China’s billion-dollar shopping obsession
Вставка
- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Livestream shopping in China is a multi-billion dollar industry, with a reported 425 million users as of July 2018. Some hosts feature well known luxury brands, but you can buy just about anything. Alice met up with a top livestream host in China, as well her biggest fan, to learn what makes this experience so addictive. Alice and Sophia also look into how the US is starting to catch on.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
‘QVC on steroids’: China sees the rise of web video commerce
digiday.com/ma...
July 2018 China Internet Development Report - China Internet Network Information Center
cac.gov.cn/wxb_...
Alibaba Group December Quarter 2018 Results
www.alibabagro...
CREDITS
Producers: Alice Yu, Sophia Li
Camera: Alice Yu, Siyi Chen
Editor: Will Colby
Assistant editor: Heying Chen
Supervising Producer: Allison Brown
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Ask why "WE" have obsession about China, if we deserve to laugh at China.
This is a pretty interesting (and kinda off-putting lmao) merge of influencer culture and telemarketing. It's such an old way of selling, just on a new platform.
Its the same like endorse and paid promote in the US. No biggie.
I thought this, too.
Hey, it's Lou, and some wild shit is going down in China.
all that needs to be said.
Hey, it’s Lou, and I not in this video.
Go watch CNN or Fox, they are better.
Kong Wee Peh I think that Beme is better at around 10 minute in depth videos on a certain topic.
I definitely see the potential for this to contribute to a toxic culture of consumerism, but at the same time, it's a really innovative method of advertising and marketing and seems to be a really good thing for the hosts. I can see myself watching these occasionally were this more prominent in the states; I feel like China is ahead of the curve on lots of technology like this in general.
~China is ahead, but Chinese people also care for such things. In Europe this wouldn't work. People prefer streaming vids when they have the time.
Damn those sellers seem really hyper. I can't even stand the US home shopping hosts, and these people are even more hyper!
APRICOT COLOR clothing. hype!!!
Even Billy Mays and Anthony Sullivan don't have that energy.
That's what intense competition creates for ya. People strive to be hyper and better at things.
Check out the best of the best; the Japanese home shopping hosts. They are way superior and they are in a class of their own.
They have to be if they're trying to maintain people's attention for as long as possible, especially since they are streaming for 6ish hours
It's been brilliant to see Beme pivot, grow and constantly create great films/docs. This was another example. Incredibly professional and really interesting! Amazing work :)
And to think and it all started as an idea in an creatives mans enthusiastic head.
@@TimTams_64 haha exactly - crazy to see how far it's come.
They've been interested in making doc-style videos with higher production value for a while. It's just much more expensive to do so, obviously. But, yeah, I like them, too!!
@Debasish Dutta Haha hello again!
Well put, I echo that.this is good journalism, they should be very proud (regardless of how we feel about consumer culture).
I used to live in China for 1,5 years and I can say what is told here are true. The amount of money circulating around shopping that Chinese spend is crazy. It is also due to the fact shopping experience is extremely convenient and the society has become more cashless. But, I feel like all of these materialism gives deeper sense of void within the society, distracted by quick gravitation. Sad but true..
Since China are developing faster within 40 years, they are rich and crazy rich which is insane. They opened up to the world around 1978, and its been 41 years. But look at that development.
@@samathatjoa It comes at a big costs, 10% of China living in Middle Class lives which great while 90% are living in 3rd world conditions. The amount of lung cancer patient in China each years are by MILLIONS and so many Chinese got off to work at another countries at cheap labors.
I have talked enough with Chinese to learn that 90% of Chinese can suffer if it makes China better, something that would never happen to the west. Not to mention since so many Chinese, they have little sympathy to others and would do anything for PROFITS.
@@CuongNguyen-le5ic Hm. If we are talking about polution that would eventually cause lung cancer, China has built world's biggest air purifier in Xian and some around big cities to fight polution and smog that is happening. You could find it on google though.
I dont know who are you talking to, but a lot of my friends in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Chongqing, they dont really talk about politics and fighting with other. But all of them are trying that really really hard to survive. I have China mainland friends and families that are nice, they have sympathy. Its not all about money or capitalism.
@@samathatjoa I know China is building a big air purifier simply because the amount of lung cancer patient increase so much.
However, there are still millions of lung cancer already from the result and MORE will get Lung Cancer before the environment get better after at least a DECADE or so.
