SINGAPORE: A Singaporean took to Reddit to vent her frustrations about how some livestreamers have driven prices to unreasonable levels.
In her post on the r/SingaporeRaw forum on Jan 18, she lamented how livestream shopping, once a novel and convenient way to shop, has become a profit-driven trend that burdens consumers with inflated prices.
She explained that livestreamers, who often act as middlemen, take a significant cut of sales, typically between 10-20%, on top of hourly rates.
“Do you know that the top livestreamers in Singapore are probably taking home S$200-400K on good months, assuming their cut is 20%? Some of them even sell their products,” she wrote.
“Here’s something else to make prices worse: on certain platforms, even when you repurchase directly from the brand, the livestreamer still gets a cut—whether they’re streaming or not. Add platform and transaction fees, which are 7-9%,” she continued.
While the practice has undeniably helped smaller brands gain exposure, she argued that it has also made online shopping just as expensive, if not more, than traditional retail. “This shift has pushed up prices everywhere,” she said.
Using specific examples to illustrate her point, the Singaporean highlighted how blogshop dresses now regularly cost S$60 to S$70, prices unheard of just a few years ago. Seasonal items like Chinese New Year bak kwa have also seen a dramatic price rise over the last three years.
She noted how bak kwa, priced at S$10 for 500 grams in 2022, now costs S$28 in 2025. She attributed this increase to factors such as shipping fees, livestreamer commissions, and unnecessary packaging like oversized gift boxes, which she described as excessive.
“What happened to bak kwa being wrapped in paper, stacked together, and shared kampung-style? Now, everything is vacuum-sealed with so much unnecessary plastic waste. Honestly, once we can legally bring bak kwa back next year from JB, I’m just buying it there,” she said.
“CNY goodie shopping hasn’t been any better. I bought a heritage brand. Pineapple pillows had a dry, rough crust with overly sweet filling. It wasn’t like this last year. Butter cookies tasted worse than the NTUC ones. They don’t even honour fixed delivery dates despite marketing it that way.
“Meanwhile, I tried a growing TikTok brand this year, and they got it right. They have great goodies, market the fact that they use real butter, and sell lovely reusable gift bags. Everything was good—and cheaper,” she added.
Near the end of her post, the Singaporean urged others to support brands that care about “quality and fairness” and to bypass livestream platforms whenever possible by purchasing directly from brands through their websites.
“If you have come across a new local brand that you like on Livestream, and they have their website (a forbidden word during live streams), support them directly instead. If you have a big order and transact with them directly, you can even negotiate for some freebies,” she said.
“As long as people are willing to pay, the price goes up”
In the comments section, one Redditor offered a simple but insightful perspective, drawing parallels between livestream shopping and other industries where high demand leads to inflated prices.
He said, “It’s pretty simple: as long people are willing to pay, the price goes up. It’s like S$300 concert tickets sell out, even willing to pay S$400 to scalpers. Organisers see that and think they can charge more for the next concert.”
Another commented, “Because [even if it’s] expensive, you guys still buy lor. If Boycott, then the price will go down.
“The problem is this group of people who don’t know the price just because livestreamers say cheap they kena psyched into thinking that something is cheap which encourages them.”
A third asked, “How do I support local clothing brands? We don’t manufacture any clothes. Everything people in SG sell is imported from overseas.”
In other news, a pharmacist took to social media to highlight the deteriorating conditions within the pharmacy industry.
Writing on the NUSWhispers Facebook page on Tuesday (Jan 21), she reflected on how pharmacy was once regarded as a “solid” and reliable career choice. It offered competitive pay, job security, and stable long-term prospects, making it an appealing path for aspiring healthcare professionals.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)