Reinvention in the time of coronavirus

On Feb 23, she hosted her first livestream sale on e-commerce site Taobao for two hours, selling 3,200 yuan worth of products. Three days later, she hosted a second livestream.

"It's not easy for me," says the 49-year-old, who admits that she made mistakes during the livestream. "There were times when I quoted the wrong price. Some of the customers even joked about my hairstyle. But I have gotten used to it."

Other shops in the same shopping mall have started livestreaming as well.

"The young saleswoman from the clothing store downstairs has been very active. She even has an assistant to help her fix her makeup and hold the clothes while she tries on the dresses," says Xu.

Although the number of people visiting the mall has been growing, Xu says that she will continue with her livestreaming promotions.

"I would sometimes share cooking tips with my viewers during my livestream," she says. "This was what I used to do when interacting with customers in the shop."

Contact the writer at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn

Xu Ziyi and Lyu Siyao contributed to this story.