U.S. Live Commerce Gains Traction, TikTok Shop and Whatnot Drive Industry Expansion

According to foreign media reports, the U.S. live streaming shopping industry will continue to expand in scale in 2026. eMarketer forecasts that its full-year sales will approach $20 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 35%. This consumption model, which originated in China, is rapidly gaining popularity driven by platforms such as TikTok and Whatnot.

Beachwaver, a hair styling tool brand, hosts hundreds of live commerce sessions every year. Since the start of 2026, its cumulative sales on TikTok Shop have reached $1 million, with a quarter of that coming from live streaming scenarios. In late July, during a 4-hour TikTok live session, Beachwaver generated $8,000 in sales through limited-edition product auctions, product demonstrations, interactive giveaways and other formats. Sarah Potempa, the brand's founder, revealed that live streaming on digital platforms does not require adherence to fixed time slots, giving merchants greater control over revenue.

Traditional home shopping brand QVC, which has just completed bankruptcy restructuring, is now shifting its business focus to digitalization, with a total of more than 200 hours of live streaming per week across seven TikTok accounts. Patrick Nommensen, President of Strategic Business for TikTok Shop U.S., revealed that these traditional retail brands have instead become some of the best-performing merchants on the platform.

As a pioneer in live commerce, the Chinese market launched Taobao Live as early as 2016, with the industry scale exceeding $500 billion within five years, and is expected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2026. Live streaming features have been deeply embedded in various super apps, combining entertainment, interaction and product recommendation attributes. Neil Saunders, Managing Director at Globaldata, pointed out that U.S. consumers previously relied more on physical stores for consumption experiences, but now younger demographics are gradually turning to live streaming channels to discover products, and market preferences are changing.

TikTok Shop was officially launched in 2023. Platform-disclosed data shows that live shopping sales in the first half of 2026 doubled compared to the same period in 2025, while the number of live sessions increased by more than 60% year-over-year, and total live streaming duration rose by over 80%. The platform also launched a live auction function this year.

Whatnot, a live commerce platform founded in 2019, has a latest valuation of $20 billion, doubling from its valuation in October 2025, and ranks 8th on the 2026 Disruptor 50 list. The platform's global GMV reached $8 billion in 2025, with most of the transaction volume coming from the U.S. market. Its core business is real-time auctions, covering multiple categories such as designer toys, collectible cards, sneakers and apparel, with a focus on community operation. Armand Wilson, Chief Revenue Officer of Whatnot, revealed that the platform initially focused solely on collectible categories, but now can meet the needs of most consumers, and live shopping is moving into the mainstream.

Merchants operating on both platforms revealed that sales from a single TikTok live session can exceed six figures, and many brands have not yet realized the growth potential of live streaming channels.

Traditional e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Walmart and eBay have all launched their own live shopping functions, but these platforms are not inherently video-oriented. Industry insiders who previously led eBay's live streaming business revealed that traditional platforms have inherent advantages in accumulated user trust, but also face structural obstacles in transitioning to a content-first model.

This article was first published on the official website of Ebrun.