Do the characteristics of live streaming matter? The evidence from China on consumer purchase intention Open Access

In recent years, live streaming shopping has gained significant traction in China, originating in 2016 and taking center stage during the COVID-19 pandemic as business activities shifted online. As the name suggests, livestream e-commerce utilizes video content on digital platforms to sell or promote products and services in real time, which is completely different to traditional home shopping TV. This new shopping format is entirely digital, allowing customers to interact with sellers/podcasters instantly regarding any offer in which they are interested and greatly enhances the decision-making process. Although live streaming shopping was popular in China before COVID, forced quarantine and strict confinement in the pandemic combined to nurture entertainment in relation to the shopping experience, proving the best formula for its take-off. As a result, many merchants view live streaming as a potent sales tool integrated into e-commerce or social media platforms, giving rise to a new facet of e-commerce that enhances the performance of numerous sellers (Wu et al., 2023).

Projections suggest that China’s live streaming market value amounted to 3.64 trillion yuan (509.6 billon USD[¹]) in 2022 and was anticipated to reach 8.16 trillion yuan (1.142 trillion USD), a substantial leap from 2018 (Live Commerce Report, 2024). China dominates the live shopping industry, but other countries are also showing interest. Inspired by China’s success, live shopping is growing rapidly in the USA. In 2022, it was expected to reach $20bn, and this figure could more than triple in the next five years (Live Commerce Report, 2024). The earnings of sales stars in the live streaming domain have escalated rapidly, surpassing those in various other occupations. Top celebrities such as internet sensation Jiaqi Li reportedly earn hundreds of millions of USD annually (South China Morning Post, 2024), underscoring the lucrative nature of this emerging industry.

In the realm of innovative shopping experiences, live streaming commerce stands out by significantly enhancing the transparency, visualization and communication immediacy of sales activities, especially when compared to traditional online shopping (Bao and Zhu, 2023; Ma, 2021b; Sun et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2021). Existing literature affirms that factors such as atmosphere (Cuong, 2024) and environment (Gabriel et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2013), and characteristics specific to online shopping, can influence customer purchasing behavior. As a result, live streaming shopping captivates consumer engagement through its visual interface, precise product presentation, interactive features and entertainment elements, solidifying its position as a primary avenue for companies to boost sales (Ramos et al., 2024).

While some studies have already delved into the influence of user-interface design and gift-giving features on consumer purchasing behavior (Cho et al., 2023), the majority of scholars have predominantly concentrated on the motivations of viewers and streaming platform broadcasters (e.g. Camilleri and Falzon, 2021; Chen and Lin, 2018). Additionally, a minority has highlighted the significance of consumer engagement and perceived values (Cai et al., 2018; Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020). Moreover, two dimensions dominate in the live streaming research literature (Li et al., 2024). Firstly, the majority studies of use source credibility theory (SCT) to underscore the influence of live streamers on consumers’ purchase intention (Liao et al., 2023). For example, factors such as streamers’ physical attractiveness and the match between streamers and the products are normally studied. Secondly, given the perspective of users’ motivations and perceptions, uses and gratifications theory (UGT) provides special insights into the impact of information quality and interaction quality of live streaming business on customers’ purchase intention (Zhang et al., 2021). Moreover, the technology acceptance model (TAM) suggests that the individual’s perceptions of the ease of use and the usefulness of certain technologies could predict customers’ intentions and future use of the products (Camilleri and Falzon, 2021). However, research systematically understanding the mechanisms of live stream shopping from the contextual characteristics remains scarce, particularly due to the lack of information on the contextual attributes of live streaming (Ramos et al., 2024).

Therefore, to address the current gap, this study uses stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory to explore how live streaming features influence consumers’ intentions. The theory provides a framework where a stimulus triggers a response based on the organism’s internal evaluation, ultimately leading to purchase decisions (Gabriel et al., 2023). While Sun et al. (2019) employed SOR theory to explain how live commerce influences purchase decisions, particularly through IT affordance and live streaming engagement, the specific mechanisms by which live streaming impacts consumers’ purchase intention remain unclear. Further investigation is needed, especially from the perspective of perceived values – for instance, how to understand live streaming’s characteristics, customer perceived value and purchase behaviors integratively from a comprehensive perspective. Live streaming commerce involves a unique form of interaction between humans and electronic terminals, necessitating an integrated approach to analyze the collective impact of these features on consumer purchasing behavior.

