Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services最新文献

When algorithms meet ethics: Mapping consumer moral responses to AI versus human marketing practices 当算法遇到伦理：绘制消费者对人工智能与人类营销实践的道德反应

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104729

Tana Gegen , Junwu Chai , Wenlin Chen , Gladys Wauk

{"title":"When algorithms meet ethics: Mapping consumer moral responses to AI versus human marketing practices","authors":"Tana Gegen , Junwu Chai , Wenlin Chen , Gladys Wauk","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the contemporary digital marketing environment, companies generally conceal a key paradox through grand narratives of consumer empowerment: technological empowerment may lead to a loosening of consumers' ethical frameworks. This contradiction has given rise to an urgent theoretical dilemma: how to understand and reconcile consumer ethical behavior in the context of AI marketing? Drawing on the Hunt-Vitell moral framework, this study provides initial evidence through three experiments: AI customer service is more likely to induce unethical consumer behavior than human customer service, and this result remains robust after controlling for demographic variables. In-depth exploration of the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon, our findings are consistent with a dual-path psychological model: the systematic nature of AI activates consumers' teleological assessment tendencies, making it easier to rationalize unethical behavior through a result-oriented approach, while the emotional interaction of human customer service evokes deontological judgments, guiding consumers to weigh the moral dimensions of their behavior. Notably, the subtle yet critical moderating role played by service recovery strategies in this process is evident: insufficient recovery can exacerbate the adverse effects of teleological evaluation, while effective recovery can effectively inhibit unethical behavior by enhancing deontological judgments. By analyzing typical scenarios, such as self-service bargaining, this study not only provides a cognitive assessment-based perspective on understanding how the algorithmic nature of AI systems can be exploited but also offers novel insights into the governance of marketing ethics in the digital age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104729"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Indulgent or self-controlled? How streamer characteristics and health-threat message framing drive purchase intentions 放纵还是自我控制？流光特征和健康威胁信息框架如何驱动购买意向

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104722

Yanzhe Yuan, Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun, Wei Shao, Haroon Iqbal Maseeh, Yaning Zhang

{"title":"Indulgent or self-controlled? How streamer characteristics and health-threat message framing drive purchase intentions","authors":"Yanzhe Yuan, Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun, Wei Shao, Haroon Iqbal Maseeh, Yaning Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Health-related live-streaming commerce increasingly relies on streamers to shape consumers' understanding of product claims, yet little is known about how lifestyle-oriented streamer characteristics interact with message framing to influence persuasion. This research aims to examine when and why streamer characteristics enhance or undermine the effectiveness of health-threat communication in live-streaming contexts. Drawing on Schema Congruity Theory and Regulatory Focus Theory, we conduct five pretests and four scenario-based experiments involving 3676 participants across multiple health-related product categories. The studies manipulate streamer characteristics (indulgent vs. self-controlled), health-threat message framing (high vs. low), and consumers' regulatory focus. The results reveal a robust matching effect: self-controlled streamers are more persuasive when delivering high-threat messages, whereas indulgent streamers are more effective when presenting low health-threat information. This congruence increases purchase intentions by enhancing perceived diagnosticity and reducing psychological reactance. Moreover, these effects are contingent on consumers’ motivational orientation—promotion-focused consumers respond more favourably to indulgent streamers paired with low health-threat messages, while prevention-focused consumers show the strongest responses to self-controlled streamers delivering high-threat information. The findings advance research on interactive commerce and health communication by identifying lifestyle-based streamer cues as a key driver of persuasion and by clarifying the psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying these effects. From a managerial perspective, the results highlight the importance of aligning streamer characteristics, message framing, and audience segmentation in health-related live-streaming campaigns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104722"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Engaging with intelligence: AIMA scale for artificial intelligence marketing activities in E-commerce 参与智能：面向电子商务领域人工智能营销活动的AIMA量表

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-20 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104725

