Livestreaming E-commerce in the fashion industry in China

Abstract

Since 2016, Livestreaming has become one of the most dynamic developments in China’s digital economy. Statistics show steady growth in both user base and consumer spending. E-commerce has emerged as the most-watched content category, with fashion as the leading product segment. This highlights the particular importance of livestreaming for the fashion industry. Despite its rapid growth and rising consumer spending, livestreaming e-commerce presents both significant potentials and critical challenges for fashion brands. This master thesis addresses the gap in existing research, which has often examined isolated aspects such as consumer behavior or KOL influencer marketing but lacks a comprehensive view of strategic marketing approaches. The main research questions focus on identifying the potentials and challenges of livestreaming e-commerce in the fashion industry and examine which marketing strategies characterize successful brands. The research employs a qualitative approach, combining a systematic literature review with semistructured expert interviews conducted in China and online. The data was analyzed using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis, integrating both deductive and inductive categories. The findings reveal that livestreaming provides significant potentials for fashion brands, which include brand exposure, high revenue opportunities and a well-developed ecosystem covering the entire supply chain starting from the product development to selling the products through livestreams. At the same time, the study identifies challenges that occur on different levels: general market dynamics, brand-specific challenges, livestreamer-specific challenges and challenges arising during the livestream itself. Importantly, livestreaming is most effective when integrated into the overall marketing strategy and success depends on aligning platform dynamics, consumer expectations and brand positioning. From a theoretical perspective, this thesis contributes by integrating existing research into a structured framework for livestream e-commerce in the fashion industry. From a practical perspective, it provides fashion brands with concrete insights into livestreaming practices, offering guidance on how to initiate or optimize strategies in the Chinese market.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Johannes Kepler University Linz
Supervisor	Johann Höller (Supervisor)