Creators and brands will be able to tag products from their Shopify stores during real-time recordings via their YouTube accounts, and display them below on-demand videos. (The Logic)

Talking point: Shopify merchants have been able to sell via livestream using third-party apps. But the new YouTube feature is the Ottawa-headquartered commerce company’s first direct integration of the sort, said Amir Kabbara, director of product. Livestream shopping is huge in China, where McKinsey estimates sales totalled US$171 billion in 2020. Other platforms trying to bring the marketing tool to new markets have connected sellers to independent influencers. Shopify’s YouTube integration only works for creators selling from their own stores, or merchants selling via their own videos, said Kabbara—a brand can’t hire an influencer to hawk its wares via a livestream. Still, plenty of top YouTubers have built their merch businesses on top of Shopify, and the new linkup will make it easier for them to monetize their followers.