During Natori’s Oct. 22 livestreaming event with stylist Engie Hassan, shoppers could chat and ask questions in real time.

Livestreaming to connect with new customers

Hassan has 159,000 followers on her Instagram account, EngieStyle, and has tagged Natori on various posts where her clients are wearing the brand’s items among other designers. 

Live shopping isn’t a go-to option for U.S. consumers. But that’s starting to change, according to the Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate Insights post-holiday survey of 1,023 online shoppers in January 2023. 9% of surveyed holiday shoppers watched livestreaming of products. And 4% of respondents said they’d like more livestreaming from retailers in 2023 to lead them to buy more online.

The next phase for Natori is to simulcast live on its own website and via Instagram Live and Facebook Live, he says. This is particularly helpful when appealing to younger shoppers, Natori says.

“These last couple of months have been about getting the technology right and figuring out execution,” he says. “Once that’s more of a smooth running ship, we are certainly going to try to promote it more.”

The retailer wants to expand its brand from its sleepwear, bras and underwear to become an East-meets-West lifestyle brand, Ken Natori says. Influencers are tasked with getting the word out, he says.

“Whether it’s Josie, myself, our employees, or influencers doing livestreams, we’re trying to evolve into more categories,” Natori says. “People don’t know about our men’s loungewear, décor, bedding or footwear.”

Natori launched its Holiday Gift Picks livestream on Dec. 8 featuring Josie Natori.

“It was the best show since launch in terms of sessions and [online] revenue,” he says. “It also had the highest conversion rates.”

The brand plans to feature some of its newer categories, such as footwear, on Jan. 12 and a fine jewelry livestream on Jan. 26.