Empowerment to commitment: how live-streaming atmosphere and relational bonds drive impulse consumption?

Purpose This study examines the effects and driving mechanisms of relational bonds (i.e. financial, social, and structural bonds), live-streaming shopping atmosphere factors (i.e. suspense, entertainment, perceived crowdedness, and vicarious experience), consumer empowerment and customer commitment on consumers’ impulse consumption behavior. Additionally, the study examines the moderating influence of product involvement and collectivism. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 665 valid respondents. The authors empirically validated the collected data through the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique, complemented by the artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. Findings The results suggest that financial bonds, structural bonds, suspense, entertainment, and vicarious experience promote consumer empowerment, which in turn leads to customer commitment and impulse consumption behavior. Second, collectivism moderates the relationship between customer commitment and impulse consumption behavior. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence that relational bonds and live-streaming shopping atmosphere factors play predictive roles in enhancing consumer empowerment, which further promotes impulse consumption behavior through customer commitment. Also, collectivism is found as a moderator.