Of course your friends are trying to survive, we all do. That's what people at bottom of society do. We have no choice but to survive while the rich profits from it. China will be way worse than US when it comes to income gap where 10% will be much much richer than 90% and will continue more.
It's all about the money, not every Chinese, but for majority of them simply because there are too many people in China that life is almost worth NOTHING.
@@CuongNguyen-le5ic But at least China is doing something about the lung cancer and polution? And even they agree that they have that problem. If you went to Beijing recently or these past 6 months, there are major improvement with the air around the city. The pollution is decreasing, and the sky started to have more blue again.
My friends are not at the bottom of the China society, nor on top. One of my friends has a freaking island. All of their fathers are used to be so poor in the countryside like Zhejiang and Jiangsu, but they are now live better every day. They have chain restaurants, and their kids all study abroad. But, they think they are not rich. Even a friend of mine who owned an island told me this when I asked her, "is your father rich?" she said this, "there are people richer than me in China. I am not going to show off around."
Sure you believe that you think China doesnt appreciate the people, but have you lived there? Experience living with all of them? China is not as bad as you think. Western media made you believe China is just the most sadist country ever. Sure. The same goes to China's media that potray America as bad as Western portray's of China. You should read their news report and articles in Chinese, not english.
So just more consumerism... great... cos we need more fast fashion in our dying world lol.
totally
This video just shows evidence that Beme has the skills and personalities to be a new rival of Vox and Refinery29. Keep growing guys!
I feel like China is always about 5 more years into Black Mirror than we are and we should pay attention
Good. Good story. Background, context, actual information. I felt like I got a window into a world I don't know (and will never). This was journalism. More of this.
Consumerism is so toxic. You can call it innovative but I think it’s just materialism just trying to make ur entire life being a whole advertisement. Hearing the lady saying, She watches the host everyday during her activities, being a super fan of a salesperson is insane.
Just what I thought as well.
Get used to it, those salesperson are just like those INSTAGRAM MODELS selling products while using their followers as custumers.
its a little ignorant to say it's toxic. These so called toxic interactions are the ones keeping the economy alive, even reaching to the US indirectly boosting the local economy there.
Lol .. it's same in the west too. Insta models are selling products too by telling their fan base to use their so called infamous "code". They are just saleperson too 🙄. Just because east does in a different way than west doesn't mean they aren't the same thing. Your mentality is disgusting
@@valconir1619 😂😂😂
Economy alive?
When the Fed is Private owned and your Country owes them $22 Trillion dollars and They print money out of air,which is backed by nothing
That's just a joke
The Fed owns you and the economy
I get so disgusted and dizzy by the thought that people are constantly buying new stuff just by impulse, and filling up the silence in their house with this hyper active host going through clothes.
P.S
Well documented Beam
@M R Not really, I find mainland Chinese cities to be so much more interesting than cities in the states, there's tons of things u can do other than shopping eating and watching movies
You need to know that China are just slowly transit from most of people are poor to have more middle class, people basically don’t have so many shit at home as developed countries, your ignorance disgusted me.
Its a bit ignorant for you to say that you're 'disgusted'. The Chinese are hardworking, disciplined people, they like to spend the money that they worked hard for. They know that the economy they're living in is stable and prospering. Therefore they don't need to save as much as an average westerner because they know they're not entering a recession anytime soon.
Debbie Kruizinga completely agree. Seems entirely gluttonous. Not ignorant at all. It isn’t above saving or not working hard for ur money. There’s that and then there’s massive scale, wide spread, over indulgent, content and compulsive shopping. No one said they had to be penny pinchers but the other end of the extreme spectrum (over-indulgence) is just as bad
It's not that different from the western consumerism culture tho. It easier to judge other groups because it directs the attention away from our own society, and people get to stay in their comfort zone longer.
This was so interesting! In every Beme video I always learn about something I had no idea about.
. Take it with a grand of salt.
China has found out how to get early hour television sellers onto livestream
Huh, so that's why Amazon is getting into live streaming. They saw TaoBao and wanted a piece of that action.
Excessive consumption tsk tsk, very bad for the environment.
GDOLCEVITA Each human in China produces less pollution than the US. Who is contributing more to "excessive consumption" here?
