User:Connross/sandbox

Taobao

In 2018, Alibaba launched the livestreaming service named Alibaba Live. This service was created with the goal of allowing online retailers to market their products utilizing the online phenomenon called "social shopping"{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatsonweibo.com/from-tea-farmer-to-online-influencer-uncle-huang-and-chinas-rural-live-streamers/|title=From Tea Farmer to Online Influencer: Uncle Huang and China’s Rural Live Streamers|last=Koetse|first=Manya|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-24}}This has seen significant growth in popularity and success, with 84 stores using this service reporting $7.4 million in sales{{Cite web|url=http://www.ebrun.com/20190116/317150.shtml|title=淘宝2018直播带货：23家店铺成交额破亿-零售-亿邦动力网|website=www.ebrun.com|access-date=2020-04-24}}. Taobao also has stated that they predict live-streaming on their platform will generate over 500 billion sales transactions.{{Cite web|url=http://http/%3A%2F%2Ft.cj.sina.com.cn%2Farticles%2Fview%2F1771650130%2F69993c5202700e7fa|title=​数万个“万人迷”主播 老师、空姐、主持人都行 淘宝直播成名只要30|last=财经头条|website=http|access-date=2020-04-24}}

Alibaba has also started to promote a new style of live streaming on their platform, called cūnbō (村播), which features rural sellers. Taobao has even given them their own category in the app, with the purpose of making it easier for these rural sellers to find customers and followers on the platform.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abacusnews.com/digital-life/some-biggest-users-live-streaming-china-are-not-teenagers-theyre-farmers/article/3000346|title=Some of the biggest users of live streaming in China are not teenagers, they’re farmers|website=Abacus|access-date=2020-04-24}}

{{Reflist}}