Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research

Drawing upon social presence and perceived value theories, this study examines how time-limited (TL) and quantity-limited (QL) promotions influence consumers’ purchase intention in live-streaming shopping. Through two controlled experiments (using countdown prompts for TL and inventory visualization for QL), the findings reveal distinct mechanisms: TL promotions elevate functional value by fostering a perception of collective synchronicity, whereas QL promotions boost social value identification through the perception of interactive control. Notably, this latter pathway is moderated by social cue sensitivity. Theoretically, this work unveils a “dual social presence–perceived value” framework that overcomes the limitations of single-mediation models and integrates evidence from eye-tracking and neurobehavioral analysis. Practically, it proposes a strategic promotion-matching criterion (recommending TL for high-circulation goods and QL for scarce items) to optimize live-streaming marketing effectiveness.

Under the rapid development of live commerce, impulse buying has become a core consumption phenomenon, yet its psychological triggering pathways across different consumer groups remain to be fully elucidated. Drawing on the S–O–R framework, this study conceptualizes live-stream interactivity, novelty, and streamer attractiveness as external “stimuli,” and positions immersive experience as the core “organism” mechanism, thereby constructing and testing an integrated “stimulus–experience–response (impulse buying intention)” model. Using a mixed-method approach that combines structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the results show that all three live-stream features significantly enhance impulse buying intention, primarily by strengthening immersive experience, with immersion exerting a significant partial mediating effect. Moreover, consumers’ loneliness significantly amplifies the indirect effect of live-stream features on impulse buying via immersive experience. The fsQCA further uncovers multiple equivalent pathways leading to high impulse buying intention, including a strong-experience pattern centered on “streamer attractiveness + immersive experience,” as well as a social compensation pattern centered on “high interactivity + high loneliness.” This study provides a testable theoretical framework, actionable operational strategies, and sustainable ethical guidance for live commerce, offering a pathway for the industry to achieve a “high experience × high conversion × high well-being” triple-win outcome.

Despite the significant potential of AI applications in tourism marketing communication, consumers’ attitudes and behaviors towards the outputs of these applications are still a mystery. To fill this research gap, the current study examines and compares consumer engagement (CE), novelty and attitude perceptions towards tourism destinations and hotel promotional content created by ChatGPT-4o (vs. human) for social media and web pages. According to the results, ChatGPT-generated messages (GPTGMs) play a crucial role on social media compared to human-generated messages (HGMs). Moreover, based on the theory of uses and gratifications (UGT), tourists’ perception significantly varies between platforms (social media vs. web pages). This research provides insights for marketers on optimizing message design and selecting effective platforms based on consumer reactions to GPTGMs.