She plans to go live Thanksgiving night, hoping
to catch the attention of bargain hunters who
have to stay home after their turkey meals
because Walmart, Target and other major stores
won’t be holding in-store doorbuster sales that
night for the first time in years. “Those people
still want to shop,” she says.
CommentSold, which makes the software that
Jennaration and more than 4,000 other stores
use to livestream, expects users to sell $1 billion
worth of goods this year, more than triple last
year. Most of the shoppers tend to be women
over the age of 35, who chat with each other in
the comments about which outfits they like or
what they want to buy.
“It’s like going on a shopping trip together,” says
CommentSold founder Brandon Kruse.
LaKesha Williamson says she watches about 30
hours of live sales a month, spending about $50
a week on tops, jewelry or smartphone chargers.
“That’s the only way I shop now,” says the
42-year-old from Calera, Alabama, who works at
a domestic violence shelter.
The videos let her see how clothing fits on real
people. She also likes that the hosts call out her
name when she asks questions or comments on
an outfit.
“It’s like having a conversation with somebody
on TV,” Williamson says.
Dan Hodges, CEO of retail advisory firm
Consumers in Motion, thinks livestreaming will
transform online shopping because it adds a
human touch missing from e-commerce: a live
person who can answer questions and make
recommendations.