Hence, this research investigates the impact of live streaming characteristics on consumer purchase intention (PUI) within the context of this emerging commerce format. The study identifies the effects of three key dimensions of live streaming characteristics – communication immediacy (COM), visualization (VIS) and interactivity (INT) – on consumer purchase behavior, specifically purchase intention. Furthermore, the paper incorporates two consumer- perceived utilitarian valPHV (PUV) and perceived hedonic values (PHV), within the internal transmission mechanism (Alam et al., 2024).

The study mainly makes three contributions to the existing literature. Firstly, this study responds to the call for new research directions in marketing, particularly addressing the emerging trend of live streaming, which lacks sufficient information (Ramos et al., 2024). Secondly, it unveils the influential mechanism of live streaming characteristics on consumer purchase behavior, rooted in SOR theory, enriching the literature in this domain. Thirdly, the approach incorporates both consumer-perceived values and live streaming shopping features, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics at play. Ultimately, the findings offer valuable practical insights and guidance for sellers and digital platforms aiming to leverage live streaming for their market activities.

Live streaming shopping has emerged as a novel facet of social commerce, seamlessly integrated with social business and media platforms to foster interactive engagements between sellers and consumers (Sun et al., 2019). Expanding on Friedlander’s (2017) delineation of three live streaming content categories – chatting and sharing information, a slice of life and entertainment media – Cai and Wohn (2019) introduced additional content dimensions specific to live streaming commerce. Cai et al. (2018) defined live streaming commerce as a subset of e-commerce imbued with real-time social interaction, recognizing two prevalent types: feature-based e-commerce shopping sites or apps with live streaming capabilities, and commerce activity-based live streaming platforms. Additionally, live streaming has rejuvenated traditional online social commerce, enhancing product visualization, operational convenience, and interaction facilitation (Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020). Moreover, it has evolved into a pivotal component of business innovation, with platforms like Taobao, Facebook and Instagram incorporating live streaming features (Wang and Wu, 2019). The surging popularity of live streaming has not only transformed the landscape of traditional commerce but has also been embraced by prominent brands such as Burberry and Starbucks. These brands leverage live streaming through channels like Facebook Live to broadcast their marketing activities, reflecting the dynamic shift in marketing strategies (Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020).

Despite the increasing popularity of live streaming shopping, recent scholarship has brought forth novel perspectives (e.g. Chen and Lin, 2018). Existing research largely focuses on the psychological aspects of streamers and customers, investigating their motivations and engagement in live streaming shopping (Ma, 2021a). A few studies have also explored the link between streamers’ characteristics and consumers’ impulse buying behaviors (Li et al., 2022). Cai et al. (2018) have pointed out that live streaming shopping encompasses not only social commerce features but also distinct media characteristics. Besides, scholars (Guo et al., 2021a) have emphasized the role of live streaming in traditional online commerce, highlighting its three key characteristics: interactivity, visibility, and communication immediacy. However, there is a notable scarcity of studies exploring how these characteristics might impact consumers’ perceived value and subsequently influence their purchase intentions through live streaming (Branca et al., 2024). Consequently, this study aims to scrutinize the causal relationships among the features of live streaming shopping, consumers’ perceived value, and their purchase intentions, thereby addressing a significant research gap.

SOR theory, first introduced by Mehrabian and Russell (1974) in environmental psychology, suggests that environmental factors trigger emotional and cognitive responses, leading to specific behaviors (Hu and Chaudhry, 2020). The theory includes three components: stimulus, organism, and response. The theory has been widely used in consumer behavior studies (Chan et al., 2017). For example, Donovan et al. (1982) studied the influence of the retail store environment on consumer purchasing behavior by applying SOR theory in a retail context. Furthermore, studies on how the characteristics of e-platform conduct impact on consumers’ perceived value and their purchase decision have also used SOR to explain the mechanisms (Zhou et al., 2022). Therefore, with the prevalence of online shopping and e-commerce, the SOR model was applied to the internet environment to investigate the influence of environmental factors on consumers’ willingness to make online purchase decisions. However, there is still limited understanding of the impact mechanism of live streaming commerce on consumer purchase behaviors. In particular, how do certain live streaming features impact online purchase intention?

