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上海稳居直播流量之首 - 2025年11月25日
Shanghai secures its standing at top of livestreaming totem
Hosts of Shanghai Onair Studio promote dairy products from New Zealand via livestreaming during the China International Import Expo in Shanghai earlier this month.
Zhu Yiwen, better known online as "Wangwang", has been hailed by netizens as a model of how ordinary people can reach the peak of the livestreaming industry.
With 860,000 followers on lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, she started in the industry in February 2019 by joining Meione (Shanghai) Network Technology Co.
On Aug 18 the same year, Wangwang became an assistant to top livestreamer Li Jiaqi. She gradually, and literally, moved into the frame, first showing a shoulder, then taking over the livestream for a few seconds, and eventually, a few minutes.
On Nov 1, 2020, when Li had to step away from the livestream for more than 20 minutes Wangwang had to take over. It was her first time hosting on her own, and to her surprise, the session went well. That moment gave her confidence, and today, at 29, she is one of Meione's front-line livestreaming hosts.
On Oct 15, Wangwang joined the hectic annual Singles Day shopping festival, streaming for seven to eight hours a day, compared with her usual four to five hours.
Shanghai's booming e-commerce economy is inspiring many young people to pursue careers as livestream hosts.
Zhang Ying, known as Niannian, is 26 and originally from Anhui province. She began her livestreaming career at the end of 2021 after graduating from a university in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, and has now been in the industry for nearly four years.
Niannian started in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, covering the computer, communication and consumer electronics sector, then moved on to beauty products and women's fashion.
In September 2024, Niannian joined the Shanghai-based company Baozun, an e-commerce service provider for brands. Unlike many other young people, her day often begins as early as 4 am.
"A typical livestreaming day has a morning, noon, and evening session, and I mainly handle the morning slot. We arrive at the studio just after 6 am to prepare products, plan outfits, and arrange the display order before going live at 7 am. My session usually ends around noon, followed by a team meeting to review the broadcast," Niannian said.
Afternoons are her free time. She often goes shopping with friends to discover the latest products and trends, and has recently started taking Pilates classes to stay active and maintain a lighter posture. She typically goes to bed between 8 pm and 9 pm.
Hosts from the studio sell vegetables during the expo.
Early adopter
Beyond the efforts of individual livestreamers, Shanghai has been working hard to create a favorable environment for the industry.
"The rapid growth of Shanghai's livestreaming industry reflects the strong momentum of advanced productivity in the digital economy era," Yuan Zhongyu, an official with the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce told the Shanghai Observer.
According to the commission, livestreaming retail sales in the city reached about 493.7 billion yuan ($69.48 billion) in 2024, up 12.9 percent year-on-year, and ranked first among Chinese cities.
Thanks to Shanghai's accelerated development in digital consumption, the city's e-commerce transactions grew 12.7 percent year-on-year to exceed 3.27 trillion yuan during the first nine months of this year. This included 369 billion yuan from the livestreaming sector, which surged 23.6 percent from the previous year, said Hua Yuan, secretary-general of the Shanghai municipal government, at a recent news conference ahead of the China International Import Expo.
Shanghai was the first city in the country to introduce dedicated policies to promote the high-quality development of the livestreaming economy.
Last year, the city issued a three-year action plan for the high-quality development of the livestreaming economy between 2024 and 2026, aiming to become a globally influential hub for livestreaming commerce by 2026, with retail sales in the sector targeting 600 billion yuan.
The plan calls for expanding the scale of all types of participants in the livestreaming economy, establishing 10 leading platforms with national and international competitiveness, and nurturing a group of large, influential MCN (multi-channel network) agencies to support top-tier livestreaming hosts.
Shanghai's livestreaming e-commerce stands out for its emphasis on quality and strong brand advantage.
Under top-level planning and policy guidance, the city has formed four livestreaming economy clusters and established 20 distinctive municipal-level livestreaming e-commerce bases, Yuan said.
Wei Yinghui, partner and deputy general manager of Meione, said the action plan provides a clear blueprint for the industry and offers strong policy support for livestreaming e-commerce companies.
"For example, the plan explicitly includes livestreaming e-commerce in the scope of high-tech enterprise recognition, offering eligible companies tax reductions and targeted funding. These direct financial and fiscal incentives can significantly ease the cost pressures of technology development and content innovation, giving companies the confidence to experiment and innovate."
Wei said that by strengthening standards and regulating the industry, the plan helps create a healthier and fairer market environment, allowing competition to focus on quality, service, and innovation.
Su Quan, chief operating officer of Baozun Location, the livestreaming division of Baozun, said the Shanghai municipal government has clearly called for accelerating the development of the industry ecosystem, strengthening key players, optimizing comprehensive services, and reinforcing leading livestreaming platforms. This creates a favorable policy environment and space for top-tier companies like Baozun to grow.
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Shanghai's Jing'an district, Baozun operates across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. As of the end of 2024, the company had served more than 490 global brands.
Saleswomen detail the merits of automobiles at the 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition on April 24.
Major opportunities
Shanghai Oriental-pearl Intelligent Shopping operates a livestreaming base in Shanghai's Yangpu district, equipped with four professional broadcast studios and 10 livestreaming studios. Beyond its flagship location, the company also runs eight studios across the city under the "Shanghai Onair Studio" IP.
