YouTube Live Shopping Event: Week-Long Stream to Debut

YouTube Expands Live Shopping Trials with "Holiday Stream and Shop" Event

YouTube initially announced plans to test livestream shopping with a limited group of creators earlier in the year. Now, the platform is preparing for a more extensive evaluation of its live shopping capabilities. A week-long event, titled “YouTube Holiday Stream and Shop,” is scheduled to begin on November 15th.

Event Features and Creator Engagement

This event will provide viewers with the opportunity to purchase new products, access exclusive, time-sensitive deals, and interact with both creators and fellow viewers through Q&A sessions and polls, according to YouTube’s announcement.

The company first revealed its investment strategy for live shopping in early 2021. This formed part of a broader plan to integrate shopping features directly into the YouTube experience. Initial testing phases focused on on-demand videos before the livestream pilot program commenced this summer.

Successful Initial Livestream Shopping Tests

Since the initial pilot, numerous YouTube creators have experimented with livestream shopping, engaging their audiences in the process. Simply Nailogical, for example, successfully launched a nail polish collection to her 2.8 million subscribers on the Simply Not Logical channel.

Hyram introduced his “Selfless” skincare line to his 4.5 million followers, while Raven Elyse hosted a livestream shopping session in collaboration with Walmart, selling products through the platform. (Walmart had previously conducted live shopping trials on TikTok during several events.)

Retailer Participation in YouTube Live Shopping

Beyond creators, other retailers have also actively participated. Sephora hosted a live question-and-answer session, and Target conducted a live style haul, both utilizing the new features.

The forthcoming Stream and Shop event, beginning with the Merrell Twins, will also showcase products from prominent retailers such as Walmart, Samsung, and Verizon.

YouTube's Research on Live Shopping Behavior

During a panel at Advertising Week, YouTube shared insights from research conducted to understand the live shopping experience and YouTube’s role within it. A study, conducted in partnership with Publicis and TalkShoppe, revealed that 75% of viewers utilize YouTube for shopping inspiration, often through videos like creators’ #ShopWithMe content.

Furthermore, the research indicated that 85% of viewers place trust in creators’ product recommendations. Viewers prioritize the quality and depth of information provided over the production value of the videos themselves.

Continued Testing and Competition

Despite these advancements in livestream shopping, YouTube has not yet made the feature universally available. The company is continuing to refine the experience through ongoing testing with individual creators.

Meanwhile, TikTok has been actively developing its own live shopping features. TikTok initiated a pilot program for TikTok Shopping in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, partnering with Shopify earlier this year.

At a recent event, TikTok announced an expansion of its shopping capabilities, incorporating new partnerships with Square, Ecwid, PrestaShop, Wix, SHOPLINE, OpenCart, and BASE. The company also unveiled a comprehensive suite of solutions branded as TikTok Shopping, encompassing product integration into videos, advertisements, and LIVE shopping support.

Facebook's Live Shopping Initiatives

Facebook has also been involved in live shopping, hosting a series of events this spring and summer. It now offers dedicated live shopping sections within the Shop areas of both its Facebook and Instagram applications.

YouTube intends to release further details regarding its upcoming live shopping event as the launch date approaches.