Streaming sales change the game

Janey Live success ushers in new era

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

Live commerce in Thailand has ushered in a new era, marked by a high value of sales transactions within a short period, similar to the landscape in China.

This is driven by the integration of entertainment with online shopping or “shoppertainment” through live-streaming platforms.

However, pundits caution that to ensure sustainability, businesses must focus on product quality and build their own sales channels to gain customer insights, rather than relying solely on individual influencers or third-party platforms.

Singer and influencer Ratchanok “Janey” Suwannaket became the talk of the town after her live-streaming marathon on TikTok shattered records with combined sales of 400 million baht from Oct 9-14.

Daily sales tallied around 557 million baht during the six-day event.

Her model combined performance-based charging, a fun and authentic presentation style, and collaboration with celebrities.

Massive discounts were offered to stimulate engagement among large audiences, encouraging spending and creating sales opportunities for smaller brands.

Kulthirath Pakawachkrilers, president of the Thai e-Commerce Association, told the Bangkok Post the “Janey live commerce phenomenon” was destined to happen, but it arrived later than in China.

Since 2021, live commerce has gradually evolved in Thailand. In China, this trend has been mainstream for 4-5 years.

Top-tier streamers such as Xinba and Li Jiaqi have long generated between 100-200 million yuan in a single session, reaching audiences of up to 99 million followers across platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou and Taobao Live.

“For Thailand, the adoption curve has been slower. Many brands were uncertain about the true power of live selling, until Ms Ratchanok demonstrated what's possible,” said Ms Kulthirath.

“Her record-breaking live-stream proved Thailand has officially entered the live commerce era.”