🎥 🛒 Lights, Camera, Cart: Why Live Commerce is Taking Over Southeast Asia’s Screens
If you’re a CMO in Asia Pacific and you haven’t yet been pulled into a meeting about “doing something on TikTok Live,” brace yourself - it's coming!
But here’s the thing: this isn’t a trend — it’s a channel. Like ecommerce was 10 years ago or mobile apps before that. Live commerce is fast becoming a default distribution lever in this part of the world — one that mixes urgency, entertainment, and impulse buying into one high-converting format.
And the numbers aren’t just impressive, they’re explosive. TikTok Shop’s GMV (that’s Gross Merchandise Value, if you’ve somehow managed to avoid ecommerce jargon until now) hit US$16.3 billion in Southeast Asia in 2023, up from US$4.4 billion the year before. According to The Straits Times, Singapore’s social commerce market - which includes live selling - is projected to balloon to US$8.5 billion by 2029. That’s up from a modest US$1.2 billion in 2023. This is no longer “experimental.”
What Actually Sells on Live Commerce?
Pretty much anything that demos well, solves a problem, or looks good under ring light.
Beauty, fashion, gadgets, kitchenware — those are the classics. But travel is the surprising sleeper hit. Case in point: Taitaigram— a 50-year-old Singaporean travel host who goes live every Sunday to Thursday at 8:30pm, often for 3 hours straight, selling package holidays like they’re limited-edition sneakers. She’s warm, witty, wildly trusted — and yes, she throws in foot massages and sunset cocktails if you book on the spot.
She’s not a “creator” in the Instagram sense. She’s a live commerce seller — more like a QVC host than a beauty influencer. (For the younger crowd: QVC is the American cable channel where hosts spent hours selling cookware, skincare, and jewelry live on air. It was hypnotic — and effective.)
That’s the energy. You tune in. You trust the host. You buy the thing you didn’t know you needed 90 seconds ago.
So, Should You Jump In?
Maybe. But first — ask the right questions. Because this isn’t just about turning on a camera and hoping for the best.
1. What’s the commercial goal?
Are you clearing stock? Driving volume for Singles Day? Upselling into bundles? Live commerce is not a branding play — it’s a performance channel. So your promos, discounts, bundles… they all need to earn their keep. Don’t just slash prices because “that’s what people do.” Know what you’re trying to drive — and why.
2. Can you afford to compete on offers?
Flash sales, countdowns, freebies — they work. But they cost. This is where marketing meets margin. Are you trading AOV for LTV? Losing on the first sale to win the second? The economics have to line up — and you need a plan for how promo behaviour impacts your other channels.
3. Who’s your seller and can they sell?
Let’s be real: during a livestream, the face of your brand won’t be yours — it’ll be theirs. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Live commerce sellers are part pitch artist, part customer support, part chaos coordinator. They field questions, demo products, hold attention, and create urgency — all in real time.
Some might be influencers, but their job here isn’t influence. It’s conversion. That’s a different skillset entirely.
The best ones will move product. The great ones will do it without pulling focus from your brand. But be warned: if the host becomes the star, your brand can quickly fade into background music. Know the trade-off — and measure it.
4. Are you measuring the right things?
GMV and conversion are obvious. But also track:
Brand search lift after streams
Promo code usage vs full-price purchases
Cart abandonment rates during live shows
Repeat buyers from live commerce cohorts
Ask yourself: does this channel outperform paid ads, affiliates, or regular ecommerce? If not — is it the format or the execution?
The Verdict
Live commerce isn’t an awareness tool. It’s a tactical channel — one you dial up when you want action. Like a pop-up store with a hype crew and a checkout button built into the show.
Best used when:
You’ve got something new or seasonal to push
You want to test bundles, promos or value adds
You need a short, sharp revenue spike — say, around payday or 11.11
But it only works if you treat it seriously. That means a real host, a real commercial goal, and real measurement. The set-up is part sales floor, part theatre. And if you do it right? People will buy and come back next week for more.
Meet Our Modellers
Want to find out the other levers that are actually impacting your sales? Our modellers can map your commercial universe so you know exactly where your sales are coming from or disappearing to and can act accordingly.