What was changed
By early 2024, CHC Fashion Group was running a midtown Manhattan studio that partnered with TikTok to sell on TikTok Shop. Its challenge was a US market that had not yet embraced livestream shopping, even as livestreams accounted for 25% of Chinese online sales in 2023.
CHC chose to transfer Chinese livestream-commerce know-how instead of waiting for US habits to evolve. Support staff from China trained American streamers with a Chinese playbook translated into English. The company ran four or five accounts almost daily and sold clothing, wigs, housewares, and other low-priced products.
The transfer worked when it was adapted. Hannah Lewis used sizing advice rather than pure countdown pressure and, on her third day, closed over 200 orders worth more than $11,000 in an afternoon. CHC had more than 10 US streamers, while its streams could draw over 1,000 simultaneous viewers on good days.
What it achieved
Built 4–5 near-daily US TikTok accounts, supported more than 10 streamers, and helped one new host close 200+ orders worth over $11,000 in an afternoon.
Why it worked
China's livestream-commerce playbook had already been tested at significant scale.
TikTok Shop's September 2023 US launch created a new sales channel and partner-agency incentives.
Translation and on-studio training made the playbook usable to American hosts.
Local hosts could replace urgency-driven tactics with personalized advice that fit US buyer preferences.
What can be applied
A proven playbook can cross borders when the operator exports the system, localizes behaviors that clash with customer norms, and trains local talent to run it.
Aftermath
CHC remained an early operator in a still-forming US market, running daily accounts and training new sellers while navigating TikTok's shifting community rules. The model was spreading: more than 20 Chinese-influenced livestream agencies had emerged in the US by the time of the report.
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