Live shopping has moved from a side hustle to a core retail channel in the UK, with first-time buyers surging +374% year-on-year, according to new research from live shopping platform Whatnot.

In the UK, women’s fashion streams now attract more than 500,000 viewing hours per month and is being adopted by established UK retailers as well as independent sellers. To support its 2025 festive trading, Marks & Spencer ran a week-long ‘Live Shopping Style Stream’ across its Facebook and Instagram channels, showcasing its Christmas product range as part of a wider move towards social-first marketing.

The findings come from research of Whatnot sellers across the U.S., UK, France and Germany in its State of Live Selling Report 2026, which looks at how live commerce is reshaping discovery, engagement and growth for independent sellers and small businesses.

In the UK, adoption is accelerating faster than in other major markets. More than three quarters (78%) of British sellers say they plan to increase their live selling activity in 2026, reflecting the channel’s growing importance.

On average, live selling now accounts for around two thirds of total sales for UK sellers on the platform, with one in eight working full time through live commerce, up +20% year-on-year, and sellers who stream daily averaging £30,000 in monthly revenues.

UK sellers spend an average of 21 hours per week live selling, while globally nearly a quarter are renting additional space and 15% are hiring staff to meet demand.

Daniel Fisher, GM at Whatnot UK said: “Live shopping is no longer experimental – it’s become a core part of how people buy, sell and build businesses. Live selling is driving real growth for UK SMEs, creating jobs, strengthening communities and reshaping retail as we know it.”

Almost two thirds (63%) of UK sellers report stronger relationships with customers since going live. From the buyer’s point of view, more than a third (34%) tune into live streams primarily for a seller’s personality rather than to secure the lowest price.