The arrival of live shopping – the activity of buying items from an online store via live-streamed showcases – has been foretold for many years. A huge hit in China for the better part of a decade, industry analysts were just waiting for a platform to crack the code and create an offering that could go mainstream in the UK.
As it turns out, there looks to be a three-horse race for the title. All-in live shopping platform Whatnot positions itself as the greatest success story for the tech, while TikTok and eBay have adapted swiftly to get in on the action. Given the rise of live streaming in British entertainment, though, there’ll likely be plenty to go around for the trio.
Live Tech Doing the Groundwork
It should be noted that, throughout 2020, people hailed the arrival of live shopping in Western markets. What followed were predictable contractions after over-investment in tech and products that did exceedingly well in extreme circumstances, a collapse of independent live shopping platforms, and a removal of live shop features.
Even if live technology wasn’t being turned to for shopping, it continued to underpin popular entertainment. Twitch has become the go-to for evening viewing for many, now boasting a reported 13.4 million monthly users in the UK, and online gaming sites have found success by running games streamed live from dedicated studios.
The long-running trend in gaming has led to the advent of the live casino site. Here, not only can users play casino classics like roulette and blackjack in real-time with professional croupiers, but they can also try new game shows. It’s more of an interactive experience than the likes of Twitch, but both tap into the demand for immersive entertainment.
So, it was only a matter of time before live shopping began to move out of being a niche gimmick and into the mainstream. Zara, perhaps a bit pre-emptively, expanded its UK live shopping broadcasts in mid-2024, but all the while, it was the slow build of Whatnot that would ultimately mark the arrival of this new way to buy online.
A Trio of Live Shopping Hubs
Whatnot carved out a niche for collectables and limited-edition goods to be showcased and sold in live shopping events. It’s this side of the format that has truly hit the mainstream, only adding to the excitement customers feel when they know a big launch is coming or that someone will sell some rare goods they’re interested in getting.
Now, Whatnot can be tied in with Shopify thanks to the new plug-in. This immediately opens live shopping events to millions more people, with there being some 230,000 Shopify stores in the UK. Big brands are coming to Whatnot, too, with ThredUp being among the latest to enter the live commerce arena via the platform.
TikTok Shop has also made a big comeback in the realm of live shopping, too. It benefited from the fad at the start of the decade, but is now seeing serious numbers. They reported one British trainer reseller making over £100,000 within their first month. Then, there’s eBay making a big push, which even charities like Oxfam are benefiting from on the long-established platform.
Live commerce looks to have officially made it into the mainstream of UK shopping in 2026. Best of all, live shoppers have three strong options that look primed to compete for British viewing over the years to come.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
