Live Selling and Affiliate Marketing

Live selling was on its way to being a genuine phenomenon before 2020. And then COVID hit, and it exploded. According to Statista, live selling sales in the US will total $11B in 2021, up 83%. And we thought affiliate grew rapidly! Live "shoppertainment" seems tailor-made for the US market. We Yanks love to shop. And live selling makes shopping even more engaging and entertaining. But China was where web-based live selling was popularized first. According to McKinsey, China sales through live selling reached $171B in gross merchandise value in 2020, with a 280% compound growth rate over the previous three years. By 2023, McKinsey says sales will reach $423B. Good God, y'all! But North Americans have been "live selling" since 1977 when a small radio station sold 119 can openers because the client failed to pay in cash. HSN debuted in 1982 as "Home Shopping Club," and QVC debuted in 1986.