China influencer couple caught up in US$240,000 Lunar New Year losses row after only 1 sale is made during live-stream event
- Merchant stalks up on products expecting hefty sales, is disappointed
- Online observers express shock at amounts of money paid upfront
A promotional collaboration between a celebrity couple in China and a live-streamer turned into a fiasco, leaving a company with unsold stock worth 1.7 million yuan (US$240,000) and only one order made.
The incident unfolded on January 16, when Chinese actress Huang Shengyi and her actor-turned-businessman husband Yang Zi, were hired through a complex contractual arrangement involving a number of merchants to participate in a live-streaming session with Brother Qin Jinzhan on Douyin.
Despite the merchants paying hefty service fees and preparing a substantial stock, sales were dismal and fell far short of the targets.
A woman, surnamed Wang, a representative of the cured meat brand that lost the 1.7 million yuan worth of stock, said the company paid a fee of 100,000 yuan to secure the celebrity deal in a contract involving various parties.
The contract stipulated the star influencers would join the live-streaming featuring the products alongside them. It was hoped sales to the value of 1.4 million yuan would be reached.
“Since our product is cured meat, which sells best before the Lunar New Year, I was quite anxious,” Wang told Red Star News.