How Streamers Foster Consumer Stickiness in Live Streaming Sales

• Published in: Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 1196 - 1216
• Main Authors: Jiao, Yongbing, Sarigöllü, Emine, Lou, Liguo, Huang, Baotao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Curicó MDPI AG 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Brand loyalty; Consumer behavior; Consumers; consumer–brand stickiness; consumer–streamer identification; consumer–streamer stickiness; Electronic commerce; Influencer marketing; live streaming sales; Multivariate statistical analysis; perceived streamer support; Sales; Shopping; Social networks; Social support; Streaming media; Success
• ISSN: 0718-1876; 0718-1876
• DOI: 10.3390/jtaer18030061

Streamers play a critical role in fostering consumer stickiness in live streaming sales. Thus, it is necessary to make clear the mechanism of how streamers influence consumer stickiness. Based upon the theories of social support, social identification and consumer stickiness, this study investigates the effects of consumers’ perceived emotional support, informational support, financial support, affectionate support and social network support from streamers on consumer–streamer identification, which in turn affects consumer–streamer stickiness and consumer–brand stickiness in live streaming sales settings. Based on the structural equation modeling analysis of 280 online questionnaires, using the software of Smart PLS 3.0, the results demonstrate that perceived emotional support, perceived informational support, perceived financial support and perceived affectionate support enhance consumer–streamer identification, thereby enhancing consumer–streamer stickiness and consumer–brand stickiness, and thus, consumer–streamer stickiness also enhances consumer–brand stickiness. This study not only extends the theories of live streaming sales, but also provides practical implications for enterprises’ improving consumer–streamer stickiness and consumer–brand stickiness in live streaming sales.