Live Streaming Commerce and Consumer Behavior

Live streaming commerce represents an emergent form of online retail in which real-time video broadcasts facilitate direct interaction between hosts and consumers. Drawing upon established theories of social commerce, recent work has illuminated how immediacy, authenticity and interactivity in live broadcasts shape consumer perceptions, emotions and decision-making. Audiences experience heightened social presence through real-time chat, influencer endorsements and dynamic product demonstrations, fostering trust and engendering both planned and impulse purchases. Psychological constructs such as flow experience, perceived enjoyment and urgency frame viewers’ engagement, while economic drivers—including limited-time offers and cross-border bargains—expand global reach. From a managerial perspective, streamers’ expertise, linguistic style and social capital have emerged as levers to optimise purchase intentions across diverse product categories. Alongside these opportunities, research highlights challenges in information asymmetry, platform governance and the regulation of persuasive tactics, underscoring the need for balanced strategies that protect consumers while sustaining innovation.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

One line of inquiry has applied the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework to impulsive buying in live streaming commerce. Research conducted in China with empirical survey data shows that perceived enjoyment, influenced by streamer attractiveness and expertise, amplifies the urge to purchase spontaneously. Although perceived usefulness enhances enjoyment, it does not by itself trigger impulse buying, indicating that emotional engagement rather than utilitarian assessments drives snap decisions in live broadcasts.

Another study focusing on cross-border e-commerce live streams demonstrates that interactive features significantly boost overall perceived value and purchase intention while reducing uncertainty. By examining saving-money deals as a moderator, the work reveals that bargain incentives further magnify the positive effects of live streaming features on consumers’ valuation, thereby providing actionable guidance for global merchants seeking to expand into international markets through live presentations.

Research on the influence of streamers’ social capital shows that professionalism and parasocial relationships enhance trust, which in turn elevates purchase intention. Negative public events involving hosts were found to undermine trust and dampen consumer willingness to buy. Reciprocal expectations of live streaming communities also contribute to heightened trust levels, delineating a nuanced portrait of how hosts’ reputations and community bonds coalesce to shape commercial outcomes.

Live Streaming Commerce and Consumer Behavior publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in live streaming commerce and consumer behavior across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) Framework: A model describing how external stimuli (platform features, streamer cues) affect internal organism variables (emotions, cognition) and lead to behavioural responses (purchase decisions).

Parasocial Relationship: A one-sided emotional bond wherein viewers develop feelings of friendship or loyalty toward on-screen personalities despite no reciprocal interaction.

Social Presence: The degree to which a communication medium conveys the sense of being together, enhancing empathy and engagement in online interactions.

Social Capital: The network of relationships, trust and norms of reciprocity that a streamer builds with viewers, which influences consumers’ trust and purchase intentions.

References

1. Impulse Buying Behaviors in Live Streaming Commerce Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response Framework. Information (2021).
2. How Live Streaming Features Impact Consumers’ Purchase Intention in the Context of Cross-Border E-Commerce? A Research Based on SOR Theory. Frontiers in Psychology (2021).
3. Influence of Streamer's Social Capital on Purchase Intention in Live Streaming E-Commerce. Frontiers in Psychology (2022).
4. A Study on the Impact of Linguistic Persuasive Styles on the Sales Volume of Live Streaming Products in Social E-Commerce Environment. Mathematics (2021).