Southeast Asia video commerce has rewritten the rules of online shopping almost overnight. The old model of scrolling through search pages is fading, replaced by creators selling live and short videos driving instant purchases. Many shoppers don’t browse anymore. Instead, they watch, trust, and buy. This is the start of a $100 billion shoppertainment wave that is redefining the region’s digital economy.
Video Commerce & The “Shoppertainment” Revolution
E-commerce as we knew it is fading. Video-driven buying has now taken over, with GMV shifting toward TikTok, YouTube, and Shopee Live. In 2024, video commerce captured 20% of the region’s $145.2 billion e-commerce GMV, up from just 5% two years earlier. By 2025, that share is expected to reach 25%. This is no small trend — it is a $100 billion live-streaming opportunity rewriting the rules of online shopping.
The Shift Toward “Watch to Buy” in Southeast Asia Video Commerce
Consumers once searched for products. Now they watch them. This shift from “Search to Buy” to “Watch to Buy” is reshaping behavior across Southeast Asia.
Video formats outperform traditional pages across every metric. Shoppable videos deliver 5 times higher add-to-cart rates, and campaigns like L’Oréal Thailand’s saw a tenfold rise in paid views. Short videos on TikTok and YouTube Shorts have changed how products are discovered. 93% of marketers report better customer acquisition through short-form content.
Trust also plays a major role. 85% of Thai viewers and 67% of Indonesians say they trust YouTube creators when making purchase decisions. With YouTube reaching 290 million people, or 85% of the region’s online population, the impact is massive.
Southeast Asia Video Commerce and the Rise of the Creator Retailer
Influencers are no longer just promoters. Now, they are retailers. The creator economy is driving video commerce forward, turning personal channels into storefronts.
SEA now has 7,600 YouTube creators with over 1 million subscribers, and 77,000 creators with over 100,000 followers. Their influence is measurable. Fashion brands report up to 170% more repeat buyers when products are pushed through creator videos. Electronics brands see an even more dramatic lift, reaching 275% higher repeat purchases.
Vietnam’s creator earnings rose 35% year-on-year, proving how fast digital entrepreneurship is growing. With audiences shifting to livestreams for entertainment and shopping, creators are becoming the region’s new distribution network.
Logistics Struggle to Match the Instant Demand of Live Sales
Video commerce thrives on speed. A viewer sees an item, buys it instantly, and expects it almost as fast. Live sessions amplify this urgency, creating high-pressure peaks that traditional logistics systems in Southeast Asia struggle to handle.
As e-commerce GMV moves toward $181 billion in 2025, fulfillment must evolve. The region now faces the challenge of building same-day and near-instant delivery systems that can keep up with real-time buying surges triggered by live shows.
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A New Era Powered by Southeast Asia Video Commerce
The future of e-commerce in the region is clear: video comes first. The rise of shoppertainment has turned GMV, creators, and logistics into one interconnected system. As Southeast Asia video commerce continues to grow, businesses need sharper market research and stronger strategies to stay ahead. To explore deeper market insights and navigate this fast-changing space, reach out to Market Research Southeast Asia by Eurogroup Consulting. With 40 years of experience and a strong focus on market research in the region, their team offers unmatched support for companies aiming to understand and win in this evolving landscape.