Uh huh... so? I still stand by my statement. It really is excessive consumption. This is not a matter of who makes more carbon footprint, it is about the amount of waste produced by any country. This still does not justify what China is doing. It's like you arguing that Americans smoke more than China but at the end of the day what's the point of your argument? Smoking is still bad and we should look for ways to reduce it, not to point fingers at which COUNTRY DOES THE WORST *rolls eyes*
even more so, bad for the heart of man.
Isn't there a bigger class issue going on here? Why is her biggest fan a working class woman in a small town? Too much glamorizing the rich and already privileged
The Grey Aria not really, the host is from low-mid level family and making her own money by herself . There are really rare so call high social class people in China, most of the rich are new rich. There is money gap but not really such serious class issues as the US.
this is not a class issue. the real class issue in china is that public education is starting to be ruined as already happened in the us.
If you get back to video, she was asked why follow. She answered 99% of the personality. The host is more likely entertaining and funny, who started as a working class. I don't see any social class here.
are you asking why average people like celebrities?
this is about the new Chinese middle class, and their understandable move into consumerism. hopefully, it's a phase they will pass through!
This reminds me of a Black Mirror episode
China reminds me of a lot of Black Mirror episodes... :'(
HAHAHA SO TRUE @@dickiewongtk
Wait, so it's like those Home Shopping TV channels.. except online?
The last time I watch those TV shopping channels I almost throw my TV out of the window, Annoying, boring and repetitive. This looks better.
Yeah you get thousands of channels to choose instead of a few TV channels, some of them will fit your taste.
@@0tzu well, imagine your favorite gamer/vlogger doing the same shit. I bet you would buying a ton of shit from them without even thinking about it
@@ForceOfWizardry Well, that's what a lot of beauty gurus do. Some of them just put out glamorized ads, praising products they got sent in PR (sometimes without even trying them). Still, in the end it is still your choice if you buy an item or not.
@@0tzu But is way worse. Once you see a show all the others are the same. They show an average of 1 piece of clothing every ten minutes. How much can you say about a shirt? And they will show 10 in a day.
Where real connection to a community fade, the company can produce a fake connection in a form of a product. This is sad.
How is that "fake" connection? It's just a new way to connect people.
Thanks for the insight, Mr. Zizek.
STC excuse me? how do people get connected by buying from a livestream?
reminds me of the book society of the spectacle.
I really like this channel it is fascinating to just see intimate lives of people in china. I like that we see that the host is a regular person who wished she could spend more time with her kids.
Love the direction of this channel 🙏🏼
I am absolutely terrified by all this!!!
omg I thought it's only me who feel that way! I'm scared of how our future will become!
Exactly...
Is this typical person who scared of the places they are not even at lol
terrified of?.... r u this weak to be terrified of live streaming X e-commerce? XD
why?
I don't even live in China and I'm always on Taobao, the videos are addicting, the prices are right, and the quality is great. And it's great to talk to sellers directly in Aliwangwang before purchasing.
Every time consumerism increases, the Earth suffers more.
Great video about China's e-commerce with a great natural host, please do more like these so we can learn about how China differs from the West!
anotha one, educating me on stuff I didn't know about.
It seems like such as waste of time, you could literally just look at a few photos or a quick video of the piece being worn.
This was well documented. I look forward to more videos from you guys!
the world is not developing in a good direction ..
All these people are buying more trash "fast" stuff , use once & throw to keep their weak mind running ...so our fishes, birds , tigers, bears ...can extinct earlier !
Would love for your channel to cover the impact of consumerism and fast fashion in China.
just wanted to say this was fascinating and like, so out of my wheelhouse but you managed to captivate my attention the whole time.
This was extremely informative and new than other videos. Most other videos are already covered by other channels, and beme is just late to the party. More original stuff like this, and you'll become the next vox
This is amazing research - THANK YOU BEME - YOU GUYS ROCK! 👊
Great video, BEME really has some high-quality documentation skills.
Now on to the topic of the video; I've known for quite a while that a future like this was coming, a future where purchasing would only be one click on a button supported by a well-connected platform. I just question if this is desirable. For what I've been able to see, apps like these make purchasing so easy that those who cannot afford it are more tempted to buy.
I also think that many people will be tempted to buy products from these online sellers to support them rather than out of the need for those products.
welcome to hell
I like capitalism. But I really despise consumerism. This is terrible.
mais enfin ! le consumérisme fait partie du capitalisme, comment peux tu aimer le capitalisme ? enfin... si tu viens du tiers monde c'est tout à fait normal d'y accorder crédit.