Rajat Kukreti, Mayank Yadav

{"title":"Engaging with intelligence: AIMA scale for artificial intelligence marketing activities in E-commerce","authors":"Rajat Kukreti, Mayank Yadav","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this research is to conceptualize and develop a multidimensional construct of Artificial Intelligence Marketing Activity (AIMA) to measure consumers' attitudes toward AI-infused marketing in electronic commerce. The study fills a literature gap by using a rigorous, multiple-step scale development methodology, consisting of literature searches, qualitative focus groups, open-ended questioning, expert assessments, and quantitative validation tests. Results of exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, AIMA construct structure definition, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and nomological validity are assessed using structural equation models. Findings indicate AIMA is a six-dimensional construct (affinity, customization, information, interaction, problem-solving, and responsiveness), using an 18-item scale, representing a robust instrument with sound psychometric criteria, in addition to test-retest reliability. The AIMA instrument validates an effective way to measure consumers' attitudes toward AI-infused marketing in the context of electronic commerce. The AIMA scale is a diagnostic instrument in its strategic usage, though not prescriptive; it is predictive in nature but is used in attributing importance to AIM practices in evidence-based customer engagement strategic decision-making in an AI-driven context that might require cross-validation testing in diverse settings to avoid generalization shortcomings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104725"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146039845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Turning buzz into behavior: Shopping companions as buffers against ambivalence in novelty marketing 将话题转化为行为：购物伙伴作为新奇营销中矛盾心理的缓冲

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104745

Hanwen Bi , Yi Huang , Xinye Hu , Yu Pan

{"title":"Turning buzz into behavior: Shopping companions as buffers against ambivalence in novelty marketing","authors":"Hanwen Bi , Yi Huang , Xinye Hu , Yu Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Promoting consumer adoption of novelty products requires attention to both firms' marketing strategies and the psychological processes underlying consumer decision-making. Although novelty products often spark curiosity due to their uniqueness, they also elicit uncertainty and perceived risk, generating emotional ambivalence that inhibits consumers from acting on their initial interest. This research proposes that leveraging shopping companions can serve as an effective marketing strategy to reduce such ambivalence and, in turn, increase consumers’ acceptance of novelty products. Across seven studies—including laboratory experiments and large language model (LLM)-based text analysis—we demonstrate that shopping companions, particularly close friends, systematically reduce emotional ambivalence and lead to more favorable evaluations of novelty products. This companion effect holds for both low-priced and high-priced products. We also identify key boundary conditions: the effect is stronger for hedonic than utilitarian products, and it is moderated by price impact. When the novelty option carries a price premium over a regular alternative, the companion effect diminishes. Furthermore, the benefit does not extend to consumers high in fear of negative evaluation (FNE), for whom companion presence fails to reduce ambivalence. Together, these findings highlight the strategic value of integrating companion-based marketing with novelty-driven product design and communication, offering firms a powerful pathway to enhance consumer adoption in competitive marketplaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104745"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Co-created value in live-streaming commerce: Conceptualization, measurement and validation 直播商业中的共同创造价值：概念化、测量和验证

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-10 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104760

Hamed Azad Moghddam , Gary Mortimer

{"title":"Co-created value in live-streaming commerce: Conceptualization, measurement and validation","authors":"Hamed Azad Moghddam , Gary Mortimer","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104760","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104760","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Live-streaming commerce (LSC) has emerged as a transformative digital channel, enabling real-time interaction, immersion, and value co-creation among streamers, consumers, and online communities. However, research on how co-created value can be conceptualized and measured in this context remains limited. This study develops and validates the Co-Created Value in Livestreaming Commerce (CCV-LSC) scale, grounded in Service-Dominant Logic and the DART framework—Dialogue, Access, Risk Assessment, and Transparency. Using a four-study design, qualitative interviews, expert evaluations, and large-scale surveys are employed to generate, refine, and test the measurement model. Findings show that CCV-LSC is a multidimensional construct that captures both the classic DART dimensions and live-streaming specific features such as consumer-to-consumer interaction and perceptions of fairness. Importantly, CCV-LSC significantly predicts sustainable consumer engagement, underscoring its strategic role in building long-term relationships. The study contributes theoretically by extending co-creation theory into a digital retail context, methodologically by offering a validated scale, and practically by providing actionable insights for platforms and brands seeking to strengthen consumer trust, engagement, and loyalty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104760"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189952","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Face meets machine: How price promotions shape consumer preference for virtual assistants (VAs) vs. human in luxury retail 人脸与机器的相遇：奢侈品零售中价格促销如何塑造消费者对虚拟助手（VAs）与真人的偏好

