behaviors and leveraging the strengths of various platforms will be crucial for brands aiming to succeed in this dynamic environment.

The post The Impact of Social Selling in China in 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

In today’s Spotlight On, Suzanne Pronk, founder of Yourshoppingstream.com, shares insights on the future of live commerce and what makes it successful.

Can you briefly explain what Live commerce is and why it’s gaining

traction in ecommerce?

Live commerce is the next wave in live shopping, it blends live video streaming with e-commerce creating an interactive shopping experience, where consumers can watch, interact, and buy instantly. 

This trend is booming due to its mix of entertainment, interactivity, and instant purchasing, making online shopping more engaging and trustworthy. It drives customer engagement, increases sales, and boosts loyalty. While mainstream in China, live commerce is growing rapidly in the US and Europe.

What’s social commerce vs live commerce?

Social commerce focuses on short, direct sales moments with a strong call-to-action on social channels. It is highly effective for impulse buys and transaction-oriented content. 

Live commerce centers on premium branded content, where storytelling and entertainment deepen brand experiences and foster long-term engagement. Instead of simply promoting products, we create formats that blend storytelling and experiences with conversion.

How have consumer behaviors shifted towards video-based shopping experiences in recent years?

The rise of short-form video content, social commerce, and influencer marketing has made video a preferred medium. Video commerce, in its essence, is not new, branded content on platforms like YouTube has been around for some time.

However, live commerce is innovative because it introduces interactivity, allowing for real-time engagement and a more personalized shopping experience. Consumers now crave authentic, engaging, and interactive shopping experiences.

What industries or product categories benefit the most from live commerce?

Live commerce benefits industries based on their goals, whether it’s brand engagement, community building, or driving conversions. It’s especially effective for visual, demonstration-driven sectors like fashion, beauty, electronics, home décor, luxury, and travel, as well as services that can generate leads through strong calls to action.

How do AI enhance the shopping experience?

AI enables features like virtual try-ons and personalized recommendations, improving efficiency and stream performance. While AI generated hosts can optimize streams, human authenticity remains vital for connecting with consumers.

What are the best platforms for businesses looking to integrate live shopping into their strategy? 

Live commerce on your own platform offers greater control over content and audience engagement. Social platforms like Instagram and TikTok are better for quick, transactional moments. Both approaches can complement each other, social commerce for quick engagement and live commerce for long-term brand storytelling and connection.

How does live commerce impact cross border sales and international consumer trust?

Research shows that live commerce helps reduce return rates, benefiting cross-border sales.By offering real-time product views, interactive Q&As, and engagement with hosts, it builds trust and transparency. While studies on return rates are limited, many brands find that the immersive nature of live commerce reduces hesitation and fosters confident purchases, making it easier for brands to sell globally.

What challenges do brands face when using video commerce in different markets?

The same challenges brands already face when selling cross-border, including cultural differences and language barriers. To reach a broader audience, an English-speaking host and subtitles are essential, both of which YSS provides. However, live commerce offers cost-efficiency by enabling brands to run a single stream for multiple countries. 

Are there localization strategies that help make live commerce more effective globally?

To optimize live commerce across different markets, brands can supplement their streams with regional influencers or collaborate with influencers who have a broad European audience.  

The interactive nature of live commerce is key to engaging diverse audiences, but understanding cultural nuances and local preferences remains important for success. Using an English-speaking host with localized content, along with subtitles, can help bridge language barriers.

What are the common mistakes brands make when implementing live commerce?

The biggest challenge is treating live commerce as an innovative, ongoing project rather than just a series of pilot tests. Brands need to commit to running weekly or monthly live streams to build momentum and allow consumers to adjust to the new format. It’s essential to give it some time to take off.

Additionally, brands should focus on creating high quality video content and utilize data from each stream to optimize future broadcasts. Testing, optimizing, and refining content based on audience engagement will ensure continuous improvement and success.

What are the key elements of a high-converting live shopping experience?

A high-converting live shopping experience requires authentic content, seamless technical execution, and a strong brand fit. It should be engaging, entertaining, and create a sense of exclusivity with special discounts or products, driving viewer engagement and loyalty. 

How can small and medium-sized businesses compete with big brands in the video commerce space?

While larger companies benefit from a bigger audience and brand recognition, live commerce creates opportunities for smaller businesses, too. Since live stream production costs are relatively fixed, larger brands can cover them more easily, but smaller businesses can succeed by focusing on communities, using targeted paid media, collaborating with micro-influencers and using cost-effective live commerce solutions.

