STRATEGY 企业策略 62 | JNA September/October 2024 Live selling continues to grow from strength to strength as a revenue stream for the jewellery trade, enabling manufacturers to increase sales while broadening their reach among today’s digitally savvy consumers. 直播带货这种 形式不断发展壮大，成为珠宝行业的主要收入来源之一，制造商借此增加销售， 并在现今通晓数字技术的消费客群中扩大影响力。 Engaging with new buyers: LIVE SELLERS 直播销售商吸引新买家 | Olivia Quiniquini 程爱莉, with reports from Sharon Kwok 郭芷雯 | Just a few years ago, the taking of pictures and videos was prohibited at most jewellery trade fairs. These days, the then-ubiquitous “No Pictures” card on display windows has been replaced in many instances by "Welcome Live" signs, signaling a marked change in the gem and jewellery industry as the trade increasingly embraces livestreaming as a new sales channel. Live sellers once used to ply their craft at shows standing next to display counters, showcasing their latest finds to their followers on their mobile phones. Fast forward to 2024 and many jewellery companies allocate tables within their booths for live sellers, serving them tray upon tray of their products, which these buyers describe animatedly to their audience on tripod-held mobile devices backed by ring lights. This shift in approach and acceptance of the live sales business model has its roots in the Covid years when consumers confined to their homes went online to make purchases. And this strategy, born largely out of necessity, has turned into a lucrative business opportunity for jewellery players big and small. Channel evolution KGK Group began exploring live selling and livestreaming as a sales channel during the pandemic, a time when the influencer business and live commerce market experienced significant growth globally. According to KGK Group Vice Chairman Sanjay Kothari, this new sales channel allowed the company to adapt to changing consumer behaviours, where more people were shopping online and seeking interactive, real-time shopping experiences. The live selling business of Vithal Trading pre-dated the pandemic. Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the jewellery manufacturer was already entertaining livestreamers in its office who would sell to their followers on WeChat and other Chinese social media platforms, according to Chetan Kumar Palriwala, director of Vithal Trading Co Ltd in Japan. Many live sellers would also attend Vithal Trading’s monthly livestreaming events in its Japan office. When Covid lockdowns hit, the company tapped local live sellers, mostly Filipinos based in Japan.
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