European consumers are more interested than ever in livestreaming commerce and “shoppertainment” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study released by Alibaba’s global online marketplace, AliExpress, and market research firm, Forrester.

The study, which surveyed almost 15,000 consumers in France, Spain, Poland and the UK, found 70 percent of respondents expressed interest in livestreaming commerce, with almost half saying their interest has increased as a result of the pandemic.

Livestreaming commerce is already a major contributor to e-commerce sales in China, where the innovation first originated, as well as other parts of Asia. According to data from Forrester, livestreaming commerce in China alone will be worth $543 billion by 2025.

In France, AliExpress launched livestreaming in May 2020. Since then, more than 3,000 streams have been hosted by more than 100 local livestreamers. The platform is also recruiting retail store salespeople in France in order to train them to become livestreamers. In Spain, AliExpress said it has established partnerships with eight agencies and worked with 180 local influencers on livestreaming activities.