Therefore, based on SOR theory and drawing on the work of Guo et al. (2021a), which explored consumer purchase intentions through live streaming features, this paper introduces three dimensions – interactivity, visibility and communication immediacy – to conceptualize the external stimulus in live streaming. The organism represents the consumer’s emotional and cognitive conditions, conceptualized as an internal evaluation prompted by external environmental elements (Eroglu et al., 2001) and viewed as an intermediary state between stimulus and response (Chang and Chen, 2008). Scholars have further categorized the organism into cognitive reactions and affective reactions, where cognitive reactions involve mental processes, and affective reactions denote emotional responses (Kamboj et al., 2018).

Additionally, given the multifaceted nature of perceived values in shopping experiences, where utilitarian and hedonic values are effective in explaining shopping rewards (Alzayat and Lee, 2021), this study adopts utilitarian value (cognitive reaction) and hedonic value (affective reaction) as organism variables to examine the final purchase response. The response signifies the ultimate outcomes and reactions of users based on organism reactions and internal evaluations (Chan et al., 2017; Hu and Chaudhry, 2020). Emphasizing the importance of sustaining consumer engagement in the online marketing literature (Hu and Chaudhry, 2020), this study identifies purchase intention as the response in the research model. Figure 1 illustrates the research model of this study.

Drawing upon the SOR model, this study posits that interactivity, visibility, and communication immediacy influence consumers’ purchase intention through perceived utilitarian value and hedonic value. The formulated hypotheses for the model are outlined below.

Interactivity, representing the subjective perception of high-quality interaction between buyers and sellers in live streaming shopping (Wang et al., 2019), is defined by Liu (2003) as the extent to which two or more groups can communicate reciprocally and synchronously. In the context of live streaming shopping, customers can actively engage with streamers, offering comments or inquiries related to specific information about target products (Sun et al., 2019). Hu et al. (2017) highlight that streamers’ identification is influenced by parasocial interaction, subsequently impacting audiences’ continued watching intentions.

Literature suggests that interactivity can affect utilitarian value, as effective interactivity enhances perceived quality and aids in consumers recalling their shopping experiences (Yoo et al., 2010). According to customer psychology, customers often prioritize the quality and price of a product, considered an essential source of perceived utilitarian value (Wu and Huang, 2023). The synchronic interactivity between sellers and buyers regarding the product presentation will help customers understand the price and quality of a product, which further facilitates communication, customizes information, and enhances customers’ decision quality and confidence in products (Fiore et al., 2005). For example, streamers can try on different styles of clothing and share their experiences and impressions of the product in real time with customers via the live platform. This interaction enhances trust between sellers and buyers, strengthening their perceived utilitarian value.

Practically, sometimes streamers will become storytellers to show a product, which is often seen in the selling of children’s toys, showing the enjoyment and playfulness of the consumption experience (Zhang et al., 2023). In addition, some streamers will present a show to promote the product, which is quite often seen in the process of selling books, increasing customers’ enjoyable purchasing experience (Bao and Zhu, 2023). As a result, in the process of watching a live streaming, consumers gain hedonic value from the interactions (Wu and Huang, 2023). Scholars have also found a positive relationship between interactivity and psychological benefits, hedonic value being a prominent psychological benefit of shopping (Kit-Fong, 2023). Therefore, hedonic value, as one of the perceived values customers seek arising from the playful aspects of the shopper’s experience (Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020), is indicated to increase with interactivity, offering enjoyable and fun experiences (Yoo et al., 2010). Such positive effects stemming from psychological closeness in live streaming contribute to higher customer satisfaction, viewed through the affective response-satisfaction perspective (Kian et al., 2019). Based on these considerations, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Live streaming offers a more sociable and authentic shopping experience compared to traditional online websites, leveraging digital technologies for streamers to provide real-time visual content and detailed product explanations (Xue et al., 2020). In contrast to conventional online shopping, the authenticity and visualization inherent in live streaming enable customers to see and envisage products, thereby enhancing customer trust (Guo et al., 2021b). Shopping online, especially when dealing with smaller and independent sellers, normally involves more risk for customers due to the potential lack of legitimacy of sellers and suppliers (Babin et al., 1994). In addition, customers who buy clothes online often find that the received products do not match their expectations and do not look good on them. In live streaming, streamers showcase products by trying them on or using models, providing comprehensive information without information asymmetry. This reduces psychological distance between customers and streamers, enhancing the authenticity and visual appeal of the shopping experience (Li et al., 2022). Moreover, live streaming commerce illustrates that viewers can more easily comprehend intricate aspects of the stream through visual inputs (Chung et al., 2021). Visualization, one of the key characteristics of live commerce, increases the authenticity of customers’ received information and can offer a more suitable and affordable product (Wu and Huang, 2023). The perceived utilitarian value is hence increased.

