Over 60% of Vietnamese Consumers Shop Weekly in Live Streams, Brand Official Accounts Emerge as Key Touchpoint

[Ebrun Original] May 11th news, market research firm QandMe recently released the "Vietnam Live Commerce Popularity Report," indicating that live-streaming e-commerce in the Vietnamese market has evolved from a supplementary sales method for traditional e-commerce into a crucial infrastructure for online consumption. The report reveals that approximately 67% of the total online spending by surveyed consumers now occurs in live-streaming shopping scenarios, signifying that the live-streaming channel is becoming a core component of Vietnam's e-commerce ecosystem.

In terms of category performance, fashion, beauty, and personal care products are the top three most favored product categories among Vietnamese consumers in live-streaming rooms. This reflects the natural suitability of live-streaming e-commerce for products that are highly visual and interactive. Compared to traditional image-and-text product pages, live streams can further enhance consumers' understanding and trust in products through real-time demonstrations, trial explanations, and instant interaction.

The report shows that brand official accounts are becoming the most important traffic entry point and transaction channel within Vietnam's live-streaming e-commerce system. Among the respondents, about half of the consumers stated they prefer shopping in brand live-streaming rooms with official verification. This proportion is nearly double the number of consumers who enter live streams through recommendations by KOLs or celebrities, and five times that of those who enter via recommendations from ordinary sellers. Compared to relying on influencers for sales, an increasing number of consumers are beginning to view "official authenticity" as a crucial guarantee in their purchasing decisions.

Simultaneously, the live-streaming shopping behavior of Vietnamese consumers does not entirely exhibit characteristics of "impulse buying." Data shows that 47% of users are still in the product consideration stage when entering a live stream, without a clear purchase plan. The key factors that ultimately drive transactions lie in the combined effect of price, promotional timing, and the appeal of the live-stream content for instant conversion. In contrast, typical impulse-driven live-stream shoppers account for only about 13%.

Among the factors influencing purchase decisions, price and promotional activities still dominate, accounting for as high as 82%. However, the greatest differentiating advantage of live-streaming compared to traditional e-commerce platforms lies in interactivity and product presentation capabilities. Specifically, 59% of consumers believe that real-time interaction in live-streams enhances purchase trust, while 53% of consumers acknowledge the host's ability to explain products instantly. This dynamic presentation method, compared to traditional static product pages, is more effective in shortening consumers' decision-making paths.

The report further outlines six core motivations driving Vietnamese consumers to shop via live-streams. 56% of consumers stated they choose to place orders because prices in live-streams are more competitive; 43% of consumers are influenced by live-stream-exclusive coupons, limited-time discounts, and scarcity marketing, thereby accelerating their purchase decisions. Additionally, platform algorithm recommendation capabilities are becoming a significant variable in driving live-stream transactions. Approximately 44% of respondents indicated that content distribution algorithms can push relevant products to target users at the right time, stimulating purchase interest.

Another 31% of consumers believe that hosts, through physical product displays and on-site demonstrations, can effectively address issues that static images fail to convey. Notably, while KOL marketing still holds influence, its importance is showing a weakening trend. Only 24% of consumers consider KOL credibility to play a significant role in purchase decisions, whereas 23% of consumers place greater value on the role of brand official accounts in building trust and driving transactions. This suggests that brand-owned live-streaming systems are gradually replacing the previous live-stream business model that heavily relied on influencer traffic.

QandMe points out that live-streaming has become the primary shopping method for some Vietnamese consumers. The report shows that 60% of respondents shop online via live-streams every week, with viewing times concentrated mainly in the evening at home, accounting for about 30% of the total. In this context, the research institution advises brands to re-evaluate the strategic positioning of live-stream e-commerce. Since over half of consumers enter live-streams with the core goal of finding the "lowest price," brands must provide exclusive offers for the live-stream channel that differ from those on traditional e-commerce platforms and offline retail systems; otherwise, live-streaming will lose its core appeal.

However, the report also emphasizes that relying solely on low-price competition is insufficient to drive transactions in the long term. The most common consumer journey currently remains: users first develop a potential need, then are stimulated to convert during the live-stream by offers, limited-time mechanisms, and instant content. Therefore, companies need to continuously nurture demand before the live-stream and further strengthen user stickiness and brand trust through stable live-stream scheduling, official verification, and exclusive benefit systems.

QandMe believes that for industries such as FMCG, consumer electronics, and fashion, establishing a brand-owned live-streaming system is becoming a more valuable long-term business strategy than simply relying on top influencers. As consumer awareness of "official authenticity" continues to strengthen, brand live-streaming rooms may occupy an even more central position in Vietnam's e-commerce market in the future.

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