Unveiling impulse buying patterns in travel live-streaming through the lens of social cognitive theory

Grounded in the social cognitive theory, the main aim of this study is to explore the impact of telepresence, social presence, and emotional engagement on impulsive buying tendencies within the realm of travel live-streaming (TLS). To examine further, the moderating effect of guidance shopping was included. An online questionnaire was distributed to 332 live-streaming viewers from China, and the collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that telepresence and social presence exert significant influences on emotional engagement and impulsive buying tendencies. Notably, the study identifies the mediating effect of emotional engagement and the moderating effect of guidance shopping. In practice, this research highlights the importance of streamers leveraging TLS platform functionalities to amplify the sense of “presence” and cultivate stronger emotional connections with viewers, thereby stimulating impulse buying. Additionally, streamers are encouraged to guide viewers in their decision-making process, addressing concerns to elevate engagement levels.