Utilitarian and Hedonic Motivations for Live Streaming Shopping

TLDR

Watching live streams as part of the online shopping experience is a relatively new phenomenon. The study examines live streaming shopping as an online shopping form that incorporates real‑time social interaction. The authors describe two modes of live streaming shopping—embedded in e‑commerce or e‑commerce integrated into live streaming—and analyze how hedonic and utilitarian motivations relate to shopping intention, supported by a content analysis that identified eight reasons consumers prefer it over regular online shopping. Hedonic motivation predicts celebrity‑based intention, while utilitarian motivation predicts product‑based intention.

Abstract

Watching live streams as part of the online shopping experience is a relatively new phenomenon. In this paper, we examine live streaming shopping, conceptualizing it as a type of online shopping that incorporates real-time social interaction. Live streaming shopping can happen in two ways: live streaming embedded in e-commerce, or e-commerce integrated into live streaming. Based on prior research related to live streaming and consumer motivation theories, we examined the relationships between hedonic and utilitarian motivations and shopping intention. We found that hedonic motivation is positively related to celebrity-based intention and utilitarian motivation is positively related to product-based intention. A content analysis of open-ended questions identified eight reasons for why consumers prefer live streaming shopping over regular online shopping.