Lazada Cross-Border Sellers Livestream Their Way to Success

From her home in Nanning, China, Pinnapa Chokhiew often introduces and promotes new products via LazLive to shoppers in Thailand. Chokhiew, who was born and raised in Thailand but studied in China, has been selling different products between the two countries since 2019, when the pandemic gave her the opportunity to start her own business on Lazada. Despite being a first-time seller, Chokhiew has established a strong following, thanks in large part to her use of livestreaming to reach cross-border consumers.

Livestreaming took root in China in 2016 and has since become a popular feature for boosting the sales of merchants and brands. The interactive video tool has also gradually become an important tool for sellers looking to tap into the Southeast Asia market.

“I started to explore how I could grow my business and leverage livestreaming to better reach my customers,” Chokhiew explained. “However, it’s not easy. You must research your target audience and know how your sales during a livestream will be influenced by their gender, age and so forth. Several months ago, I joined a livestream contest held by Lazada and learned a lot through the process. Lazada provided both inexperienced sellers and veteran livestreamers with training on various aspects of livestreaming, from applying for a livestream qualification, uploading your livestream products to methodically managing livestream operations.”

With this support from Lazada as well as her persistence and effort, Chokhiew has managed to grow a stable audience base on LazLive and has developed a team to help with her livestream operations.

Wing Li is another Nanning-based cross-border seller who has found success with livestreaming on Lazada. After graduating with a finance degree from Xiamen University, she kick-started her career in international trade by selling tapioca-modified starch from China to overseas countries. At first, she focused on European markets but shifted to Southeast Asia in 2015 after recognizing the potential of this fast-growing region.

Knowing that tapioca is a popular food in Southeast Asia, Li and her team decided to build up their livestreaming capabilities via LazLive to differentiate their products from other sellers. In 2022, Li introduced luosifen to Southeast Asian audiences via LazLive. Usually made with rice flour, luosifen is a Chinese noodle soup from Guangxi that has gained popularity in recent years, especially among Chinese Gen Zers. Using tapioca-modified starch, Li’s company, Guangxi State Farms Group, came up with a version of the noodles that could be cooked by just adding boiling water. The product has become a big success, especially among livestream audiences.

“In one of our livestreams, we gained 3,000 views, which was really a surprise,” Li recalled. “Via LazLive, we broadened our sales channels for the product and gained more Southeast Asian corporate partners. I trust Lazada, as the platform has invested significantly in teaching sellers like us to leverage livestreams and analyze the data afterward with tools within the dashboard,” Li said, adding that she plans to impart this knowledge to the rest of her team and train them so they can also conduct livestreams.

“Livestreams allow sellers behind the camera to shine,” Chokhiew added. “In the future, I hope to be able to connect with more of my Thai and Chinese consumers through interactive livestreaming features, introduce more great products to them and share my experience with them.”