Furthermore, similar to the effects of interactivity on hedonic value, visualization facilitates customers’ perceived hedonic value as it can give viewers a sense of immersion and presence, consequently motivating them to continue watching the live stream (Lv et al., 2022). The streamers’ presentation shows the products along with entertainment, allowing customers easily to reduce the psychological distance and achieve excitement and pleasure at the time of making a decision purchase (Fazal-e-Hasan et al., 2017). Above all, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Real-time online chat and conversation play a pivotal role in facilitating two-way instantaneous communication between viewers and streamers, creating a sense of spatial and communication immediacy that immerses the viewer in the live streaming experience (Wang and Wu, 2019). Scholars have already identified communication immediacy as a crucial determinant influencing viewers’ engagement experience in live streaming, which could heighten customers’ desires (Xu et al., 2020). For instance, streamers can actively engage with viewers, enabling them to obtain more authentic and concrete product information and ultimately enhancing their utilitarian value (Li et al., 2022). In this regard, customers can receive immediate feedback from streamers during the online shopping process. In addition, the widely used text-based chat bar on live streaming platforms takes other consumers’ comments, particularly those who already purchased and used the products. Such positive presentations of comments make clear the use of products and services, which enhances social bonds with customers who have not made a purchase decision and ultimately improves overall customer satisfaction and helps customers to know the utilitarian value of products (Galib et al., 2023).

Furthermore, increasing psychological engagement is emphasized, which could lead to a feeling of immersion when users interact synchronously with their objectives to fulfill intrinsic motivations and needs (Kim et al., 2013). The majority of streamers on live platforms are celebrities who have a large base of fans and are presented as experts specializing in the products. Their endorsements to some extent tie consumers’ emotional attachments and make them trust the quality of products. Literature also indicates that streamers’ communication has a positive impact on viewers’ immersion (Liao et al., 2023) and it is suggested that immersive experiences yield hedonic values such as enjoyment (Yim et al., 2017). Therefore, the following hypotheses are proposed:

Utilitarian value is generally related to functional benefits, whereas hedonic value is regarded as an assessment of the experiential benefits – for instance, pleasure, excitement, escapism, and spontaneity (Arruda Filho et al., 2020). Consumers’ purchase intention is highly impacted by the perceived values, regardless of whether the subjective aspects of hedonic consumption or the objective dimensions of utilitarian purchase such as convenience, diversity of product supply, product information, etc. (Shi and Jiang, 2023). Therefore, both utilitarian value and hedonic value serve as crucial determinants influencing consumers’ decisions, playing significant roles in guiding consumers’ behavior throughout online shopping processes. Furthermore, the live streaming process augments the consumers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values, which could easily drive their purchase intentions (Akram et al., 2021). Hence, the following hypotheses are proposed:

This study focuses on e-commerce and social media platforms featuring live streaming shopping, such as Taobao.com, JD.com, Pingduoduo.com, Kuaishou, and Douyin. Taobao.com, JD.com and Pingduoduo.com dominate China’s e-commerce landscape, together commanding over 70% of the market share (E-commerce, 2023). Kuaishou and Douyin are prominent operators of live streaming within social media. The different types of platform offer similar services for live streaming shopping, facilitating product visualization and allowing customer comments and interactions with suppliers. Furthermore, there is an intersection between e-commerce and social media platforms in the live streaming shopping process. Sellers often present products on Douyin or Kuaishou, guiding customers to purchase through links on e-commerce platforms like Taobao.com, JD.com, or Pinduoduo.com. Consequently, it is challenging to attribute customer responses to a specific type of platform. This study aims to examine the overall impact of live streaming shopping on customers’ purchase intention.

The survey method, utilizing a five-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree), was employed to measure each item in the study. The questionnaire included 31 specific self-report items distributed across six respondent information categories, covering three live streaming characteristics, two perceived values, and one consumer purchase behavior. All items were adapted from previous studies, with minor modifications to align with the Chinese context. To address potential language misunderstandings, a forward-backward translation method ensured no significant differences between the English and Chinese versions.

