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It’s well-known that U.S. retailers have been slower to adopt live shopping than other countries like China, India, and Brazil.
At last week’s RetailWire Roundtable, our discussion focused on social commerce and live shopping. The panelists discussed how live shopping is influencing not only online sales, but also in-store traffic. One example came from a flagship fashion store in Manhattan that hosted a two-hour livestream. The team expected a short-term spike in digital sales.
“Customers bought more in those two hours than the flagship sold in a month,” said Michael Zakkour, founder of 5 New Digital, speaking at a recent RetailWire roundtable.
According to Zakkour, foot traffic to the store rose 40% over the next four weeks. Website visits increased by 30%, average order value grew 35%, and product return rates dropped from the usual 40% to just 10%.
Live Shopping Is Set To Grow Globally, But Can it Find a Foothold Stateside?
It’s one example, but it echoes larger market trends. Live shopping is gaining traction as more than a novelty. While adoption in the U.S. has been cautious, global forecasts suggest momentum is building. According to Precedence Research, livestream e-commerce is expected to reach $19.86 billion in 2025, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33% through 2034. Business Research Insights projects the global live e-commerce market will grow from $1,350 billion in 2024 to $1,502 billion in 2025.
Still, live shopping is rarely part of the core playbook in U.S. retail. Many teams treat it as a one-off marketing event, rather than a trigger for lasting omnichannel effects.
That could be a mistake, however: Live shopping is emerging as a valuable channel in a company’s ideal array of video and immersive commerce strategies.
Zakkour believes the real value is in what he calls the “halo effect,” when live social campaigns influence behavior across channels and over time.
Return rates may be one place where that halo is clearest. In Zakkour’s example, livestream buyers returned fewer products, possibly due to better expectation-setting from live demos and Q&A. It reflects a growing belief that content-rich formats may reduce friction in categories known for high return volume, such as apparel and beauty.