When she was forced to temporarily shut down her store early last month following the detection of a positive COVID-19 case in the Sijiqing clothing market in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, Zheng Lingli kept calm.

The 34-year-old Wenzhou native was worried a little, as the peak season for spring garments was approaching and she had recently replenished her stock. But she was also confident because she had faith in the authorities' ability to manage the situation.

More importantly, she had a card up her sleeve.

"I can livestream," she said.

Despite the disruptions caused by the two-week suspension that followed, Zheng carried on with business, broadcasting products with her employees via popular e-commerce and social media platforms such as Taobao. Monthly online sales at her store now stand at 1 million yuan ($156,980) even as COVID-19 continues to create difficulties.

Like Zheng, 33-year-old Liu Jun, who comes from neighboring Anhui province, also runs a garment business at the clothing market. She first forayed into livestreaming and short videos in July.

She currently makes about 2 million yuan in gross revenue through online sales.

Zheng and Liu are just two of several hundred to have benefited from a series of training courses on e-marketing and live commerce organized by the Administration for Market Regulation in Shangcheng district, Hangzhou, over the past year.

Indeed, Liu's e-sales grew from zero to about 400,000 yuan within a month of taking the courses. "I've seen people sell products through livestreaming, and I thought it looked easy," Liu said. "But when you try your hand at it, essential skills are needed－for example, how to tell your audience a relatable story about your clothing and brand."