This study utilized the quota sampling method, a nonprobability sampling technique in which the obtained sample matches the proportion of individuals in one critical dimension of the entire population of interest (Lamm and Lamm, 2019). In this study, the quota was determined based on gender. The survey was distributed on Wenjuanxing (www.wjx.cn), a widely used research data collection platform in China with millions of respondents answering questionnaires every day (Sun et al., 2019). Additionally, Wenjuanxing helped us to randomly select live streaming shopping users and remove invalid responses, facilitating data collection efficiency. A prescreening question ensured that only respondents with live streaming shopping experience accessed the full questionnaire. A total of 513 questionnaires were randomly distributed, 72 being deemed invalid due to inappropriate responses. Ultimately, 441 valid questionnaires were identified.

The three dimensions of live streaming features include communication immediacy, with three items (Carlson and Zmud, 1999); visibility, with four items (Dong and Wang, 2018); and interactivity, with three items (Fiore et al., 2005). Concerning perceived value, six items for perceived utilitarian value are derived from Loiacono et al. (2007), while six items for perceived hedonic value are adapted from Mathwick et al. (2001). Finally, three items for purchase intention are directly sourced from Chen and Lin (2018).

This paper also considers several demographic factors, including gender, age, education, online shopping experience, monthly income in the local currency, frequency of live streaming shopping per month and the preferred platform, as outlined in  Appendix. The majority of participants are women, comprising 69.84% (n = 308), aligning with Sun et al.’s (2019) findings regarding gender proportions in the live streaming sector in China. Consequently, this paper believes the data provide a solid representation of the investigated population. Additionally, a significant portion of females falls within the age brackets of 25–30 (n = 175, 39.68%) and 31–40 (n = 126, 28.57%). Approximately 57.14% of respondents hold a Bachelor’s degree (n = 252). The respondents’ monthly income predominantly ranges from 2,000 RMB to 8,000 RMB, representing over half of the total. Regarding user experience, the majority of respondents engage in live streaming shopping fewer than nine times per month (n = 413, 93.65%), and a significant number prefer online purchases through e-commerce platforms (n = 343, 77.78%).

Regarding data analysis, SmartPLS (4.0) and SPSS 26.0 were employed. SPSS 26.0 was utilized for reliability testing and descriptive statistics, while SmartPLS (4.0) facilitated partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Following the previous studies by Arenas-Escaso et al. (2024), Barta et al. (2023), and Foroughi et al. (2023), PLS-SEM involves specifying a theoretical model, developing a measurement model, collecting and preprocessing data, estimating model parameters, assessing structural relationships, analyzing mediation/moderation effects, validating the model, and interpreting findings. This iterative process allows researchers to analyze complex structural relationships and gain insights into latent variables’ effects within their research domain. Besides, SmartPLS, which has the advantage of handling multiple independent variables simultaneously without being constrained by multicollinearity among them, was used to analyze the retrieved empirical data. The PLS approach is effective for examining exploratory theories (Henseler et al., 2009) and does not require a normal distribution of data, making it suitable for small sample sizes (Fornell and Bookstein, 1982) compared to variance-covariance-based SEM. Reliability testing was conducted using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability (CR). Table 1 illustrates that Cronbach’s alpha ranges from 0.835 to 0.963, and CR values fluctuate from 0.751 to 0.963, indicating a satisfactory level of scale and construct reliability. Additionally, all convergent validities are deemed acceptable, with factor loadings exceeding the cutoff value of 0.702 (Comrey and Lee, 1992), indicating robust convergent validity. The average variance extracted (AVE) for all constructs falls within the recommended range, exceeding the minimum criterion of 0.5 (Fornell and Larcker, 1981), ranging from 0.502 to 0.815 (refer to Table 3 for detailed information).

The findings depicted in Table 4 and Figure 2 reveal the causal relationships among the latent variables in the research model. Of the eight hypotheses formulated, two are not supported. Specifically, interactivity and visualization exhibit significant and positive associations with perceived utilitarian value and perceived hedonic value. The research results support H1 (β = 0.371, p < 0.01), H2 (β = 0.468, p < 0.01), H3 (β = 0.659, p < 0.01) and H4 (β = 0.578, p < 0.01). Additionally, perceived utilitarian value and perceived hedonic value demonstrate a significant relationship with purchase intention, affirming positive support for H7 (β = 0.177, p < 0.01) and H8 (β = 0.469, p < 0.01). This study also identified that H5 (β = 0.165, p > 0.1) and H6 (β = 0.186, p > 0.1) are not positively supported by this study. Furthermore, the R² and Q² of perceived utilitarian value are 0.607 and 0.479 respectively, the R² and Q² of perceived hedonic value 0.527 and 0.476 respectively, and the R² and Q² of purchase intention 0.469 and 0.422, respectively. The SRMR value of this model is 0.07. All the parameters indicate that the proposed structural model maintains good model fit and predictive ability.

