Pinduoduo Rumored to Launch Live Streaming Feature

According to 36Kr, Shanghai-based e-commerce giant Pinduoduo is exploring adding a live function to their platform to augment the social nature of their business model. However, Pinduoduo has denied all the reports claiming it is launching a live streaming feature. Pinduoduo has pioneered a group buying model to incentivize greater purchase volume in exchange for significant discounts, and a live streaming function will add to the sense of community that has catapulted the company to the upper echelons of Chinese tech companies.

Additional information has been gathered from some Pinduoduo job ads. On Lagou.com, it shows that Pinduoduo is hiring a “live streaming celebrity manager” and a “creative video manager” which suggests a foray into live streaming. Meanwhile, this move would counter Pinduoduo rival, Alibaba’s Taobao, who have shown the power of integrating live streaming into e-commerce.

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In 2018, Taobao’s live streaming stores generated a turnover of 100 billion yuan with a 65% conversion rate. Despite denial from the company, sources told 36Kr that the live streaming showrooms are currently being tested internally with merchants on the platform, and following successful iteration, will be released to users on the platform. Rumors circulating that the live streaming function will be embedded within Pinduoduo’s app, and not be a standalone application.

Other live streaming e-commerce crossovers have already been rolled out on platforms including Douyin and Kuaishou.