Latest / The DTC Marketing Podcast with Fexingo: Direct-to-Consumer Brands, Shopify, and E-Commerce Growth / How DTC Brands Are Using Live Shopping to Drive Sales
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've probably seen those TikTok Lives where someone is holding up a dress and a hundred people are typing 'link' in the chat — that's live shopping, and it's moving from a novelty to a serious channel for DTC brands. Luna: Yeah, I've definitely scrolled past a few. Some feel like home shopping network energy, but others actually feel authentic. Who's doing it well? Lucas: Glossier is a great example. They launched 'Glossier Live!' back in February 2026 — it's a weekly series on YouTube Shopping and TikTok Shop simultaneously. And they're seeing some real results. Luna: Right. I think I saw a stat — their average order value went up for viewers? Something like 34%? Lucas: Exactly. For viewers who watched at least five minutes of a live, their average order value was 34% higher than non-viewers. That's not just a bump — that's a signal that live shopping changes purchase behavior. Luna: So what's the mechanism? Is it the limited-time offer? The FOMO? The host? Lucas: All of the above, but the real killer is the combination. Glossier uses time-limited bundles — like 'only available during this live' — and they have a host who actually knows the products. Their host, Maya, used to work at a Glossier store. Luna: So she's not a random influencer. She's got product knowledge. That matters. Lucas: Huge difference. A McKinsey report from June this year predicted that live shopping could account for 10 to 15 percent of US e-commerce sales by 2028. That's not a niche anymore. Luna: That feels aggressive but plausible. China is already at like 20% of e-commerce through livestream. We're catching up. Lucas: Right. And the platforms are making it easier. Shopify Live integrates directly with your inventory, so you can tag products in real time. TikTok Shop has the 'Shop' tab. YouTube Shopping lets you pin products. The tech is no longer the barrier. Luna: What about the skills? Not every brand has a charismatic host lying around. Lucas: That's the big hurdle. Glossier's Maya is great, but she's also trained. She practices with a script, but she goes off-script based on chat questions. That's hard to scale. Luna: Some brands are using founders as hosts. I saw the founder of Jones Road Beauty do a live and it was super engaging. Lucas: Founders can work, but they can't do every live. So you need to build a roster. And you need to invest in production — decent lighting, good audio, maybe a producer managing the chat. Luna: It starts to sound expensive. Is the ROI there for smaller DTC brands? Lucas: It depends on your margin and average order value. For a $20 product, maybe not yet. For a $100 product, absolutely. Glossier's average order value is around $60, so a 34% lift is significant. Luna: And it's not just the immediate sale. You get engagement data, chat transcripts, product interest signals — that's valuable for retargeting. Lucas: Exactly. One thing Glossier does is they capture email or phone from viewers who engage in chat — they send a follow-up with the bundle link. So you're building a list too. Luna: What about the production side? Do you need a studio? Lucas: Not necessarily. Glossier films in a corner of their flagship store in New York. It's just a well-lit table with products. The authenticity of the store background probably helps. Luna: That's smart. Borrowing the store's credibility. And you can do it on a small scale — even a founder at home with a ring light. Lucas: You know, it's funny — this show is all about DTC marketing tactics that actually work. If you've gotten something out of these conversations, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — it helps us stay ad-free and focused on real strategies. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the insights coming. No pressure, but if you've found value, it makes a real difference. Lucas: Alright, back to live shopping. Another brand that's doing it differently is Rothy's. They do 'Shoe Drops' — scheduled lives where they reveal a new color or style. They sell out within minutes. Luna: That's more like a product launch event. Limited quantities, hype, community watching together. Lucas: Exactly. They announce the drop two weeks in advance, build anticipation on Instagram, then host a 15-minute live. The chat goes wild. It's like a sneaker drop but for sustainable flats. Luna: And they use Shopify Live to handle the inventory in real time — when it's gone, it's gone. That scarcity drives urgency. Lucas: One thing I want to mention is the analytics. Platforms like TikTok Shop give you real-time data — how many viewers, peak concurrent, conversion rate during the live. You can A/B test different hosts, times, product lineups. Luna: So you're not flying blind. You can iterate. Lucas: Right. Glossier tested Tuesdays at 7 PM vs Thursdays at 8 PM. Thursdays had 40% higher viewership. Simple tests like that compound. Luna: What about the content itself? Is it just product demos or should there be entertainment? Lucas: The best lives mix education and entertainment. Glossier does 'Get Ready With Me' style lives where the host does her skincare routine using their products. It's not a sales pitch — it's a tutorial that naturally leads to purchases. Luna: That's the sweet spot. You're giving value first, then the sale is a byproduct. Lucas: Exactly. And you can repurpose the recorded live as on-demand content. Post it to YouTube, clip highlights for TikTok. So the production effort pays off beyond the live window. Luna: I could see this becoming a standard part of the marketing mix. But I wonder — will consumers get fatigue from too many lives? Lucas: Possibly. That's why frequency matters. Glossier does one live per week. Rothy's does one per month. You don't want to oversaturate. Quality over quantity. Luna: So for a brand starting out, what's the minimum viable setup? Lucas: One host, good lighting, a smartphone or webcam, and a Shopify or TikTok Shop integration. Start with 15 minutes. Promote it on your email list and social for a week. Then run it and see what happens. Luna: And measure the AOV lift. That's the key metric. Lucas: Absolutely. If you see a 20% or higher lift, you've got something worth scaling. If not, adjust the format or the host. Luna: I think the future is also interactive — polls, Q&A, choose the product. That's where the real community building happens. Lucas: You're right. Glossier already does 'Choose My Routine' lives where chat votes on which serum to apply next. Engagement skyrockets. Luna: That's smart. Makes viewers feel like they're part of the show. And they're more likely to buy because they helped pick. Lucas: Exactly. It's not passive TV — it's a two-way conversation. That's the real power of live shopping for DTC brands. Luna: All right, I'm convinced. I'm going to look into setting up a test for a brand I consult with. Lucas: Do it. And let us know how it goes. Maybe we'll do a follow-up episode with your results. Luna: I'll hold you to that.