What role do influencers and live shopping events play in the future of ecommerce?

Influencers play a dual role in live commerce, now they are primarily used in live commerce for influencer marketing, acting as traffic generators and brand ambassadors. In addition to traditional influencers, we see the rise of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), experts who excel at live presentation, interaction, and building trust, making them highly effective in this space.

How do you see live commerce evolving in the next 5–10 years?

In five years, live shopping will be fully integrated into the marketing mix of brands and retailers, while broadcasters and publishers have developed new propositions in live commerce. AI will drive personalized shopping experiences, increasing customer engagement and loyalty. It will play a major role in e-commerce and entertainment.

What advice would you give to brands that want to stay ahead in video commerce?

Brands should stay innovative, experiment early, gather insights, and optimize continuously. Integrate live commerce for consistency and recognition. Manage data and inventory effectively; a strong brand fit with the format, the right hosts, and influencers for authenticity. Clearly defined goals will guide strategies for social commerce, partnerships, and maximizing reach.

The post Spotlight On: Suzanne Pronk 'The Future of Live Commerce' appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

TikTok Shop is doubling down Live Shopping to capture consumers' attention this holiday season. At an event in New York, the popular social network outlined its ambitious plans to boost its e-commerce platform through “super live streams” during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, betting that live shopping will drive its holiday sales.

As published by The Information, TikTok is looking to replicate the success of Douyin, its Chinese version, which has achieved significant revenues for parent ByteDance. Nico Le Bourgeois, head of TikTok Shop's U.S. operations, said the company's efforts have been focused over the past six months on attracting U.S. consumers to the live shopping mode, according to Modern Retail. To achieve this, TikTok has deployed an ecosystem of support for brands and creators, with targeted training, matchmaking events, and affiliate tools to maximize reach and interaction during these dates.

TikTok shift in incentives

Unlike previous years' promotions, when TikTok Shop incentivized brands with free shipping and deep discounts, it has opted for a more structured and sustained strategy this year. “We are building a complete ecosystem because the start-up is not easy, “ Le Bourgeois noted. This time around, shipments will be co-funded, and TikTok will offer greater visibility on the platform in exchange for discounts funded directly by the brands.

In addition, in its quest to engage a mass audience, the social network has organized events in Los Angeles and New York to foster collaboration between creators and sellers and launched an affiliate app that allows creators to build their audiences and sales. According to Le Bourgeois, brands are willing to fund their own discounts in view of the platform's reach, which currently has 150 million users in the U.S.

Potential and Challenges of Live Shopping

While live shopping is still a nascent phenomenon in the U.S. market, the signs of growth are encouraging. For example, Canvas Beauty, the brand of influencer Stormi Steele, managed to sell over $1 million worth of products in a single six-hour stream on TikTok Shop, a milestone for the platform. However, uptake among big brands still faces resistance, partly because of the spontaneous, real-time nature of live streaming, which can present compliance and control challenges for these companies.

Globally, the live shopping phenomenon continues to advance. In China, it is estimated that this modality will reach $703 billion in sales this year, a 25% growth. In the United States, although still in its infancy, TikTok is betting that acceptance will gradually increase as brands and consumers become more familiar with the format.

Despite the regulatory uncertainty surrounding the company, TikTok has shown steady growth in sales volume since the launch of its U.S. store. This year, the company aims to reach $17.5 billion on its e-commerce platform, although market projections still place it considerably below that goal.Kelsie Johnston, head of TikTok Shop's beauty and personal care division, stressed the importance of understanding consumer preferences. “It's not just about offering discounts; we listen to what the customer is asking for, from value packages to miniature products to gifts with purchase,” she said.

The post TikTok doubles down on Live Shopping appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The "magic formula" for e-commerce seems to be a combination of shopping, entertainment, and social connections. These fundamental elements promise the success of online sales. This translates into the new buzzword in the field: Live Shopping.

Live Shopping has been gaining momentum relatively quickly but with an undeniable force. This online shopping experience involves live streaming and purchasing directly through the targeted platform.

The result is a space where brands and shoppers unite through online interactions. This fosters a dynamic experience where real-time conversations occur, establishing a more realistic relationship between the buyer and the seller.

An example is Cider, an online fashion platform that often hosts live streams in which viewers can actively participate. Users select a number from a list, each corresponding to an item available for sale on the app. The host, representing the online store, then tries on or showcases the chosen item based on the viewers' preferences, answering questions about it, sizing, and more.

