The Content Commerce Revolution: How Zara and US Retailers Are Evolving Livestream Shopping and Beyond

Innovation in the retail space has been greatly accelerated by the rise of digital technologies, though as Mark Twain said, "there's no such thing as a new idea." While livestream shopping channels may echo the 1980s Home Shopping Network era, today’s content-driven approach provides a unique shopping experience that allows brands to create new interactions that meet consumers where they are, stimulating greater engagement. And it’s catching on with U.S. consumers, with nearly half saying they’ve tuned in or purchased from such an event over the past year.
Competition for consumer attention has never been greater. Finding ways of engaging with audiences across the multitude of platforms and devices in regular use is key for retailers that want to drive success in 2025 and beyond.
Spanish-owned fashion brand Zara has completed successful tests of livestream shopping formats in China, creating new shoppable experiences and helping the brand stand out in a rivalrous space. Events that feature models wearing clothes and accessories where viewers can comment, ask questions, and purchase products directly have led to strong sales and seen 800,000 Chinese consumers tuning in. Zara is hopeful to replicate this success in the U.S. and other markets too.
How Livestream Shopping Plays Into Wider Retail Trends
These live shopping events form part of a wider trend in retail: content commerce. Characterized by the blending of content marketing with commerce, this phenomenon is a highly effective way of compressing the sales funnel. Retailers can directly connect with consumers, show them their products, and give them the chance to buy — all within a single piece of creative.
Retailers that understand the strategic value of content commerce can create experiences that do more than showcase products — they integrate storytelling and instant purchasing, redefining the bounds of possibility. To take just one example, Walmart's Add to Heart series of shoppable commercials ran across TikTok, YouTube, and Roku during the 2023 holiday season. In addition to engaging audiences with compelling storylines, viewers had the opportunity to purchase there and then without the risk of getting lost somewhere between the ad and checkout.
How TikTok Led the Way in Connecting Content and Commerce
Content commerce revolves around two critical principles that drive conversion: creating compelling creative content that engages the consumer and reducing the gap between inspiration and purchase, enabling consumers to act on impulse across various digital touchpoints. TikTok has been a key driver of the success of content commerce, setting the stage for real-time, interactive shopping experiences, fostering greater levels of engagement between brands and audiences.
The interactive features of TikTok — swiping, commenting, liking and sharing — mean that watching video content on the platform is an active experience rather than passive. Purchasing through TikTok Shop requires just a couple of taps, and users can add multiple products from different videos to the same basket and check out all at once.
While the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, it's one of the platforms where the livestream shopping revolution is already taking place, setting consumer behavior. However, retailers that want to tap into this content commerce can’t just think about these showpiece events. They need to consider their omnichannel strategy, how they connect with consumers across the entire digital ecosystem where audiences are active — whether on the open web, social channels, CTV as well as their owned properties such as websites and apps.
Consumer expectations of where and how products can be bought have shifted. Retailers can't expect customers to come to them; they need to make themselves available anywhere the customer may be — and at any time. Sales strategies for 2025 must adjust accordingly; off-platform experiences are what consumers crave, so the ultimate objective should be to make every piece of content shoppable.
Tapping Into the 'Always Shopping' Mindset is Key to an Effective Content Commerce Strategy
While the idea is based on a highly successful 20th century model, a modern makeover has helped livestream shopping events to gain traction in the U.S., with broad appeal across generations. While they may not yet have the same levels of interest here as they do in China, these events are another strong example of how brands leverage video content on social channels to connect with consumers and enable purchases at the point of inspiration.
U.S. retailers should be looking to create shoppable content at every touchpoint. Interactive experiences that demand audience attentiveness no matter the digital environment and enable seamless purchasing are the key, whether in online ads, social channels or premium video environments such as CTV. The modern-day consumer has an "always shopping" mindset, and by creating ongoing shopping experiences as part of a multiplatform content commerce strategy, retailers that cater to this can build the foundations for a successful 2025.
Nick Morgan is the CEO and founder of Vudoo, a Melbourne, Australia-based adtech startup.
Related story: Gen Z Might Be the E-Commerce Trendsetters, But Retailers Must Cater for All Customers

As an entrepreneur and technology professional, Nick has over 15 years experience in digital marketing services, and was an early adopter and champion for eCommerce in the early 2000s. From his extensive experience delivering digital transformation across public and private sectors ( Tefal, Invictus Games, Leica), Nick has channelled his knowledge into developing Vudoo as an enterprise product with global application.