Retail Inclusion: How live shopping is making the retail space more accessible

Inclusivity is a word we often hear in the retail industry lately, and for a good reason. From clothing brands designing their clothes with inclusive sizing in mind to makeup brands producing their products in a wider range of shades, inclusivity should be important for every business. 

One of the ways retailers are starting to add more inclusivity to their brands is by incorporating live shopping into their business plans. While it might seem like a wise choice to increase your revenue and build your customer base, live shopping enhances retail inclusion across the ecommerce industry. 

Let’s explore how and how you can use live shopping for your brand to improve inclusivity. 

What is retail inclusion?

Inclusivity is all about creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong and are included. Inclusive spaces remove barriers for everyone, are free of discrimination and intolerance, and provide equal access to all people. 

In the retail industry, creating an inclusive environment means ensuring that you are taking into account that your customers come from different backgrounds and have different incomes, needs, and abilities. 

A brick-and-mortar store, for example, will need to plan its layout to accommodate assistive devices like wheelchairs and walkers. An ecommerce store will need to consider the user experience on their website. For example, they will need to update the website’s design for technical accessibility, like being compatible with screen readers.

The importance of retail inclusivity

Retail inclusivity is a sign of the times—Gen Z has made it a priority through many different social justice movements. While the importance of treating everyone as equals should be a no-brainer, inclusivity is also shaping how Americans make purchasing decisions. 

A McKinsey study found that two of three Americans’ social values shape their shopping choices. And as mentioned before, this number is even higher for Gen Z. Seventy-five percent of Gen Z shoppers won’t buy from a brand that runs ad campaigns they perceive as “macho, racist, or homophobic.” 

If you aren’t presenting an inclusive brand to the world, you’ll quickly be left behind. Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2009) makes up 30% of the population globally. And by 2025, there will be 2.2 billion members of Generation Alpha (born after 2010) walking the earth. 

How is live shopping making the retail space more accessible?

By the very nature of shopping during a live stream, many barriers are removed for people from all walks of life. This makes live shopping an innately more accessible way to shop for products for many people. 

See products in a variety of body shapes, colors, and sizes live

As a clothing brand or designer, live shopping lets you showcase your clothing in the most accessible way to customers. You get to leave behind cookie-cutter mannequins and embrace live models. You can have people of different sizes, genders, and colors show your clothing in the very best light.

And for makeup and beauty brands, the same is true. Your products can be experienced by customers firsthand without them ever having to leave their homes. For example, if you are featuring a new concealer, you can hire multiple people with different skin tones to test the product live.

Live shopping gives you the power to create an inclusive shopping experience for everyone that tunes in. For example, makeup brands are starting to use more male and trans models in their live shopping events. Both Manny MUA and Patrick Starr have embraced live shopping events for their respective beauty brands. And TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney, who spent 2022 and 2023 documenting her transition, has worked with the likes of Neutrogena, MAC Cosmetics, Charlotte Tilbury, NARS, Maybelline, and Urban Decay.

The onus is on you as a business owner to make sure that you are hiring a diverse team of hosts and models to ensure that you can create an inclusive environment during your live shopping events.

Removes the physical barrier of shopping in a store

Getting to a physical store to shop is not easy for some people. Whether they have mobility issues, live in a rural area, or have another reason they can’t get to your store, live shopping gives them a chance to experience your products as if they were in person.

By hosting a live shopping event, you open your doors to a wider, more inclusive audience of excited shoppers worldwide.

Live shopping is more accessible for business owners of different financial backgrounds

Not only is live shopping creating a more accessible retail landscape for shoppers, but it’s also making owning a retail business more accessible. When you use live shopping to sell your products, you remove the need for a physical storefront. This means you’re removing a lot of the overhead costs associated with running a retail business. 

Opening a brick-and-mortar store takes a significant financial investment. Taking these costs off the table can make opening a retail business accessible for people from diverse backgrounds. 

Live shopping is making the retail experience more accessible and inclusive for people. Are you ready to go live and sell your products?

With Stage TEN, you can create a live stream, add audience interactions, and monetize it all in one place. And now, with our latest partnership with Shopify’s Shop App, you can easily set up a live commerce channel in Shop that notifies your followers when you go live, allowing you to reach shoppers directly. 

Download the Stage TEN Live Shopping app to get started!