Live Shopping is about the company-customer relationship

Live Shopping transforms the shopping experience emphasizing the company-customer relationship. 

Users can see how the product performs in real life, enabling them better to appreciate its design, material, and other details. Ultimately, the shopping experience undergoes a radical change, usually for the better.

By providing sellers with this type of Live Shopping experience, a relationship of trust is built between the product, the brand, and the user, making the user feel more involved and connected throughout the purchasing process, catering to their personal preferences.

This technique has been growing worldwide in recent years, and more and more online services are embracing Live Shopping to offer this type of experience to their users, recognizing its incredible benefits for business growth, increased recommendations, and sales.

The post Live Shopping: the e-commerce revolution appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

YouTube will launch a new shopping feature within its ‘Shorts’ video format. In this way, the social network would be ahead of a very similar service that will also launch TikTok, the app that YouTube sought to counteract when it decided to launch Shorts. 

This means great future sales possibilities for e-commerce and a new access channel to online shopping for consumers.

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The feature is already being tested in some creator accounts in the United States, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. Although the company expects to expand product tagging in Shorts to more creators and countries in the short term. 

What is certain is that time is important in this competition that Youtube and TikTok are waging in the field of shopping associated with short videos. 

Video shopping wars? 

A few days ago multiple media outlets pointed towards the fact that TikTok could be thinking of setting up its own supply chain to act as an e-commerce/marketplace and expand the reach of TikTok Shopping, an e-commerce solution that allows sales and purchases to be made from the social network thanks to its partnership with Shopify. 

The shopping feature started in the UK, with the idea of boosting sales for the large community of small online sellers using Shopify in those countries.

Separately, YouTube is also experimenting with an affiliate program in the U.S. for content creators who sell on the platform. In this beta phase, referral links are being included in posts, an option that the company plans to progressively expand to more creators by 2023.

These changes come two months after YouTube announced the new YouTube Partner Program that will be in place in early 2023. 

Creators who meet two requirements - accumulating 1,000 subscribers on Shorts and 10 million views in 90 days - will be able to sign up and receive 45% of ad revenue from their videos on Shorts.

A profit boost for Youtube in times of need? 

These steps taken by the company come as no surprise, as despite Shorts reaching 1.5 billion monthly users, its quarterly ad revenue was down 1.9% year over year. This is due to the post-Covid economic slowdown, which has led many advertisers to cut their ad budgets. 

According to Alphabet's quarterly earnings report, in the third quarter of 2022 YouTube grossed $7.0 billion (about €6.82 billion) from its display ads, while in the same period of 2021 it achieved the sum of $7.2 billion (about €6.946 billion).

By virtue of increasing its advertising revenues, YouTube has been working to make its platform seen as a shopping destination by including product launches, ads with shopping links, and a live shopping feature. 

The latter did not garner the expected enthusiasm among Western users, so it is now focusing more on Eastern markets, including South Korea. 

In order to expand its shopping offerings, the company announced in July this year a strategic alliance with Shopify, so that the platform's users can integrate their stores and promote products through the social network.

The post YouTube will add shopping features to ‘Shorts’ appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

TikTok might be planning to launch a live shopping service in the U.S. according to a news release by Semafor.

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According to the media outlet, TikTok is trying to bring a version of China’s $400 billion live shopping industry to the United States. 

The information was exposed as ‘internal company information reviewed by Semafor’ The plan, a person familiar with the matter said to Semafor, is part of a wider global initiative that TikTok leaders have dubbed “Project Aquaman.”

This project will be carried out through a decentralized network of at least 20 TikTok Shop partners, including small Chinese social media agencies and U.S. tech startups specializing in live-streaming e-commerce. 

Tiktok fishing for ‘live shopping hosts’  

According to Semafor, a number of U.S. TikTok Shop Partners have posted job listings for live shopping hosts in California, New York, and New Jersey over the past several weeks. 

Many note that hosts will be trying on wigs, which have become a popular product category on TikTok. One livestreaming agency warns applicants that they are looking for people who already have “200K OR MORE Follower [sic] Only !!!”

TikTok has gone to great lengths to teach its partners what it believes are the best ways to sell products via live streaming, according to internal information reviewed by Semafor. It has hosted training webinars in China and the U.S. and provided partners with detailed learning materials. 

TikTok goes over even the smallest aspects of hosting a successful stream, such as what kind of lighting to use, how hosts should dress, and the optimal time to go live - which it says is 9:30 PM EST - according to Semafor report.

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