The market research firm Coresight Research is bullish on it taking off, predicting the livestream e-commerce market will reach $31.7 billion this year, triple its 2021 value. But data from business intelligence company Morning Consult shows American consumers aren’t rushing to livestream shopping. A survey conducted by it in December found that 78% of respondents have never participated in a livestream event and 69% don’t know what livestreaming is.

Major retailers and social media platforms have had mixed results with livestreaming so far. Walmart and Ulta Beauty struck partnerships with livestream startups like TalkShopLive and Buywith, while YouTube tapped Shopify to boost its live shopping capabilities. Meta jettisoned livestreaming on Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok is still trying to stake its claim after initially dropping e-commerce expansion plans.

The livestreaming startup space, which saw the rapid-fire entrance of companies like TalkShopLive, Supergreat, Flip, Shop Lit Live, Trendio and Buywith, has quieted down in the past year. Few new players have jumped into the market, and investment in it has slowed.

To gain a better understanding of where livestream shopping is heading, for the latest edition of our ongoing series posing questions relevant to indie beauty, we asked nine consultants, investors, executives, brand executives and founders the following questions: What is your outlook for the livestreaming market in the United States? Will it evolve as a competitor to traditional e-commerce shopping or remain on the fringe of social commerce?