Run your numbers

What live has to
earn to be worth it.

This isn’t a revenue forecast. Nobody can honestly project your GMV before seeing your catalog. You set the GMV per live hour, and the model shows the gross revenue it adds up to.

Get a detailed estimate: build your program →
What the shows generate
Gross GMV per month
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Live hours per month
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Orders needed per live hour
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Live shopping formats1 / 10
a wooden judge's hammer sitting on top of a table
AuctionsItems open low and buyers bid against a timer. Highest bid when the clock runs out wins. The default format on Whatnot.Photo: Wesley Tingey / Unsplash
woman in white crew neck t-shirt holding microphone
Single item demonstrationOne product, shown in depth: how it works, what it fixes, close-ups a listing photo can’t give.Photo: Laura Chouette / Unsplash
Two women are shopping and trying on clothes
Try onThe host wears it, turns, and sizes it against their body. Apparel, jewelry and accessories.Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash
two male and female mannequin wearing clothes
PromotionalLive-only prices and timed discounts with an on-screen countdown, like TikTok Shop’s LIVE flash sale.Photo: Artem Beliaikin / Unsplash
a cell phone is sitting on a tripod
Rapid fireTen seconds an item: show it, price it, next. Moves deep catalogs and low-price SKUs.Photo: Markus Winkler / Unsplash
red and gold happy birthday signage
GamificationSpin wheels, raffles and buy-to-unlock rewards that give viewers a reason to stay and buy.Photo: Nick Fewings / Unsplash
yellow green and red trading card
Breaks & mystery boxesBuyers buy a spot, sealed product is opened on stream and results are split by preset rules. Big on Whatnot for trading cards.Photo: Erik Mclean / Unsplash
wrapped gift box
GiveawaysFree items that pull a crowd early in the show, entered by commenting, following or buying.Photo: Ekaterina Shevchenko / Unsplash
person holding cardboard box on table
Unboxing & first lookA new arrival or drop opened live. First look, first chance to buy.Photo: Bench Accounting / Unsplash
a man and woman with headsets on looking at a laptop
Q&A, expert-ledA host or specialist answers chat as it comes in. Works where buyers have questions: supplements, skincare, tools.Photo: Flipsnack / Unsplash

ROAS Opportunity cost calculator

Enter what each channel returns. Same math on all of them, with live shopping measured against total program cost, not just media.

ChannelROASGross profit per $1,000 spentWhat the spend leaves behind
Gross profit per $1,000 = (ROAS × $1,000 × margin) − $1,000, using the gross margin you enter. Negative means the channel buys volume, not profit — which can still be the right call for prospecting.

Pick the market you sell to.

General market or US Hispanic: audience size, buying power and what each costs to reach.