Live Auction Playbook by Industry | Drive Growth for 9.9 Campaign

Live Auction can support different objectives depending on what you sell and how it fits into your LIVE. The products you put up for Auction, the starting price, the frequency of each round, and what you feature before and after the Auction can all affect how shoppers participate and purchase.
There is no single Auction setup that works across every category. FMCG sellers may use popular products or bundles to generate bids before switching back to Hero SKUs, while Collectibles sellers may build an entire LIVE around rare items and continuous bidding.
Based on Live Auction practices from sellers across Southeast Asia in July and August, this guide highlights practical strategies across FMCG, Fashion, Electronics, Collectibles, and Lifestyle. Use them as a reference and adapt the setup to your assortment, price range, and LIVE performance.

FMCG

For FMCG sellers, the key is to connect Auction with the rest of the LIVE. Use popular products or bundles to encourage bidding, then quickly move shoppers to Hero SKUs or another Auction round.

Strategy 1 | Auction bestsellers or bundles to increase order value

Choose products that already have strong shopper demand, or combine several complementary items into an Auction bundle.
For example, instead of Auctioning one item at a low price, offer a multi-item set with a compelling starting price. Shoppers still see a strong deal, while the bundle gives you more room to increase the value of each winning order.

Strategy 2 | Use Auction to attract shoppers, then immediately Pin a Hero SKU

Run an Auction with an affordable, high-interest product at a key point in your LIVE. As soon as bidding ends, Pin a bestselling or high-priority Hero SKU while shopper attention is still high.
The host should quickly introduce the pinned product and direct viewers to the product card rather than moving into a long transition or unrelated segment. This gives shoppers who joined for the Auction an immediate next product to browse or buy.

Strategy 3 | Spread multiple short Auctions across the LIVE

Instead of putting all Auction activity into one long round, schedule several short Auctions across the session—for example, during the opening stage and again at key points later in the LIVE.
Keep each round focused on one product or offer, close the bidding quickly, then return to product selling before starting the next round. This gives viewers multiple opportunities to bid without letting Auction take over the entire LIVE.

Fashion

Fashion sellers can use different parts of their assortment for different Auction purposes. Entry-priced accessories can lower the barrier to bidding, rare or limited items can encourage competition, and selected sizes or colors can be used to move specific inventory.

Strategy 1 | Test shopper interest before deciding what goes to Auction

Before opening the Auction, show several potential products or variants and ask viewers what they want to bid on. Use comments, host Q&A, and other real-time responses to identify the products getting the strongest interest.
Prioritize those products for the next Auction instead of relying only on a pre-set Auction list. This is particularly useful when choosing between different variants, colors, scents, flavors, or SKUs.

Strategy 2 | Put rare and high-value items up for Auction instead of relying on deep discounts

Use products such as jewelry, luxury items, collaborations, limited editions, or other hard-to-find pieces where availability itself gives shoppers a reason to bid.
Spend time explaining what makes the item special—such as its rarity, edition, condition, or availability—before opening the Auction. The focus should be on competing for a desirable item, rather than simply offering the lowest possible price.

Strategy 3 | Start with entry-priced accessories, then move into higher-AOV items

Open with accessible products such as wallets, card holders, or small accessories to get more shoppers comfortable with bidding.
Once viewers are actively participating, gradually introduce higher-value items such as bags or jewelry. This creates a clear progression in the Auction assortment instead of asking shoppers to bid on expensive products immediately.

Strategy 4 | Use selected sizes, colors, and remaining stock as Auction-only deals

Identify inventory you want to move without discounting the entire product line—for example, selected sizes, specific colors, or SKUs with only a small quantity remaining.
Put only those variants into Auction and keep the regular pricing of the broader assortment unchanged. This makes Auction useful for targeted inventory clearance rather than a store-wide markdown.

Strategy 5 | Build an Auction-only assortment

Reserve selected limited, rare, high-AOV, or special-edition products specifically for Auction instead of using exactly the same assortment as your regular LIVE.
You can rotate these products into dedicated Auction segments or Auction-focused sessions, giving shoppers a clear reason to join the bidding rather than simply purchase from the regular product list.

Electronics

Electronics sellers can use lower-priced products to generate bids and then direct attention toward higher-value Hero SKUs. For expensive products, however, product education should come before bidding.

Strategy 1 | Use affordable gadgets for Auction, then switch to high-value Hero SKUs

Choose accessible, high-interest products such as mini fans or small electronics for Auction to encourage more shoppers to place a bid.
During the Auction or immediately after it ends, Pin a higher-value Hero SKU such as a phone or computer. The host can then shift the product introduction toward that Hero SKU and direct interested shoppers to the product card.
In this setup, the Auction product drives participation, while the Hero SKU remains the main product you want to sell.

Strategy 2 | Auction different colors or similar SKUs back to back

When several SKUs share the same key selling points, introduce the product once in detail and then Auction the variants consecutively.
For example, after explaining the specifications and features of one model, move directly through different colors, configurations, or closely related models. Only call out what changes between each SKU instead of repeating the full product introduction.
This is especially useful for electronics assortments with many similar variants.

