An Empirical Analysis of Livestreaming E-Commerce on Gen Z Consumer Purchase Intentions in China and Western Markets

This study comparatively examines how livestreaming e-commerce attributes influence the purchase intentions of Generation Z (Gen Z) consumers in China and a pooled Western sample drawn from the United States and the United Kingdom. The conceptual model integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Uses and Gratifications (U&G) Theory, Social Presence Theory, and Source Credibility Theory to explain the roles of streamer credibility, real-time interactivity, entertainment value, and perceived risk. Survey data were collected from 842 Gen Z respondents (China, n = 421; pooled US/UK sample, n = 421) and analyzed using multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM). The reported structural results show that streamer credibility and real-time interactivity have larger positive coefficients in the Chinese sample, whereas entertainment value has the largest positive coefficient in the pooled US/UK sample. Perceived risk is negatively associated with purchase intention in both groups, with a significantly stronger negative relationship in the pooled US/UK sample. Because the design is cross-sectional and relies on self-reported purchase intention, the findings are interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal or broad cultural mechanisms. The study contributes a comparative framework for adapting livestreaming commerce strategies across distinct market settings.

Livestreaming E-Commerce; Generation Z; Purchase Intention; Streamer Credibility; Interactivity; Entertainment Value; Perceived Risk; China; United States; United Kingdom

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