Singles Day Sales To Get Tremendous Lift From Livestream Events, As U.S. Retailers Play Catch-Up

A few months after Alibaba launched Taobao Live in 2016, husband-and-wife Mark Yuan and Zoe Zhang were approached by the Chinese e-commerce giant to test out the new livestreaming platform. Zhang, once a fashion designer, had built a large following in the fashion industry through her personal blog, while Yuan, a production manager, had taken up lifestyle blogging. They amassed more than a quarter-million followers across social media platforms, and Alibaba was looking for influencers with a global reach. The Chinese couple, based in New York City, was asked to showcase via Taobao Live a $43 million townhouse on the Upper East Side. They had more than 110,000 people tune in to their first livestreaming event, where they strolled the multilevel building and pointed to key features and tested amenities. Afterward, they received 43 inquires from Chinese consumers who were interested in learning more about the home. Read more at CNBC.