"Setting Up Studios and Training Show Hosts"... Retail Industry Focuses on 'Labang' Live Broadcasts

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Competition in the live commerce broadcasting market within the distribution industry is becoming increasingly fierce. This is driven by the urgent need to respond to the rapid shift of consumption towards online and mobile platforms and the awareness that losing young customers in their 20s and 30s is not an option. Companies are setting up their own studios for live commerce broadcasts and actively discovering specialized shopping hosts tailored to each field.

Sales Increase as Influencers Draw Attention

CJ OnStyle, which launched as an integrated brand on the 10th, decided to fully ramp up live commerce broadcasts based on its mobile broadcasting experience since late 2017. They plan to double broadcast hours from the existing 25 hours per week to 50 hours, establish dedicated studios, and differentiate content by recruiting famous influencers. Within just ten days, CJ OnStyle's live commerce order amount increased about ninefold compared to the same period last year, and order amounts for each broadcast program grew by approximately 70%.

eBay Korea's newly opened real-time entertainment-style live commerce show "Jangsa-ui Sindong" recorded cumulative sales of 1.5 billion KRW after only three broadcasts this month. According to eBay, sales through live commerce accounted for up to 83% of the participating brands' daily broadcast sales, including "LG Objet Collection," "LF Hazys," and "Amorepacific Sulwhasoo," demonstrating significant effectiveness.

During the broadcast time alone, cumulative sales reached 530 million KRW, with a cumulative viewership of 655,000. Including sales until midnight on the same day when discount benefits were maintained, total sales exceeded 1.54 billion KRW.

Professional Hosts Communicate with Customers from Specialized Studios

SSG.com showcased the professional baseball SSG Landers uniforms for the first time through the live broadcast "Sseuk Live" on the 17th. To enhance the sense of presence, announcer Kwak Su-san from SSG Landers and shopping host Jung Da-sol conducted the broadcast directly from the souvenir shop inside Incheon SSG Landers Field. The number of simultaneous viewers reached about 12,000 during the broadcast, showing high customer engagement, and related products such as hats and accessories are also gaining popularity, according to SSG.

Emart opened a specialized studio optimized for live commerce broadcasts called "Studio e" at its Seongsu-dong headquarters. Going forward, various live broadcasts from SSG.com will also be filmed here and presented to customers.

Shinsegae International is currently recruiting "Personal Shoppers" to professionally host live commerce broadcasts within its luxury online mall "SI Village." Personal Shoppers will go beyond simple sales roles by selecting products that match trends, providing customers with extensive information from brand stories to product usage tips and styling.

K Shopping is also selecting specialized live commerce shopping hosts to be active in mobile live broadcasts such as "Live K." Preference is given to talents with live commerce experience or those who operate YouTube channels, possessing media commerce capabilities.

A K Shopping representative stated, "We will nurture professional shopping hosts optimized for the new media environment, maximize their capabilities to expand differentiated broadcast content, and strengthen communication with customers to become a platform that provides useful information and enjoyment."

Platform Leaders Portals and Messengers Seize Market

The main reason distribution companies focus on live commerce broadcasts is that they can directly deliver product information and increase customer touchpoints through real-time communication with customers. Accordingly, not only distribution companies but also fashion, cosmetics, food, and dining businesses are raising awareness and aiming to expand sales through their own live broadcasts.

Portal leader Naver and messenger platform leader Kakao are also concentrating on live commerce broadcasts and rapidly capturing the market. Kakao Shopping Live surpassed 50 million cumulative viewers within one year after launching its beta service in May last year, and Naver Shopping Live, launched in July last year, has recorded 170 million cumulative views.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.