Factors affecting continued purchase intention in live streaming shopping: parasocial relationships and shared communication networks

Live streaming shopping (LSS) has become a means of increasing sales and has become a crucial research topic. Drawing on uncertainty reduction theory, parasocial relationship theory, and social influence theory, this study develops a research model to investigate the factors affecting LSS viewers’ continued watching and purchase intentions. The results indicate that the real-time multiparty interactivity of LSS offers information from two sources that can satisfy the long-term viewers’ needs for information. The first is the viewer’s perceived affinity with the streamer based on the information shared by the streamer. These perceptions lead to the development of a parasocial relationship, promoting identification with the streamer. The second is the shared communication network (SCN) comprising the audience watching the LSS content. This SCN generates social influence; coviewers’ endorsements and trustworthiness are internalised and influence the perceived credibility of the streamer and can promote identification with the streamer. Parasocial relationships, credibility, and identification with the streamer increase viewers’ intention to continue to watch LSS content and to purchase the products sold by the streamer. This study contributes to the LSS literature by investigating the influence of viewer–viewer interactions and highlighting the importance of the SCN in maintaining streamer–viewer relationships.