The Green Sheet Online Edition
November 10, 2025 • 25:11:01
The rise of live commerce
In early April 2025, more than 5.6 billion people were online, close to 70 percent of the global population (see bit.ly/4hHLzgq). With so many consumers living significant portions of their lives digitally, retail has undergone a dramatic transformation. What once relied on brick-and-mortar locations now depends increasingly on digital platforms, with some mega retailers operating entirely online.
This digital shift has pushed businesses to rethink their strategies and develop innovative models. Among them, live commerce—shopping via livestreamed video—has become one of the most influential forces shaping the future of retail.
A market set for explosive growth
Analysts estimate the global live commerce market could reach more than $3.5 trillion by 2033 (see bit.ly/49D1lHs). In the United States alone, sales are projected to hit $55 billion within the next few years. These figures highlight not only current momentum behind the trend but also its potential to reshape retail at scale. The concept is not entirely new. Home shopping television channels have long shown how real-time product demonstrations can drive sales. But the modern form of live commerce, first popularized in China, takes the model further by merging video, social media and ecommerce into one seamless experience.
A turning point came in 2020, when Alibaba's Taobao Live generated $7.5 billion in the opening half hour of its Singles' Day presales campaign (see bit.ly/47Zd7dW). Since then, livestream shopping has spread globally, with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Amazon integrating live shopping features. Nearly half of U.S. consumers report having joined a live shopping event in the past year. In the UK, uptake has been slower due to the resilience of physical high streets, yet the long-term direction is clear. As digital and physical channels continue to blur, livestreamed shopping will become an essential tool for customer engagement.
Shifting consumer expectations
What sets live commerce apart from earlier forms of online shopping is customer interaction. Shoppers no longer want to passively browse. They expect authentic, participatory, social experiences. During a livestream, hosts respond to audience questions, peers share real-time feedback and purchases happen seamlessly within the same window. This makes the transaction itself a pivotal moment. Smooth, secure, instant payment processes are now as important as the entertainment value of the stream. A clunky checkout experience risks undermining the excitement that drives conversions.
The technology behind the experience
A successful livestream requires more than reliable video. It depends on sophisticated infrastructure that integrates payments, digital identity and compliance. Consumers increasingly expect features like mobile wallet integration, one-tap checkout, and buy now, pay later options..
At the same time, regulatory frameworks, from GDPR in Europe to PCI standards for payments, continue to evolve. Retailers must ensure their systems are both compliant and adaptable, while also transparent about how consumer data is used. In this environment, the ability to balance innovation with trust has become a brand differentiator.
From novelty to normal practice
As live commerce shifts from emerging trend to mainstream channel, retailers must ask: how do we not just participate, but excel? The answer lies in treating live shopping as more than a sales opportunity. Successful companies use livestreaming as a marketing and engagement platform, tailoring content to their audiences and analyzing data in real time to improve each session. By combining creativity with technology and compliance, they turn live events into repeatable engines for growth.
Payment systems play a central role in this. When checkout is quick, intuitive and aligned with customer preferences, the barrier between intent and purchase disappears. The fundamentals of creating truly frictionless payment experiences extend beyond live commerce, requiring careful attention to user interface design, security protocols and integration strategies. Done well, payment becomes an invisible enabler of the overall experience.
Looking ahead
The rise of live commerce reflects a broader reality: shopping today is as much about experience as it is about products. Consumers are looking for interaction, authenticity and convenience. For retailers, success will depend on building systems that can deliver all three securely, seamlessly and at scale. The difference between one-time buyers and loyal customers will often come down to how well retailers integrate trust, technology and real-time engagement into every interaction. 
Aaron Stephens is vice president of retail at PXP. Contact him via LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/aaronmstephens.
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