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104767

Xiaoping Zhang , Linlin Su

{"title":"Face meets machine: How price promotions shape consumer preference for virtual assistants (VAs) vs. human in luxury retail","authors":"Xiaoping Zhang , Linlin Su","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advances in artificial intelligence encourage luxury firms to consider virtual assistants (VAs) as frontline service providers. It is thus important to understand whether consumers are willing to accept VAs as service providers in luxury retail. Drawing on face theory, this study examines consumer preferences for VAs versus human salespeople under price promotion versus full-price conditions. We also test the mediating effect of face consciousness and the moderating role of concern for face. Across three studies and an additional robustness check, we find that consumers prefer VAs under price discount conditions but prefer human salespeople in full-price luxury consumption. This phenomenon is explained by face consciousness. When purchasing full-price luxury products, consumers perceive more face gain if a salesperson provides service. In contrast, when price discounts are offered, consumers perceive less face loss if a VA provides service. Our result also indicates that differences in the stable individual trait of concern for face strengthen these effects, which further supports that face consciousness is an important mechanism in luxury consumption. Our findings offer insights for luxury firms to deploy and design VAs to meet consumers’ needs for signaling social status by purchasing luxury products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104767"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Crafting the customer e-journey: The role of digital anticipation nudges in a seamless delivery experience and actual purchasing behavior online 打造客户电子旅程：数字预期在无缝交付体验和实际在线购买行为中发挥着推动作用

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-14 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104747

Antonin Woimant , Nadia Steils , Isabelle Collin-Lachaud

{"title":"Crafting the customer e-journey: The role of digital anticipation nudges in a seamless delivery experience and actual purchasing behavior online","authors":"Antonin Woimant , Nadia Steils , Isabelle Collin-Lachaud","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the boom in e-commerce, dropout rates between the stages of the e-commerce customer journey are high. Although prior research has assumed that these stages flow seamlessly, it has yet to examine <em>how</em> one can actively shape stage transitions. We address this gap by theorizing and demonstrating how digital anticipation nudges can facilitate the progression between e-journey stages. In particular, the use of digital nudges to provide informational cues about future journey stages could help customers complete their entire e-journey and influence actual purchases. Based on anticipation and digital nudging principles, our research encompasses five studies conducted in collaboration with a major e-retailer: a qualitative study, three large-scale field experiments, and a controlled experiment. Applying this methodology, we explain how digital anticipation nudges can be used as an approach to smoothing e-journey stage transitions, reducing consumer risk perception through anticipation, and thus impacting both intended and actual purchasing behaviors. Our results further show that the extent of moderating effects depends on product type, nudge type, and psychologically close nudge information. Finally, our findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of customer e-journeys that highlights the strategic use of anticipation nudges to facilitate consumers’ journey progression.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104747"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146190070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

From consolidation to fragmentation: How removing shipping thresholds reshapes purchase behaviour 从整合到分裂：移除运输门槛如何重塑购买行为

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104742

Weilu Sun , Yimeng Zhang , Yongyue Bie , Qiang Guo

{"title":"From consolidation to fragmentation: How removing shipping thresholds reshapes purchase behaviour","authors":"Weilu Sun , Yimeng Zhang , Yongyue Bie , Qiang Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Premium membership programmes such as Amazon Prime and JD Plus aim to deepen customer loyalty by removing shipping frictions. While prior research has documented their positive effects on long-term retention and net revenue, much less is known about how they reshape the micro-level structure of transactions and the associated cost-to-serve. We examine a “purchase fragmentation dilemma,” in which eliminating a free-shipping threshold increases purchase frequency but reduces average order value (AOV), thereby undermining transactional efficiency. Using large-scale transaction data from a leading e-commerce platform, we employ propensity score matching with regression adjustment and a quasi-experimental comparison based on institutional variation as supportive triangulation. Our estimates indicate that membership is associated with higher engagement but a statistically significant 2.5 % reduction in AOV, driven primarily by a downward shift in price mix rather than item count. Model-free evidence from bunching around the shipping cut-off shows that non-members strategically consolidate orders to clear the threshold, whereas members purchase on demand. These results reveal a fundamental trade-off in membership programme design: smaller, more frequent orders can erode efficiency gains from higher engagement, complementing prior revenue-focused findings with a micro-mechanism and operational perspective. We formalize this trade-off with a Membership True Net Value (MTNV) framework and discuss implications for platform strategy, including tiered memberships and consolidation incentives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104742"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