Capitalism lives from consumerism. If people stopped consuming, your boss wouldn't be able to pay your wage and the economy would crash.
I didn't get it. The boutique in NYC is selling to China via livestream? I just don't see how they can compete with delivery times and costs. Shipping from US to China vs China to China. Or since a lot of stuff they sell made in China anyway (I assume), they just show it on livestream but it ships (as well as made) from China?
Shopshop sells more to american brands I think. So in China, there is "daigou" product that are huge market. In wiki, daigou: an emerging form of cross-border exporting.
This was an amazing little documentary! Well done.
I see too many waste will be thrown out to these landfills and oceans.
these people dont care, it's sad
love the china content, beme! this was such an interesting industry to lean about
I am a proud subscriber! And this is why: it is fascinating, international, multicultural, and cutting edge. I loved how the presenter took us into spaces that are virtual and explained them. Please bring her back for more.
Thanks!
When I first went to Guangzhou malls, I get culture shocked of how everyone went with luggages and was fighting to buy clothes like you would buy fish at fish market. 😅 their consumerism is commendable and frightening at the same time.
This video is making me think. I guess I never realized just how deep consumerism has permeated Chinese society
i feel really anxious about this culture of non-stop buying useless stuff... but i saw lay zhang and just forgot what i was going to say lol but seriously, i can't see this through a positive perspective.
There is so much talk online and in the standard media about sustainability and responsible shopping, recycling, upcycling - I feel this is the complete opposite of that trend. Playing on consumers feelings of scarcity and then almost pushing them to purchase. Very interesting doc although I do not support live stream shopping!
All the clothes in that room and some still in bags...too overwhelming for me!
Fascinating honestly. People never run out of ideas of how to sell you something. Next it’ll be a team of robots sent via drone to give you personal fashion shows in your living room.
The consumerism is crazy in the world today, wow
And by that, they earn money
Iam feeling dizzy watching this video..
China growing waaay to fast - they need to chill!!
Shop till you drop. Literally me. Shopping more what my paycheck can afford. 😂😭
Great to see actual interviews rather than just a talking head
China always at the forefront. This is some interesting stuff
Very interesting video! And entire world i had no idea existed.
I watch livestreams quite a bit but all on twitch, so basically always games.
Wait. Only 57.7% of people use internet in China. That's a little shocking to me. I thought it would be at least about 70%. 57% is barely the majority.
Yeah but that’s already 900 million people...
gotta love the ebb and flow of economies. america's limelight's passing my dudes, bukker up bois.
This is honestly pretty neat... she's doing more than just live stream dress up, they're negotiating discounts for their viewers.
Thanks for enlightening us! The urgency (buy buy buy! now now now!) kinda scares me. They really suck you in.
it's all trash. Everyone's really busy about trash.
Yes!!!
@@carlamolina695 you wear trash on a daily basis then LOL
your clothes are all trash then LMAO
@@HH-xs2gm damn this really attacked you didn't it?
@@HH-xs2gm you can afford to buy second hand expensive or luxury goods by keeping your belongings minimalist. That way you are avoiding to support these horrid cycles of hyperproduction which keep people enslaved to misery.
so this is kinda like "The Shopping Channel" but online...
yeap, chat quick, answer quick, buy quick
I find it interesting the next video suggested to me is “China’s War on Waste”
subscribed✅ as someone who has always admired the easts sense of style, not knowing the language has been a huge barrier. But this channel is exactly what I needed. 👍🏽
this super relevant now, more than ever, to the retail industry
YES Beme. This is the kind of content I'm into.
Omg my mom have been listening to these videos where a lady was just yelling and promoting some kind of products or something.. and Im like why are watching that kind of videos ,its not like you can buy it (I thought it was prerecorded video like youtube😅) I thought that it was weird and now after watching this video I finally understand what she was watching... 😁😅😅
7:46 awww just cute!!!! Made me smile cause she reminded me of my daughter! 💕
12:30 Zhang Yixing!!!!!!!!! Xingmis unite asdfghjkl lmao
12:58 pikachu LMAO
As a central european I could have never imagined such thing as this. It was wierd, but somehow people really seem to enjoy it. Social media slowly but surly taking over our lifes :(
This reality is a bit sad, we do not need more stuff to feel happy, we need less way less of what we already have
its also not just about shopping, they are kinda addicted to watching it. even without buying anything
My oh my, what an awesome documentary beme! Keep the good work up!
