Zara plans to launch live shopping shows on its app and website in the UK, Europe and the US between August and October this year, as the livestreams in China help the brand achieve 50 sales by the first quarter of 2024 % more product sizes sold compared to last year, according to Reuters.
Zara has been streaming five-hour shopping shows every week since November on Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese sister app. The broadcasts feature models showing Zara clothing, shoes and accessories on various catwalks, dressing rooms and behind the scenes.
This is what a Zara spokesperson said Reuters: “We want to take this to the western countries, where livestream is not so popular… but we think why not – from an entertainment perspective this is like an evolution.”
The news publication stated that as Zara’s physical retail footprint in China has shrunk from 570 stores in 2019 to just 192 currently, the livestreaming platform provides a means to maintain customer engagement and drive sales growth in the market.
How has live shopping grown in China?
Digital initiatives such as live shopping and the metaverse, which is more advanced in China than other global markets, have contributed to its growth, GlobalData’s saidThe clothing market in China until 2027‘ report, predicting that the online market will grow by 7.8% between 2023 and 2027
However, more Western countries will overtake it in terms of penetration by 2027, due to slow internet adoption in lower-tier cities, the report said.
While livestream sales are a popular phenomenon in China, another GlobalData report states:Consumer insights into clothing: China” explained that this could be due to social media, which has been found to play a role in influencing consumer purchasing decisions.
Consumers explained that online shopping offers more options and greater convenience, with 75.8% of clothing buyers agreeing that online shopping offers a much greater choice compared to physical stores. Additionally, 72.8% of consumers preferred online shopping due to the ease of comparing products.
Brands and retailers on social media had the greatest influence on Chinese consumers’ clothing purchases after family and friends, highlighting the importance of social media marketing for brands operating in the country.
Online market potential in 2025/26
In a report called ‘The clothing market in Great BritainGlobalData said online penetration is expected to rise again from 2025 as brands continue to invest in technology to improve the online shopping experience.
Growth will increase slowly by only 0.6 percentage points to 39.8% in 2028, as the market is already well established, leaving limited room for further developments.
While Instagram was previously the leading social media platform for fashion inspiration, the “The clothing market in the US and forecasts until 2026from GlobalData found that TikTok is now rapidly growing in popularity in the US, especially among Gen Z consumers.
The platform makes it easy for products to go viral and be seen by millions of users. Brands are therefore advised to take advantage of this to increase visibility.
GlobalData senior apparel analyst Pippa Stephens previously commented the growth of live shopping and explained that promotions or discounts are often offered that are exclusive to that specific livestream, creating a sense of urgency and encouraging consumers to purchase right away.
“In Data: Zara Takes Live Shopping to the West After 50% Sales Rise in China” was originally created and published by Simply stylea brand owned by GlobalData.
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