SINGAPORE – At 5.55pm promptly on May 5, Mr Fredy Chia taps the live function on his smartphone. As viewers trickle in, he relishes these opening minutes of silence – his last before six hours of non-stop talking.

For its 15th anniversary, Chinese skincare brand IEM booked the 28-year-old Singaporean months in advance to do a live sale on the coveted double-digit sale date.

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