This was very well done and informative. Thanks.
A lot of MLM sellers offload their stuff this way. They build up the hype and get people to buy thinking that it is their only chance. One of the only viable ways to sell MLM junk imo. It's really interesting seeing the hosts on taobao working with the suppliers to sell to consumers directly. The buying culture of China is very interesting in how they value material things amidst a communist government. On the other hand it is extremely alarming from an environmental perspective.
This is incredibly in depth! Great video
Love China and the Chinese. Amazing culture and very interesting people.
Is this amazing culture to you? Did you even watch the video?
Awesome video. Was cool to see the webcam turned sideways to film the videos vertically for the phone at 2:33
I'm pretty sure I've seen that host before in one of those UA-cam videos where they have tape on their face to make it slimmer and clay on their nose to make it look different + a million layers of makeup xD
Thanks BEME, I love this content
We are getting better and more efficient in wasting time every single day, I love it
The consumerism is insane
Amazing work on this docu !
It’s cyber Monday kinda thing. Don’t Americans have those too?? Lol
Yeah, it seem's that they're doing what people in the US do on Facebook and Instagram with there own business or those MLM business that mainly mothers with kids invest in doing. Just seems that in China it's more successful then here in the US because I've seen many MLM or entrepreneur business on FB and IG trying to make that kind of potential but end up doing closing sale livestreams because they can't meet there sale marks or any sales for months.
1:06 Okay, fascinating video.. Except you never mention *how* exactly the live streamers earn money.
Does Taobao pay a commission? Do they do all the buying and re-selling themselves? Are they paid for redirecting?
The latter, I believe. You can tell they're advertising for another store in the video and you can also see that they have a selection of clothes in their warehouse but never a full inventory to be selling themselves.
I actually was at a mall and I saw these two girls who were filming everything and talking really fast. I didn’t really get what they were doing until now
Why is every Chinese video so blurry? Or is it just me? Even vlogs from people in China are blurry than the usual
people don't realize how toxic fast fashion is, the materials, the chemicals, the dyes etc. And to throw articles of clothing away every year or sooner.
this is the fastest subtitles I have ever had to read
That is because the Chinese language itself is very unique. Each word or character you may say, has a lot of meaning in it. It's like saying 4 words could explain the whole story. And as communication is getting even more important and time efficiency is also a huge factor in this, people tends to shorten their sentences even further. It has something to say with this huge population, cuz everyone is influencing everyone. That is also very clear to languages that has a lot of native speakers versus languages that has less native speakers. English for example is also one of those languages that is significantly shorter than languages like Korean or Khmer. I don't know if that is true to all but, based on the languages that I am currently fluent (mandarin, Cantonese, Norwegian, Japanese and English) so far this seems to hold. Any Arabic or Indian speakers out there to confirm this?
Incredible and destructive at the same time. All those purchases are going to end in the trash bag before one year unbelievable.
love that warping effect on the lens
God, it's basically QVC hosted by Logan Paul...
They're going to revolutionize the home shopping ecosystem
🤔 now there’s an idea...
Damn Beme y’all been delivering interesting content lately.
fantastic doc ( her husbands nickname translated in chinese is “big fat”- in our culture this is considered a cute nickname not an offensive one)
telemarketing has been and is still big in the US. The Chinese just advanced to the latest technology, nothing out of the Ordinariat.
Great content thanks! Would you mind doing e-sports in China? Thank you.
11:50 when she said it just weird in America 😂😂
Well thats because American sells thots, not shoes and shirts 🤣
eehhhhh... I don't know how to feel about this. As someone who really likes the idea of minimalism and being very anti "fast-fashion", I just feel kind of indifferent about this.
Its a very interesting concept, but I don't think I will be too invested in watching live streams of shoppers. I rather have consumers who review the products right at the store page (like what Taobao has now) with pictures or video...because that kind of activity will take too much time and make me more materialistic.
Man America is so far behind on functionality of our technology... How much money companys could make reaching out to consumers that live in smaller rural areas..
I'm obsessed with home shopping networks, but I never buy anything. It's something about seeing other people with new stuff -- but this is actually the cool version of that. Brilliant video --- thanks for updating me on the future that's right now.