The analysis results (INT→PUV→PUI, β = 0.125, p < 0.018; VIS→PUV→PUI, β = 0.112, p < 0.000) highlight that perceived utilitarian value serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between (1) interactivity and purchase intention and (2) visualization and purchase intention. Simultaneously, the analysis results (INT→PHV→PUI, β = 0.369, p < 0.000; VIS→PHV→PUI, β = 0.267, p < 0.000) demonstrate that perceived hedonic value acts as a mediator in the relationship between (1) interactivity and purchase intention and (2) visualization and purchase intention. However, neither perceived utilitarian value nor hedonic value mediates the relationship between communication immediacy and purchase intention. The mediation effect results are summarized in Table 5; they suggest that environmental stimulus may influence purchase intention through the organism, aligning with the SOR framework’s proposition. These findings align with the assumptions proposed in the SOR framework.

This study addresses the research gap identified in the literature, emphasizing the need for empirical evidence on factors influencing consumers’ cognitive and emotional decision processes, ultimately shaping their purchase intention in live streaming (Hu and Chaudhry, 2020; Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020; Xu et al., 2020). Grounded in the SOR framework, the investigation explores how live streaming characteristics impact customers’ perceived utilitarian value, perceived hedonic value, and purchase intention in live streaming shopping. Eight hypotheses were proposed: H5 and H6 did not gain support, while the others aligned with the analysis results.

The study identifies interactivity and visualization as significant determinants in the context of live streaming commerce, representing the stimulus. The findings highlight that interactivity significantly influences consumers’ perceived value of utilitarianism and hedonism. This resonates with previous literature emphasizing the pivotal role of interactivity in enhancing perceived value (Raney et al., 2003; Teo et al., 2003). Studies also indicate a positive connection between interactivity and utilitarian and hedonic values (Yoo et al., 2010), underlining consumers’ preference for real-time interaction in the live streaming context.

Vision serves as a crucial means for humans to acquire information and establish internal connections. This study affirms that visualization, a key characteristic of live streaming shopping, significantly influences consumers’ perceived values, aligning with the findings of Sun et al. (2019). This suggests that visualization enhances consumers’ trust in products and shortens the psychological distance in live streaming.

While live streaming shopping offers real-time interactions that can impact perceived values and purchase intention, previous research has underscored communication immediacy as a crucial element influencing viewers’ engagement experiences, potentially heightening the inclination to make purchases (Xu et al., 2020). However, the study revealed that communication immediacy does not positively affect utilitarian and hedonic values, contrary to the findings in most previous studies (e.g. Shi and Jiang (2023)). This discrepancy may stem from the fact that customers primarily watch streamers introduce products during live broadcasts, enjoying the process and only engaging in communication when genuinely interested in making a purchase.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that perceived utilitarian value and perceived hedonic value, representing the organism, serve as significant determinants influencing consumers’ purchase intention (Wang et al., 2019). In the context of live streaming, the live streaming process enhances consumers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values, thereby potentially driving purchase intentions (Akram et al., 2021). Furthermore, these values are identified in this study as critical mediators between stimulus and consumer response. These findings are consistent with research by Cai et al. (2018) and Kim et al. (2013), underscoring the significant association between perceived utilitarian and hedonic values and purchase intention. Specifically in the context of live streaming shopping, customers perceive utilitarian value as more closely linked to product-based intention, while hedonic value is more associated with entertainment-based intention (Cai et al., 2018). This highlights the understanding that consumers’ decisions often take into consideration both utilitarian and hedonic needs.

In terms of theoretical contributions, this study enhances theory in three key ways. Firstly, responding to the call by Ramos et al. (2024) for further research on the intersection of live streaming and customer engagement, this paper extends the understanding of live streaming commerce characteristics by introducing additional dimensions beyond the predominant focus on real-time interaction. Unlike other studies that focus on streamers’ characteristics (Liao et al., 2023) and customer motivations (Ma, 2021b), this research incorporates visualization and communication immediacy from the perspective of the live streaming context. These aspects, often overlooked in previous studies, offer a more comprehensive exploration of behavioral intentions in live streaming commerce.

