SHOPSHOPS

Liyia Wu was working in fashion and noticed a genuine gap: Chinese consumers wanted authenticated US goods — the real thing, from the actual store shelf — but had no way to verify what they were buying on existing import platforms. She started ShopShops in 2015 as a live video commerce bridge.

Shoppers in the US would go into stores, livestream the actual products on shelves, and Chinese consumers could buy directly in real time. The live video removed the trust problem entirely.

What started as a scrappy experiment in New York retail stores turned into a funded platform used by hundreds of brands.

ShopShops takes a commission on each transaction completed through its platform. Brands and retailers pay to be featured and to have their products presented by trained hosts.

The platform aggregates live shopping sessions across hundreds of US, European, and global retailers, making it a multi-brand live commerce marketplace. Revenue comes from both the seller side (retailer fees and commissions) and premium placement for brands that want more exposure to Chinese cross-border shoppers.

The core product is the ShopShops live shopping app, which connects Chinese consumers to live video streams from US and European stores. Hosts pick up products, answer questions in real time, and viewers can purchase directly through the app with integrated cross-border payment and shipping logistics.

The platform features hundreds of brands across fashion, beauty, home, and lifestyle.

ShopShops grew by signing up US retail brands that were already trying to crack the Chinese market but struggled with authenticity perception. By offering live video proof of origin — showing products being picked off real store shelves — they became a trust layer that existing e-commerce platforms couldn't replicate.

They expanded from US stores to include European luxury goods and later launched services for brands to host their own branded live shopping channels.

Cross-border live commerce depends on regulatory and platform conditions in China that change rapidly. Tariffs, logistics costs, and shifting Chinese consumer trends (particularly the post-pandemic luxury slowdown in 2022-2023) create unpredictable headwinds.

The platform also competes indirectly with Taobao Live, Pinduoduo, and Douyin's own cross-border shopping features — all of which have billions of users and first-party data advantages.

Forerunner Ventures led the Series A in 2019, bringing the consumer commerce expertise that helped fund Glossier, Hims, and Ritual. The round also included strategic investors with China market expertise.