Pinduoduo to help New York’s Met Museum and others turn to live streaming and online gift sales

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to ricochet around the world, closing cities and slamming entire sectors of the economy, museums are turning to live streaming in an effort reach the public and avoid losses.

China’s third-largest e-commerce player Pinduoduo said it is working with New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and six other Chinese museums on live streaming exhibits, developing virtual tours and promoting gift shop merchandise to consumers in China.

“Users can see the history and behind-the-scenes stories of the museums while browsing relevant products,” said a Pinduoduo spokeswoman. “It brings users closer to sellers, builds trust and provides a different experience for them.”

The Met opened its live streaming service with Pinduoduo in March. Museum staff hold a camera to show viewers around different display areas with a guide to different collections. There is also an in-app option to buy gift shop merchandise. Viewers can comment on the live stream and interact with staff.

The move online by museums comes as the coronavirus pandemic poses a growing threat to the global economy. China’s economy declined sharply in the first two months of the year under the weight of lockdowns and social isolation measures, with industrial production, retail sales and asset investment all declining far more than analysts expected. The US is now experiencing similar economic pain as the pandemic spreads there.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is projecting close to a US$100 million total loss and potential lay-offs after it closed its doors temporarily on March 12, according to a letter the museum sent to its department heads last week. The museum, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is expected to remain closed until July.