Dive Brief:
- Social buying platform TalkShopLive announced an expanded partnership with Walmart, wherein it will launch eight livestreaming shopping experiences with the retailer, according to a company press release.
- The deal follows livestreaming shows during the holiday season, which included Rachael Ray, Drew Barrymore, Ree Drummond and IGN, that resulted in positive sales results, per the release.
- Walmart and TalkShopLive partnered last year where a video player was embedded on the retailer's website, MSN shopping tab and partner websites. Customers were then able to purchase products within the video.
Dive Insight:
Walmart is delving further into livestreaming and social commerce with an extended partnership with TalkShopLive.
"Walmart continues to be focused on meeting customers where they are while making it easier to shop," Casey Schlaybaugh, vice president of brand at Walmart, said in a December statement regarding TalkShopLive.
The retailer hosted the first shoppable livestream on Twitter in November as the retailer bridged commerce with social media for the holidays. For that effort, the retailer teamed with Jason Derulo to broadcast a half-hour variety show to promote products in categories like electronics, home goods, apparel and seasonal decor.
Walmart's new livestream shows with TalkShopLive began on Feb. 15 and will run through March 21, with programming featuring Black-founded brands, baby products and brands from women entrepreneurs.
Viewers are be able to interact with show hosts and make purchases within the video without having to click out of the livestream.
The partnership allows Walmart "to seamlessly integrate and drive distribution with publishers, creators and their suppliers — ultimately connecting the retail landscape to increase sales conversions, build customer loyalty, and create shopping experiences that everyone is talking about," TalkShopLive CEO and co-founder Bryan Moore said in a statement.
Livestream shopping, which saw increased engagement during the pandemic, is currently a multibillion-dollar market in China. Coresight Research expects it to be a $25 billion industry by 2023.
For grocers, livestreaming is picking up steam with some of them, including Albertsons, H-E-B and Hy-Vee.
