By Esther Achara

"What are you shopping for?" asked vintage reseller Isabella Vrana on the livestream shopping app Tilt last month. "Sequins!" typed a viewer. After a quick, off-camera change, Vrana leaned into her laptop to model a shimmering top. "Can I see the back?" typed a second shopper. Vrana spun around. By the end of the two-hour session, says Vrana, she averaged $12 a minute in sales. "Shoppers tell me what they want, and I bring it the following week," she said. "It feels like FaceTime with the girls."

Vrana is part of the growing trend of livestream shopping: a hybrid of cutting-edge social media, eBay, QVC and throwback Tupperware parties.

At its most basic level, much like eBay, livestreaming lets anyone sell. Sellers stream videos on their phone, tablet or computer via apps like Tilt or Whatnot. In real time, they talk viewers through items they're selling from the intimacy of their bedroom or a high-production set. Shoppers get answers to their questions in a live-chat before bidding on an item in an auction or committing to a purchase.

In the more corporate version, big brands like Poshmark, Amazon and eBay itself now all offer livestream shopping, often with "known quantity" hosts. Last April, QVC and TikTok Shop Live kick-started "Q50," a partnership aimed at women 50 and older, featuring Travis Kelce's mom, Donna, and New York celebrity stylist Stacy London. Luxury retailer Net-a-Porter hosts livestream events every two months, timed to new campaigns.

In the Asia-Pacific region, livestream shopping is already deeply embedded. "Seventy-four percent of consumers [there] regularly search for products on social video platforms, compared with 39% on traditional search engines," said Candice Medeiros, a retail strategist at trend-forecasting agency WGSN. Stateside, it's lesser-known but gaining traction. It's estimated that 49 million U.S. consumers will use livestreaming this year, says Katie Thomas, lead of the Kearney Consumer Institute.

"Social scrolling is the new channel surfing," said Krystyna Taheri, QVC's vice president of social commerce. "It's part of our shoppers' daily habit, just like TV was 40 years ago."

Converts say they love the personal, interactive element of livestream shopping. Whatnot user Macy Eleni, 32, an avid thrift-shopper in Los Angeles, prefers it to the flat transactional nature of online vintage hunting. Eleni says that on a recent livestream she scored a '90s-era DKNY dress from a "mystery pull" when a bubbly host threw some surprise items into the mix to keep viewers hooked. "I'm bouncing in my chair, thinking, 'What are they gonna pull out next?'"

There's also the thrill of an auction. "I'm frequently getting into big bidding wars. That's the fun of it," said Eleni. "People can really go crazy."

Cristina Muise, 55, who works in real estate in New Hampshire, says she's more likely to buy from the mature women she follows on livestream shopping apps Whatnot and TikTok Shop Live than from a faceless luxury retailer. To attend a baby shower, Muise said she "bought a $30 dress on TikTok instead of a $700 designer one. The host was around my age and size, so I could imagine how I'd look in it. E-comm models can be hard to relate to."

London, who spent years dispensing style advice on the TLC show "What Not to Wear," finds the shift exciting. The traditional QVC format felt like "the Olympics of live television. You're not just there to be charming; you're there to be charming and sell $2 million worth of goods, " she said. Livestreams offer a more laid-back, personal touch, she said. "Some people ask questions about the clothes, others are just there to say hi. It's nice to know I have friends out there."

Expert Tips for Navigating Livestream Shopping as a First-Timer

Let the Apps Lead

After downloading a new app, take the time to answer the onboarding questions. With apps like Whatnot, explains Armand Wilson, vice president of categories and expansion at Whatnot, you'll go through a detailed process that personalizes suggestions based on your interests. Deeksha Bhat, general manager of Poshmark's Posh Shows, concurred: "As the app sees what you're enjoying, it makes more accurate suggestions."

Do Your Research

When a livestream is auction-based, there's usually a "no returns" policy. "It ruins the flow and format of the auction if you change your mind afterward," seller Isabella Vrana said. The best way to avoid buyer's remorse? Always check the sellers' reviews. If a seller is unwilling to show an item's flaws up close or answer questions, it might be best to move on, says seller Nica Yusay of the Fashionica channel on Whatnot.

Enjoy the Show

Don't underestimate the entertainment factor, says Vogue senior beauty and wellness editor Margaux Anbouba. Though she's bought Maison Margiela Tabi boots from her favorite Whatnot resale guru Liana Satenstein, she often tunes into Satenstein's events just for the love of the performance. "Liana has this shtick where she wears a Britney Spears-style mic and there's a saxophone player. It's quirky and a nice tidbit."

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 05, 2025 14:15 ET (18:15 GMT)

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