A price is a promise: on live, it must be justified
In live shopping, the seller doesn't just have a price to display: he has a case to make. "25,000 FCFA, and here's why it's worth it" is a sentence viewers never hear on a marketplace. That's your competitive advantage. You just need to set the right starting price.
The 3 pricing logics on live
1. Secured margin (classic sale)
Price = purchase price + costs (product, shipping, packaging, delivery, commission) + a 30 to 50% margin. This is the "normal" price you announce with no discount.
2. The loss leader (attraction)
A flagship product sold at nearly cost price for the first 10 minutes. It attracts viewers, drives shares, and sets a buying dynamic: it's a marketing investment, not a loss.
3. The emotional price (end-of-live pricing)
After the energy of the session, offer a lower "live-only" price on unsold items: it rewards loyalty and clears stock. That's the principle behind flash sales.
Golden rules for announcing your prices
- Always say the price out loud and in writing: repeat it twice. Viewers who join mid-live haven't heard anything.
- Justify the price in 10 seconds: quality, rarity, origin, warranty. A justified price becomes obvious.
- Compare intelligently: "in the market, this tote sells for 30,000 FCFA. Today, 22,000." The comparison point makes the discount credible.
- Use psychological pricing: 14,500 instead of 15,000, or 9,900 instead of 10,000: the perceived gain matters, especially in FCFA.
- Never go below cost on live: except for an explicit, one-off loss-leading strategy.
Build the offer to maximize average order value
Three levers increase your sales without touching the unit price:
- Bundles: 2 for 25,000 FCFA instead of 15,000 each.
- Upselling: "this necklace pairs perfectly with the watch I showed 10 minutes ago."
- Free delivery above X FCFA: the free-shipping threshold pushes customers to add an item to their basket.
Measure and adjust continuously
Track your per-live statistics: views, purchases, revenue, average order value (a topic we cover in our guide to understanding your live statistics). If a price isn't selling, shift it 5% at the next live. Gradual adjustment is the most reliable way to find the optimal selling point for each reference.
Conclusion: a structured price, predictable sales
The right price on live is neither the lowest nor the highest: it's the one you know how to justify. By combining loss leaders, a solid case, and bundled offers, you attract bargain hunters while protecting your profitability.
