Exclusive: The cities leading live-shopping's boom
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Labubu dolls. Photo: Courtesy of Whatnot
E-commerce platform Whatnot says five cities — Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Phoenix — are becoming America's live-shopping "trendsetters."
Why it matters: The mashup of QVC-style selling and social media livestreams is helping small businesses grow at a time when tariffs and economic uncertainty threaten to slow retail.
By the numbers: Live commerce outside China is forecasted to jump from about $65 billion to nearly $2 trillion by 2030, with the U.S. and Europe driving $1.2 trillion of it.
- In the four-day shopping period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, TikTok Shop saw 50% more shoppers compared to the same time last year, with sales exceeding $500 million.
State of play: Whatnot found that each city "developed a distinct live shopping identity reflected in what people purchased," in its 2026 Trends Report, shared exclusively with Axios.
- Atlanta led national purchase growth in WNBA cards, up 7,300% since 2024.
- Miami recorded the nation's highest per-capita Labubu purchase rate on Whatnot.
- Phoenix led K-beauty adoption with purchases up 3,250%, the highest in the nation, as Gen Z embraced Korean skincare alongside press-on nails, up 1,210% since last year.
- Dallas drove the "Western Wear" revolution with denim styles (+270%) and vintage and Y2K aesthetics (+265%).
- Chicago drove the precious metals boom with platinum up 15,300%, making it the national leader in alternative asset investing.
What's next: Whatnot VP of categories and expansion Armand Wilson expects food and beverage sales on the platform to rise in the U.S., like they are in China.
- "We have a couple farmers on Whatnot that will go buy an orange tree, take an orange off and show you how juicy the orange is and sell crates of oranges in the background. I think you'll just see live videos expand, they add so much context and so much entertainment," Wilson tells Axios.
The bottom line: What started as a collectibles niche has blown up into an e-commerce engine.
