Hu is part of a rising class of creators in China who are racing to get in on live-stream shopping, an emerging form of retail that has grown into an industry worth an estimated $66 billion. Although the trend has been part of Chinese internet culture for years, analysts say the coronavirus pandemic has made it mainstream.

A rising class of creators in China are racing to get in on live-stream shopping, an emerging form of retail that has become an estimated $66 billion industry.