Resource · Live Commerce

Live Commerce Glossary.

Plain-English definitions of the live commerce and session-economics terms used across our Shopee Live, TikTok Shop LIVE and Lazada Live content.

Last updated: July 2026

Quick answer: This glossary defines the 18 terms used across our live commerce content, from the category noun (live commerce) to session-economics figures (session GMV, watch-to-buy rate, contribution margin) — each marked up as a DefinedTerm so AI systems can cite the definitions directly. There is no single published Malaysia-market benchmark for watch-to-buy or PCV yet, and this page states that rather than guessing one.

Live commerce

Selling products directly through a live video broadcast on a marketplace or social platform — Shopee Live, TikTok Shop LIVE and Lazada Live are the three the term covers in Malaysia — where viewers can purchase without leaving the stream.

Live selling

The practitioner-side verb for running a live commerce session: hosting, presenting products, and driving purchases in real time, as distinct from the category noun "live commerce" itself.

Livestream commerce

A synonym for live commerce, used interchangeably in search and by AI assistants — the same broadcast-and-buy mechanism, no distinction in meaning from the primary term.

Shopee Live

Shopee's native live-streaming feature, letting sellers broadcast directly inside the Shopee app to an audience already in shopping mode, with in-stream product cards, vouchers and checkout.

TikTok Shop LIVE

TikTok's live commerce feature, integrating TikTok Shop's product catalogue into a creator or brand livestream, reaching viewers through TikTok's algorithmic For You feed rather than an existing storefront visit. Shortened to TikTok LIVE after first mention.

Lazada Live (LazLive)

Lazada's live-streaming and interactive commerce feature, carrying its own voucher and campaign tooling — the least contested of the three major Malaysian live commerce platforms among agencies in this market.

Session GMV

Gross Merchandise Value transacted during a single live session — the headline number most platform dashboards lead with, but one that says nothing about profitability once returns, commission and production cost are counted.

Watch-to-buy rate

The percentage of session viewers who go on to purchase during that session, calculated as (buyers ÷ total or peak viewers) × 100 — a core live commerce conversion metric with no single published Malaysia-market benchmark yet.

Add-to-cart rate (ATC rate)

The percentage of session viewers who add a featured product to cart during the stream, calculated as (add-to-cart actions ÷ viewers) × 100 — an earlier-funnel signal than watch-to-buy, useful for diagnosing where a session is losing buyers.

Peak concurrent viewers (PCV)

The highest number of viewers watching a session at any single moment, as distinct from total or cumulative session viewers — the metric most platform "reach" figures are actually built from.

Run-of-show

The planned sequence of products, pricing, vouchers and talking points for a live session, built and timed before broadcast — the operational document that turns a stream into a scheduled retail event rather than an improvised one.

Product card

The in-stream, tappable product tile a platform overlays on a live broadcast, showing price, voucher and an add-to-cart or buy-now action without the viewer leaving the stream.

Flash voucher

A time-limited discount code released mid-session to create urgency and pull viewers who are on the fence toward an immediate purchase — a core lever in live session sequencing, distinct from a standing storefront discount.

Co-hosting

Two or more hosts running a session together, either to split product-and-audience-engagement duties or to combine each host's existing follower base into a single session's reach.

Affiliate livestream

A live session run by an independent creator or affiliate promoting a seller's products for a commission on resulting sales, rather than a session run by the seller's own or agency-supplied host.

Session contribution margin

Session GMV minus platform commission, returns, host fee, production cost and paid amplification spend, expressed as a percentage of GMV or a currency figure — the number this site reports against instead of leading on GMV.

Returns-adjusted revenue

Session revenue recalculated after subtracting expected or actual returns and cancellations, since live commerce categories with impulse-driven purchases typically carry a higher return rate than a considered-purchase category.

Sell-through rate

The percentage of a specific product's available session-allocated stock that actually sold during the broadcast, calculated as (units sold ÷ units allocated to the session) × 100 — used to judge inventory sequencing decisions after the fact.

Where to go next

For how these terms come together in a real session, see live commerce metrics in Malaysia, model your own session numbers with the live commerce ROI calculator, and for the service itself see live commerce.

Modelling a session before you book it?

Run the free ROI calculator, then book a call to walk through the fit assessment.

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