The department store chain Nordstrom said Wednesday it will debut its “Livestream Shopping” channel, as part of its broader ambitions to delve into e-commerce livestreaming, which is already a huge phenomenon in Asia.
Retailers such as Nordstrom are playing catch-up in the U.S. to a trend that has been rampant for years overseas, in large part thanks to early efforts by the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Shoppable livestreams, akin to QVC, have struggled to take off with Americans. Experts say that’s partially because American consumers have been less receptive to the idea of buying goods via livestream and because the U.S. lacks so-called multichannel networks, or MCNs, that provide livestreaming services for businesses. MCNs are more common across China and can help brands grow an online audience.
Source: CNBC