🛍️ You're not late.

February 5, 2025

Good morning! It’s Wednesday!

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? You might have already skipped a day or two at the gym, but you don’t want to miss this opportunity in 2025.

Why 2025 is the year:

Remember how skeptical you were about buying things online back in 2006? “What if the package never arrives?” “How can I trust this website?” Live shopping is at that same turning point right now. Just as e-commerce exploded after 2006, we’re now seeing signs that live shopping is about to take off.

Let me share some interesting numbers I've been tracking:

The Market Is Ready

• The U.S. live shopping market hit $15 billion in 2024

• It's projected to reach $68 billion by 2026

• Live shopping shows conversion rates of 30% (compared to regular e-commerce at 3%)

But here's what really caught my attention: even big traditional retailers, like Nordstrom and Walmart, are testing the waters. When big brands are trying new features, you know something big is brewing.

"But what about the TikTok ban?" I hear this concern a lot, and it's valid. But here's the thing – live shopping isn't tied to just TikTok. Look at Whatnot, for example. They just raised $265 million last month and are now valued at $5 billion. Investors don't put that kind of money into a concept unless they're confident about its future. Here is a Google Trends chart for Whatnot in the past five years. 

"My customers probably aren't into live shopping..." This is where it gets interesting. The data shows that U.S. live shopping users are spread pretty evenly across all age groups. And here's a surprise – 59% of frequent live shopping users in the U.S. are men. Not exactly what you'd expect, right?

Speaking of unexpected success, check out these recent wins:

• Amazon Prime Day's live shopping event pulled in over 100 million views

• McKinsey projects live shopping will make up 20% of all e-commerce by 2026

• Major brands are seeing conversion rates 10x higher than traditional e-commerce

Why 2025 Is Different

 Live shopping has been huge in China for a decade now, and we're finally seeing the right conditions in the U.S.:

1. The technology has matured

2. Consumers are ready and willing

3. Multiple platforms are available (not just TikTok)

4. Competition is still relatively low

Think about it this way: Remember how some brands got in early on Google Ads or Facebook Ads around 2010? Those who moved first had a massive advantage: lower costs, less competition, and higher returns. Live shopping is at that same stage right now.

Be the early mover this time. 

Best,

Peter

P.S. If you are new to live shopping, make sure to check your inbox every Wednesday morning! 

P.P.S. If you have any questions, shoot me an email. I will try my best to reply to everyone.