Dive Brief:
- Only half of consumers watching live shopping shows are making purchases, data Savings.com released last month shows. Though roughly 60% of U.S. adults watch live shopping, only 33% are making purchases.
- TikTok Live is dominating live shopping as the top platform for consumer engagement, outpacing QVC and HSN, according to the survey of almost 1,000 U.S. adults. Facebook Live is the second most-watched platform, followed by Instagram Live.
- Live shopping is most popular among younger generations. About 15% percent of Gen Z, the most-engaged generation, say they watch live shopping shows once a week.
Dive Insight:
Both relative newcomers, like TikTok, and incumbents, such as QVC, are investing in livestream social shopping, but the medium is resonating with some consumers more than others. More than two-thirds of consumers either never or rarely watch live social shopping, the survey found.
What might be missing in the quest for live shopping is trust. More than three-quarters of shoppers believe live shopping encourages impulse buying and overspending. On top of that, 57% of respondents say live-shopping hosts are more entertaining than trustworthy.
Over half of those who don’t buy from live shopping shows say that a trusted platform or well-known brand would increase trust in live shopping experiences, the survey found.
Exclusive discounts, product quality assurance and a smoother checkout process would turn live shopping viewers into customers, too, respondents said.
While live shopping has long been in existence with television programs like QVC and HSN, live social shopping options have modernized the medium. QVC Group recently announced a strategy shift to pursue a brand identity as a live social shopping company. Early last month, the company announced it would stream on TikTok all day long.