Livestream and short videos "dominate" e-commerce platforms

In the first half of 2025 alone, Vietnam’s e-commerce reached more than VND222 trillion in transactions, with a strong breakthrough in livestreaming and short videos. The “watch and buy” behavior is rapidly becoming popular, making content commerce a mainstream trend in the online retail market.

Online retail accelerates with the livestream wave

Vietnam's e-commerce entered 2025 with impressive growth figures, affirming its increasingly important role in the digital economy . A market research report from Vietdata shows that in just the first two quarters of the year, the total transaction value (GMV) on four major platforms including Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada and Tiki reached VND222,100 billion, an increase of 23% over the same period last year.

Meanwhile, by 2024, the total market size will exceed 25 billion USD, accounting for nearly 60% of the value of the digital economy.

E-commerce is growing strongly thanks to the wave of livestreaming and short videos .

While e-commerce platforms still play a key role in infrastructure, shifts in consumer behavior show that livestreaming and short videos are becoming growth drivers. According to McKinsey research, the conversion rate from livestreaming reaches 30%, 10 times higher than traditional e-commerce. This is the key point that makes direct sales via video explode.

On all platforms, TikTok Shop has emerged strongly, recording a GMV growth of up to 148% and accounting for 42% of Vietnam's e-commerce market share in the first half of 2025. From an entertainment platform, TikTok has quickly turned livestreams and short videos into effective sales channels. Many small retailers, even individual businesses, have taken advantage of TikTok Live to "close orders" for hundreds of products in just one broadcast.

At the same time, platforms like Shopee, Lazada or Tiki still ensure infrastructure roles such as payment, transportation, and warranty. The "content - transaction" relationship is taking shape, when short videos and livestreams create demand, and e-commerce platforms are where purchases are completed.

According to PaymentsCMI, Vietnam’s livestream commerce market could reach $11 billion by 2026, growing at an average of 11% per year. This figure shows that livestream is no longer “a new channel”, but is becoming the main sales method, reshaping the online retail market.

From entertainment videos to new retail channels

Not only TikTok, YouTube has also entered the game and is proving the power of the content-based commerce model. In October 2024, YouTube officially launched YouTube Shopping in Vietnam, making Vietnam the sixth country in the world to deploy this program.

In just one year of launching in Vietnam, YouTube Shopping has recorded remarkable progress. The time users spend on shopping-related videos has skyrocketed by more than 500%, demonstrating the growing appeal of commercial content on this platform.

In just one year, the number of people spending time shopping through short videos on YouTube Shopping has increased by more than 500%.

Not stopping there, YouTube is constantly expanding its tools, from Stickers on Shorts (attaching products right in short videos), Timestamps (locating products in each frame), to Chrome Extensions that help creators tag faster. All are aimed at optimizing the "view - news - purchase" journey within the same platform.

Along with Shopee and TikTok, the emergence of YouTube Shopping contributes to strengthening the trend of creative commerce. This is a model where content, technology and commerce intersect, creating new value for both sellers and consumers.

According to assessments, as Vietnam’s digital economy moves towards the 200 billion USD mark by 2030, creative commerce will become an indispensable piece. Short videos and livestreams are not just sales tools but a content economy where millions of creators become a direct bridge between brands and consumers.

With Vietnamese consumers changing the way they shop, and businesses and sellers forced to change their approach, economic experts expect that video commerce and livestreaming will not only be a temporary trend but will be the future of the digital retail market in Vietnam.

baotintuc.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/livestream-va-video-ngan-chiem-song-tren-san-thuong-mai-dien-tu-post881072.html