RFID in smart retailing: The roles of shopping experience, technostress, and disconfirmation sensitivity in driving repurchase intention 智能零售中的RFID：购物体验、技术压力和不确认敏感度在驱动再购买意愿中的作用

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104728

Phuong Viet Le-Hoang, Nguyen Tan Loi

{"title":"RFID in smart retailing: The roles of shopping experience, technostress, and disconfirmation sensitivity in driving repurchase intention","authors":"Phuong Viet Le-Hoang, Nguyen Tan Loi","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As digital technologies advance rapidly, consumer experiences worldwide are being redefined, with radio frequency identification (RFID) emerging as a key enabler of smart retail. This study investigates how RFID-enabled retail capabilities influence repurchase intention, emphasizing the mediator of shopping experience and the moderators of technostress and disconfirmation sensitivity. Data were collected from 410 consumers in Ho Chi Minh City using stratified sampling across four retail strata (hypermarkets, supermarkets, shopping mall stores, and specialty stores), yielding 359 valid responses analyzed via Structural Equation Model on SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that RFID-enabled service attributes and RFID-enabled inventory visibility management enhance shopping experience, which in turn fosters repurchase intention. Technostress negatively moderates this process, diminishing consumer experience, whereas disconfirmation sensitivity strengthens the link between shopping experience and rebuying intention by amplifying the impact of expectation fulfillment. These results highlight both the benefits and challenges of technology adoption in retail: while operational technologies improve efficiency and customer value, psychological responses can either weaken or reinforce outcomes. From a managerial perspective, retailers should leverage RFID and inventory systems to enhance experience, mitigate technology stress, and manage customer expectations. Theoretically, this study deepens insights into technology-driven consumer behavior through the integration of operational, psychological, and experiential perspectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104728"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The asymmetric impact of air pollution on livestream E-commerce sales 空气污染对电商直播销售的不对称影响

IF 13.1 1区管理学

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104723

Jin Hu , Kaiya Wu , Minmin Huang , Muhammad Irfan , Mingjun Hu

{"title":"The asymmetric impact of air pollution on livestream E-commerce sales","authors":"Jin Hu , Kaiya Wu , Minmin Huang , Muhammad Irfan , Mingjun Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the relationship between air pollution and livestream sales in the context of livestream e-commerce, contributing to the literature on environmental economics and adaptive e-commerce strategies. Using fixed effects model and high-frequency transaction data from the TikTok platform, we establish a causal link between air quality, measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI), and livestream e-commerce sales, revealing asymmetric responses. Specifically, a 50-point increase in AQI—equivalent to a shift from “moderate” to “unhealthy” air quality—results in a 4% increase in livestream e-commerce sales. This effect is driven by behavioral and strategic adjustments by streamers. The impact of air pollution on livestream e-commerce sales varies geographically and climatically, with significant temporal asymmetry, peaking five days after the pollution and declining by the sixth day. While the economic impact is notable, the broader societal costs of air pollution remain substantial. These findings provide key insights into how environmental factors, particularly air quality, shape livestream sales in real time, offering practical implications for e-commerce stakeholders seeking to capitalize on content strategy. Additionally, they highlight the pressing need for policy measures aimed at reducing air pollution episodes. Limitations include coarse product classification and lack of individual-level data, suggesting future research explore finer product categories and heterogeneous consumer responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48399,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services","volume":"91 ","pages":"Article 104723"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0