The third and final season of the popular variety show "Amazing Offer" showcases a team led by a top livestreamer, who bargains with brands to bring the best price offers to customs, setting the stage for a shopping frenzy ahead of the upcoming Double Eleven festival.

A screengrab features Li Jiaqi and his team negotiating with Head & Shoulders executives to secure the best deal for customers on "Amazing Offer 3." [Photo courtesy of Meione Tech]

The eight-episode show, headlined by bona fide livestreaming megastar Li Jiaqi, who rose to fame in China's beauty and makeup sector as one of its most prominent commercial livestreaming influencers, began broadcasting daily across various online platforms on Oct. 8. The program, pairing the theatrics of variety entertainment with aggressive, on-the-spot haggling to ensure the best deals for customers, offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the shopping festival. With witty quips, masterful negotiation tactics and undeniable charm, Li and his astute team grapple with executives and representatives from renowned brands, spanning daily necessities to high-end beauty products.

The fresh yet somewhat experimental show unveiled the origins of various top offers and packages presented and pre-sold on Li's livestreaming e-commerce platform, which typically generates billions of yuan in online sales solely on Nov. 11, recognized as China's annual Double Eleven festival. This festival, initiated by Alibaba's e-commerce platform Tmall in 2009, quickly evolved into a major shopping event, with platforms and businesses vying for a slice of the bonanza.

"We never imagined this show would garner so much popularity," Li said, addressing a press event in Beijing on Friday via video. He revealed that the final season has been enhanced with more interactive segments. They've also expanded their partnerships to include 50 brands, from daily necessities to beauty. Notably, this year's best offers surpass those of previous seasons, underscoring their commitment to delivering genuine value to all consumers.

What sets "Amazing Offer" apart is its ambition to be more than a shopping channel. Xu Xuxiong, deputy general manager of Li Jiaqi's Meione Tech, emphasizes the show's role in "connecting consumers and brands," allowing underrated brands a platform to shine. Executive Producer Lu Yuxin spoke nostalgically of the planning phases, where the vision was clear: bridge consumers and the often elusive world of brand executives. To that end, reality show elements were infused to give a warmer and human touch, with rivals breaking bread over dinner, a testament to the show's broader mission of transparency and camaraderie.

As brands and livestreaming e-commerce reach out to the public, traditional livestream sales have matured into a multifaceted model that intertwines consumer purchasing, entertainment, and brand messaging. "Amazing Offer 3" illuminates new possibilities, potentially guiding the industry toward heightened transparency and professionalism. This evolution ensures that livestreaming e-commerce will provide more varied and enriched content, Xu noted.

A poster of "Amazing Offer 3." [Image courtesy of Meione Tech]

However, nothing lasts forever. Producer Lu revealed that the popular show will end in its third season because Li always wants to innovate and try new things; he doesn't want to repeat the formula. Nevertheless, Lu promised new variety shows for next year's "618" (June 18) and Double Eleven, both of which are prime opportunities for companies and platforms to promote nationwide shopping sprees.

Livestreaming sales on China's major e-commerce platforms reached 1.27 trillion yuan ($176.9 billion) in the first half of this year, as per a recent industry report co-released by institutions such as the National Institute of Metrology and the Science and Technology Research Center of China Customs. Notably, in the first half of 2023, under the Meione banner, Li Jiaqi's livestreams, along with other livestreaming colleagues, collectively introduced over 17,000 domestic product links and sold more than 130 million domestic products. These categories include fast-moving consumer goods, trendy electronics, digital products, maternity and baby items, snacks, fashion, beauty, and skincare.

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