Secondly, the adoption of SOR theory extends its application to the live streaming domain (Sun et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2023), considering a number of variables. The empirical examination delves into the stimulus dimension’s impact on perceived values of utilitarianism and hedonism within the organism dimension, subsequently influencing purchase intention in the response dimension (Santos and Schlesinger, 2021). Thirdly, while previous studies have examined certain aspects of live streaming, such as Sun et al. (2019), who found that visibility, metavoicing, and guidance shopping affordances influence purchase intention through immersion and presence engagement, this study contributes by identifying mediation effects involving utilitarian and hedonic values. This highlights the sensitivity of customers’ psychological values to external environmental elements and their critical role in decision-making. This enriches understanding of the psychological mechanisms at play in live streaming commerce.

In terms of practical implications, this study offers valuable insights for stores, live streaming platforms, and individual streamers to optimize their approach to attracting and retaining viewers as customers. Firstly, the prominence of interactivity and visualization as key determinants of perceived customer values suggests that streamers should prioritize features like live chats, polls, and Q&A sessions. These interactive elements actively engage viewers in real time, fostering a sense of community and enhancing perceived customer value. By encouraging two-way communication, sellers can enhance customers’ perception of the experience as both functional and entertaining, increasing the likelihood of purchase intentions.

Secondly, visualization has proven essential in building consumer trust and reducing psychological distance in live streaming contexts. Sellers should invest in high-definition video equipment, lighting, and clear, visually appealing product displays. Digital platforms can further support this by offering easy-to-use visual tools for sellers, such as 360-degree product views and zoom features, enabling viewers to make more informed decisions.

Thirdly, although immediate communication did not significantly impact perceived values in this study, sellers should ensure that their focus remains on high-quality, informative product demonstrations. Streamers might adopt a balanced approach, prioritizing demonstrations and allowing spontaneous interactions only when there is a clear interest, enhancing viewers’ engagement without overwhelming them.

Fourthly, the findings reveal that consumers’ purchase intentions are influenced by both utilitarian and hedonic values. Sellers should design their live streaming content to address both aspects, ensuring that they communicate product functionality and utility while integrating entertaining elements. For instance, using humor, storytelling or themes that resonate with viewers can create a more enjoyable shopping experience, catering to both rational and emotional drivers of purchase intention.

Finally, digital platforms and sellers should emphasize how live streaming characteristics enhance perceived utilitarian and hedonic value. Highlighting these benefits in promotional content can attract consumers who value both functionality and enjoyment in their shopping experiences. Additionally, sellers can consider segmenting audiences based on preferences for utilitarian versus hedonic content to create more personalized experiences that align with specific consumer motivations.

Table 6 summarizes the research conclusions and implications.

Regarding the limitations of this study, firstly, the focus on respondents from China limits its generalizability due to regional differences, as China has diverse cultures across different regions. Secondly, the sampling method could be a limitation influencing the outcomes, as women participants were the primary respondents. Thirdly, the measurement items could be updated according to more recent studies to make the variables more robust and widely accepted.

With respect to the future direction, while this study broadly examines live streaming characteristics, perceived values, and purchase intention without categorizing products into utilitarian or hedonic items, it acknowledges potential variations in results if these categories were to be analyzed separately. Future research could investigate differences in customers’ perceived values in respect of utilitarian and hedonic items within the context of live streaming commerce.

Additionally, the insignificance of communication immediacy in this study warrants further exploration. Future research could delve deeper into this variable to better understand its causal relationships and its role in influencing consumer behavior during live streaming sessions.

Furthermore, the focus on respondents from China in this study limits its generalizability due to regional differences. Future research should address this limitation by collecting data from diverse cultural contexts, allowing a more comprehensive exploration of potential variations in human behaviors in the realm of live streaming commerce.

Finally, given the higher percentage of women and people under 31 years of age identified in this study, future studies are encouraged to incorporate gender and age into the research model as control variables. Furthermore, previous studies regarding live streaming in China have demonstrated that the majority of participants are women. Therefore, it could be of great interest for the future study to deepen the related research field with a qualitative method.

Funding: This study is funded by the Humanities and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China under Grant 24YJC630203 and Grant 18YJA880076.

Table A1