How the time-scarcity feature of live-streaming e-commerce affects impulsive buying直播电商的时间性稀缺特征如何影响冲动购买

ABSTRACT Live-streaming e-commerce(LSE) features limited-time resources and usually only lasts for a few hours. Drawing on psychological reactance theory, this study investigates the effects of time scarcity on consumers’ impulsive buying behavior by identifying perceived urgency as the underlying mechanism and examining the moderating role of product types. We conducted two scenario-based experiments to test the research framework. The results demonstrate that time scarcity increases impulsive buying and perceived urgency. Furthermore, the effect of time scarcity on perceived urgency depends on product types, but the effect of time scarcity on impulsive buying is independent of product types. In addition, perceived urgency mediates the effect of time scarcity on impulsive buying of utilitarian products. Our findings provide anchors with evidence on how to leverage the time scarcity feature of LSE to stimulate impulsive buying.