Spread the love! Forward this email to your trend-obsessed friends and share on social media »

M.Gemi, a direct-to-consumer luxury footwear brand, began livestreaming their products on Instagram in April. Hosted by Instagram influencer Kayleigh Harrington, the Monday morning live shoe drops give customers a chance to have a ‘sneak preview’ of new products before they are added to the brand’s e-commerce site. Since the first ‘Monday Drop’ video appeared, traffic to the website increased by 51% on Mondays and sales have increased b 20% according to Glossy.

While not the first brand to incorporate SHOPSTREAMING into its marketing plan (remember ShopShops and their livestreamed shopping events?), M.Gemi won’t be the last. Live streaming already caught on fast in Asia long ago, with revenue in China from the industry leaping from CNY 7.4 billion in 2015 to CNY 20.8 billion (approx. USD 3.2 billion) in 2016. And when it comes to social and m-commerce: where Asia leads, the rest of the world soon follows.  Skeptical? Consider the rise of emojis and stickers, messaging app ecosystems and mobile payments… just three phenomena that were commonplace in Asia first!

Indeed, we’re at a pivotal moment for e-commerce. No longer is it simply about convenience and/or low prices. Instead, the convergence of live video and social platforms means that customers’ digital shopping experiences can now be as engaging and meaningful as their physical counterparts. The good news? This is a huge opportunity for any retailer. What’s stopping you diving in and embracing this new, fast-paced retail channel?