Strategy 3 | Build a repeatable Auction → Pin → Engage → Auction cycle

Rather than treating Auction as a single segment, use it as a recurring structure throughout the LIVE:
Short Auction → Pin Hero SKU → Host interaction/product selling → Next AuctionAfter each Auction, give the pinned product enough time to generate purchases before starting another round. Then use the next Auction to bring attention back to the session and repeat the cycle at selected points throughout the LIVE.

Strategy 4 | Fully explain high-value products before opening bidding

For phones, laptops, computers, and other high-ticket electronics, do not rush directly into Auction.
First cover the information shoppers need to make a purchase decision, such as specifications, product condition, warranty, authenticity, and other relevant product details. Answer common questions before bidding starts.
Open the Auction only after viewers have enough information to understand the product and its value.

Strategy 5 | Give Auction, Giveaway, and Flash Sale different roles

Avoid running Auction, Giveaway, and Flash Sale as disconnected promotions. Plan how each mechanism fits into the LIVE.
Use Auction when you want shoppers to actively bid, Giveaway during periods when you want viewers to stay and interact, and Flash Sale when you want to create a short purchase window for selected products.
Sequence the three based on your LIVE plan rather than launching them at the same time.

Collectibles

Collectibles are naturally suited to Auction because rarity, condition, edition, and individual item value can vary significantly. Sellers can therefore build the product assortment and even the entire LIVE format around bidding.

Strategy 1 | Reserve your rarest collectibles for Auction

Separate rare single cards, special variants, limited releases, collectible gift sets, and other hard-to-find products from your regular LIVE assortment.
Feature these products primarily or exclusively through Auction so viewers know that the Auction is where they can find the more limited items.

Strategy 2 | Use a few $1 starting bids, but price the rest based on item value

Select a small number of popular products as traffic-driving Auction items and start them at a very low price, such as $1.
Do not apply the same starting price to every item. For higher-value or margin-sensitive products, set the starting bid based on the item’s actual value.
This gives you a mix of highly accessible Auction rounds and more commercially sustainable rounds instead of turning the entire LIVE into a low-price sale.

Strategy 3 | Run 1–2 minute Micro-auctions to move through more SKUs

For categories such as trading cards and designer toys, use short Auction rounds to sell a larger number of individual items within the same LIVE.
A simple flow can be:
Show the item → Highlight rarity or key details → Open bidding → Close the sale → Move to the next itemKeep the product explanation focused so each round can finish within roughly 1–2 minutes where appropriate.

Strategy 4 | Break packs or boxes into individual Auctionable items

Where the product allows it, change the selling unit before the LIVE.
For example, instead of Auctioning only a full pack or box, separate individual cards, rare variants, or other valuable pieces and list them as individual Auction SKUs.
This gives shoppers a clearer view of what they are bidding on and increases the number of items you can cycle through during the session.

Strategy 5 | Build a Pure Auction LIVE for categories made for bidding

For trading cards, designer toys, and similar categories where individual items have different values, consider making Auction the main selling format for the entire session.
Structure the LIVE around a continuous sequence:
Reveal item → Explain rarity/value → Open bidding → Close sale → Reveal next itemInstead of repeatedly switching between regular selling and Auction, continuous bidding becomes the core content of the LIVE.

Strategy 6 | Create themed Auctions and preview key items before the LIVE

Build a session around a specific theme, such as a limited card series, popular IP, new collection, or special occasion.
Before going LIVE, preview selected high-interest items through short videos, private channels, or other available channels. Show enough of the upcoming assortment for collectors to know what will be available and when to join.

Lifestyle

For art, paintings, and other one-of-a-kind products, Auction can provide more flexibility than relying only on a fixed selling price. It can also give new hosts a simple way to start generating bids and early orders.

Strategy 1 | Lower the starting bid on slow-moving, one-of-a-kind products

For artwork, paintings, or other products without a highly standardized market price, identify items that normally take longer to sell and test a more attractive Auction starting price.
The starting bid should be low enough to encourage multiple shoppers to participate, rather than simply repeating the regular selling price in Auction format. Use the bidding process to determine what shoppers are willing to pay and help selected inventory sell faster.

Strategy 2 | Use a small number of accessible Auctions to kick-start a new LIVE

For a new host or new LIVE room, begin with high-interest or one-of-a-kind products such as toys or art and use a small number of Auctions with accessible starting bids.
Focus first on generating initial bids, comments, and orders. Once the room has built some activity, gradually move toward your normal Auction pricing and regular product assortment.

Find the Right Auction Setup for Your LIVE

There is no single Live Auction setup that works for every seller. Your assortment, price range, product value, and stage of LIVE operations should determine how you use it.
The key is to decide what role each Auction product plays and what happens immediately before and after the Auction. An affordable item might be used to encourage bidding before a Hero SKU is pinned. A rare item might be reserved specifically for Auction. A seller with many similar SKUs might use several short Auctions to move through the assortment more efficiently.
With the 9.9 Mega Campaign approaching, plan three things in advance: which products will go to Auction, how you will set the starting bids, and where each Auction round will sit within your LIVE flow. Then adjust the setup based on how shoppers respond during the session.