Alibaba’s Taobao Live rolls out upgraded ‘live store’

Brands will be able to display their livestreams on their tailor-made homepages.

Alibaba Group-owned livestreaming platform Taobao Live is planning to roll out an upgraded “live store,” which integrates its livestream technology with brands’ e-commerce stores, the company announced in a press release.

With the live stores, brands will be able to display their streams prominently on their store homepage and can also tailor special experiences for different tiers of customers. For example, they can create invite-only VIP programs and interactive features and vouchers that only pop up for their loyalty-club members.

Taobao Live has also expressed plans to build 300 physical livestreaming centers, which will serve as workspaces and professional filming studios for influencers and merchants. It will also continue to train farmers and aspiring livestream hosts from rural regions through its 102 dedicated training facilities across the country.

Further, ahead of the 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, Alibaba is looking to upgrade its search algorithms and layout across its apps to boost the exposure of brand-produced livestreams throughout the entire user journey.

Brands’ original livestreams, as opposed to those created by influencers, have surged since 2019, as a rising number of brands have mastered the medium to connect with Chinese consumers, Alibaba said.

These brand-operated livestream accounts have since become amongst the top performers on Taobao Live, representing over half of the 1,000-plus livestreaming accounts that raked in $15.4m (RMB100m) in transactions in the 12 months ended 31 March.