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Thailand: Line Shopping turns to entertainment
Line Shopping, an online shopping platform of Line app, is pivoting towards entertainment, shopper engagement and convenient commerce as part of its strategies to catch the wave of social commerce in Thailand.
The move is meant to support the platform’s social commerce ecosystem with fun chat and new shopping experiences through various features. Line Shopping has drawn 50,000 shops to its platform.
Lertad Supadhiloke, head of e-Commerce of Line Thailand, said the company targets to become the social commerce platform leader in Thailand in three years in terms of market share, up from top three at present.
Since the coronavirus outbreak erupted, 83% of internet users in Thailand have made online purchases and 71% of them have bought products via smartphones.
According to Line Thailand, 62% of online shoppers engage in social commerce. The social media channel saw a 45% successful rate of sales, compared with 3% through normal websites.
Line yesterday announced partnership with online influencer Sombatsara Teerasaroch, or Pa Tue, to create the “shop entertain” experience “Line shopping x Tues Live”, a combination of variety show and live commerce that offers a range of goods at affordable prices, along with guests that will entertain the audience.
The show will be aired on the platform every Tuesday from 10pm to midnight, starting Nov 10.
Mr Lertad said Line shopping has been operating for almost two years and it continues to evolve to respond to changing lifestyles of customers.
It has more than three million active users per month, he said, adding that despite impressive figures, “there is still room to grow in the future”.
So far this year, the platform has seen a 200% jump in the number of shoppers from last year with a 100% rise in sales value.
Launched early this year, MyShop feature offers ways for vendors and buyers to communicate.
Line Shopping’s strategy is geared towards the development of a platform that would accommodate all social commerce vendors in one place, which would respond to three key pillars of social commerce – entertainment, engagement and commerce.
Entertainment refers to fun content and engagement means a push to make shoppers interact with vendors at any time. Commerce refers to simple and fast online transactions.
According to Mr Lertad, Thai people like interacting with vendors, through chatting, asking questions and forming relationships.
More than 47 million Thai users are on Line app and this would be a boon for Line ecosystem.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2014127/line-shopping-turns-to-entertainment