Lizzo Is Going Live Shopping and It’s About Damn Time

What brands can learn from Lizzo + Fabletics about Live Shopping, TikTok Shop and building a livestream strategy that gives customers a reason to show up and buy.

Well, it’s about damn time.

Lizzo is going Live Shopping.

Fabletics is launching its first-ever TikTok livestream shopping event with Lizzo at the centre of it, and while the celebrity factor will obviously get attention, that isn’t the part I think brands should be studying. What interests me is how many of the fundamentals of a strong Live Shopping strategy are baked into this activation: a host who makes sense, products that benefit from demonstration, a curated story, real-time interaction and a reason to shop in the moment.

And if your first thought is, “Sure, Live Shopping works when you have Lizzo,” stick with me, because that’s not actually the lesson here.

Why is the Lizzo + Fabletics Live Shopping event worth watching?

Because this is not simply a celebrity appearance attached to a product launch. It is a good example of how Live Shopping, live commerce and TikTok Shop can be used to turn a product story into an interactive shopping experience.

Fabletics is building the event around The Lizzo Edit, a curated collection featuring some of Lizzo’s favourite YITTY by Fabletics pieces. That gives the livestream a reason to exist beyond “we decided to go live.” There is a story, a host connected to the product, a clear theme and a specific moment for customers to participate in.

That distinction matters. One of the biggest mistakes brands make with Live Shopping is starting with the platform or the technology instead of asking the more important question: Why would someone want to show up?

What makes a good Live Shopping host?

Reach helps, but reach alone does not make someone a strong Live Shopping host.

The best hosts have a believable connection to the product and can help customers understand why it matters. In this case, Lizzo is not simply lending her face to the campaign. The collection is built around pieces she wears and likes, which gives her a natural reason to talk about styling, fit and how the products work together.

That same principle applies to brands without celebrity talent. Your strongest Live Shopping host might be a founder, an employee, an ambassador, a creator or someone who understands both the product and the customer.

The question is not, “How famous is the host?”

The better question is, “Will the customer believe this person knows what they’re talking about? Do they like and TRUST them?”

Why does product demonstration matter in Live Shopping?

One of the biggest advantages of Live Shopping over traditional ecommerce is that you can show a product in context.

Fashion is especially well suited to livestream shopping because customers can see fit, movement, styling, layering and how different pieces work together. Those are things a static product image cannot always communicate.

The same opportunity exists in beauty, jewellery, food, wellness and home products. Beauty can show application and texture. Jewellery can show scale, shine and how a piece sits on the body. Food can demonstrate preparation. Home products can show function.

If you are considering Live Shopping for your brand, ask this:

What can I demonstrate live that helps my customer make a buying decision faster or with more confidence?

That is where Live Shopping becomes more than content. It becomes a sales tool. How stretchy, how opaque...there are great ways to demonstrate these features! I share all of this and more with my Live Selling Course using the method that helped me sell over $250M when working as a Live Shopping and TV Home Shopping Host.

Why do Live Shopping offers matter?

A good livestream should also answer another important question: Why should someone buy now?

Fabletics is creating exclusive bundles around the collection, which gives customers a reason to purchase during the event rather than simply leave and come back later.

That does not mean every Live Shopping event needs a dramatic discount. The incentive could be early access, an exclusive product, a bundle, a gift with purchase, limited inventory or access to something only available during the event.

Urgency works best when it is connected to genuine value, not simply pressure.

Why is interaction so important in Live Shopping?

Live Shopping works differently from a traditional product video because the customer can participate.

They can ask questions about sizing, fit, colour, availability, product use or comparisons. The host can respond in real time and remove objections while the shopper is still engaged.

That interaction is one of the most valuable parts of live commerce because it gives brands insight into what customers actually need to know before buying.

It also makes the shopping experience more human.

And that matters, especially in ecommerce.

Is Live Shopping actually growing?

Yes, and the recent numbers are difficult to ignore.

TikTok Shop U.S. reported that gross merchandise volume generated through TikTok LIVE doubled year-over-year in the first half of 2026. That kind of growth is one reason more brands are paying attention to livestream shopping, TikTok Shop and broader live commerce strategies.

But this does not mean every brand should immediately choose TikTok.

I have said this many times: platform does not equal strategy.

Live Shopping can happen on TikTok Shop, social platforms, a brand’s own ecommerce website or as part of a broader shoppable-video strategy. The right channel depends on your customer, your products and what you are trying to achieve.

The opportunity is not simply to be live.

The opportunity is to build a shopping experience that solves something for the customer.

What can smaller brands learn from Lizzo + Fabletics?

This is the part I want smaller and mid-sized brands to pay attention to.

You do not need Lizzo.

You need the underlying strategy.

You need a reason to go live, a host who makes sense, products that benefit from demonstration, a strong story, interaction with the customer and a clear reason to purchase.

Those principles work whether your audience is ten million people or one hundred.

That is why celebrity Live Shopping examples are useful. They give us a highly visible version of strategies that can often be scaled down and applied by almost any ecommerce brand.

From Garth Brooks to Lizzo

The last celebrity Live Shopping example I wrote about was Garth Brooks and Walmart. That activation was built around exclusivity, access and a product fans genuinely wanted.

Now we have Lizzo and Fabletics, and although the audience and category are completely different, many of the same principles show up again: trusted host, exclusive product story, interaction, urgency and a direct path to purchase.

That is what I find interesting.

It is not about copying the celebrity.

It is about identifying the mechanics behind why the activation makes sense.

So, does Live Shopping work for every brand?

The better question is: Can Live Shopping help your customer understand, experience or buy your product more easily?

If the answer is yes, then it may be worth exploring.

Before you worry about cameras, platforms or production, start with the strategy. Why would someone show up? What can you demonstrate? Who should host? What objections can you answer live? What will make someone want to purchase in the moment?

That is the work that happens before you hit “Go Live.”

I created my free Live Shopping Starter Kit to help brands start answering those questions and determine what a Live Shopping strategy could look like for them.

[GET THE FREE LIVE SHOPPING STARTER KIT]

Because the opportunity is not simply to go live.

It is to create a shopping experience worth showing up for.