"We see three major opportunities: first, policy support has created a favorable environment for industry growth; second, Shanghai, as an international consumption center, offers huge market potential; and third, technological innovation provides new possibilities for upgrading the livestreaming business model," said Li Huirong, president of the company.
"Our current target is to triple the scale of our own brands in 2026, which is projected to surpass 50 million yuan this year," she added.
In the first eight months of this year, the company conducted 3,539 livestreaming activities, attracting 34.93 million viewers.
Lao Guoling, director of the e-commerce research center with Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said achieving a 600-billion-yuan livestreaming economy by 2026 was a reasonable target. "From my point of view, it is even a bit of a conservative goal," Lao said.
The city's livestreaming e-commerce retail revenue reached 437.1 billion yuan in 2023 and jumped to 493.7 billion yuan in 2024. With an annual growth rate of 12.9 percent, the figure is projected to reach 557.4 billion yuan in 2025 and further expand to 629.2 billion yuan in 2026, Lao said.
The livestreaming retail sector grew by 23.6 percent between January and September this year, an even more impressive rate, she added.
The early rise of livestreaming e-commerce was driven by strong technological capabilities, from digital livestreaming technologies to the application of artificial intelligence in livestreaming studios, Lao said. While digital innovation empowers the industry, proper regulation and oversight are equally essential to preventing the disorderly competition seen in the past.
"The goal is to address key bottlenecks along the industry chain and ensure its sustainable development," Lao added.
Wang Mengyu, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Livestreaming E-commerce Alliance, said, "Shanghai ranks first in the country in livestreaming e-commerce transaction volume, thanks to its many leading livestreaming platforms and a large number of well-known domestic and international brands."
The concentration of resources helps the city's brand livestreaming grow faster, she added.
"In addition, Shanghai hosts numerous consumer festivals, such as the China International Import Expo, the Double Five Shopping Festival and Shanghai Summer, creating a strong culture of consumption," Wang noted.
Compared with other cities strong in livestreaming e-commerce, such as Hangzhou and Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Shanghai still faces disadvantages in supply chain resources and industrial clustering. "In other words, its local production capacity remains relatively limited," she said.
"Moreover, Shanghai's livestreaming bases are more scattered and smaller in scale than those in other cities, largely due to higher operating costs. While livestreaming bases in Hangzhou or Guangzhou can span tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of square meters, those in Shanghai tend to follow a small but refined model, focusing on distinctive and specialized development."
Talent cultivation
Over the next three to five years, Baozun plans to continue deepening its investment in livestreaming e-commerce, with a focus on cultivating professional talent and creating innovative content, said Su, the chief operating officer of Baozun Location.
"We plan to develop top livestreaming talent for the industry through in-store livestreams and by nurturing local influencers, and expect to train nearly 100 professionals each year. At the same time, we are exploring content innovation, such as cinematic-style livestreams and sessions hosted by everyday users, to better convey brand value and build emotional connections with consumers.
"In terms of trends, content-driven sales will become mainstream. Users no longer just want product demonstrations and promotional pitches; they seek professional knowledge, lifestyle tips, and cultural content. Livestreaming e-commerce will increasingly integrate culture, entertainment, and education," Su said.
Li of Shanghai Oriental-pearl Intelligent Shopping said the livestreaming industry faces intense competition, "but we believe the key is to find a differentiated path for development".
"The current challenges mainly include the pressure to continuously innovate content and produce high-quality material, as well as the rapid pace of technological iteration, which requires ongoing investment in research and development," Li added.
Wei of Meione said: "With rapid technological advances and growing livestreaming e-commerce adoption, the sector has vast market potential and strong growth prospects. Content innovation and technology integration will drive the next phase of industry development."
Livestreaming will become an important way for people to access information, enjoy entertainment, and socialize, turning shopping into a deeply digital lifestyle experience, Wei said.
Despite the rosy outlook for the livestreaming economy, experts also noted fierce market competition may create problems.
"Livestreaming e-commerce sometimes faces a crisis of trust. For instance, when a host becomes embroiled in public controversy, consumers may doubt the authenticity or quality of the products they promote. Such trust issues pose a direct threat to the industry's sustainable growth," Lao said.
Wang from the Shanghai Livestreaming E-commerce Alliance said Shanghai is still at the forefront of the livestreaming economy, and its scale is the largest in the country.
"Since the release of Shanghai's three-year action plan, other provinces and cities have launched similar initiatives, looking to learn from Shanghai," she said.
"In other words, in building a national hub for livestreaming e-commerce, Shanghai is playing a leading and exemplary role," she added.
Lao said: "Behind the livestreaming economy lies the entire value chain. Livestreaming e-commerce is not just about the person on camera. … As traditional industries undergo transformation and upgrades, the livestreaming economy has also opened up a wide range of new job opportunities."
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in July 2024 released information on new occupations and job types, including online hosts, livestreaming recruitment specialists, lifestyle experience assistants, and user growth operators — all closely linked to the livestreaming sector.
Chinese livestreaming and short video-sharing platform Kuaishou had created 43.2 million jobs and spawned 174 new occupations as of the end of 2024, according to public information.
Source: China Daily
