Business model innovation of emerging consumer-centric enterprises based on user-oriented information interaction capabilities: a case study of ‘East Buy’ and ‘Adopt a Cow’ in China

In the digital economy, emerging technologies are fundamentally reshaping factor markets and traditional business paradigms. This study adopts user-oriented information interaction capabilities (IICs) as a lens to explore how consumer-centric enterprises drive business model innovation (BMI) to achieve rapid growth in mature markets. Using a multiple-case study of two Chinese firms, ‘East Buy' and ‘Adopt-a-Cow,’ we investigate BMI trajectories and the role of user-oriented IICs. The research reveals that BMI in emerging consumer-centric enterprises is a dynamic process characterized by the synergistic alignment and co-evolution of the business model and its underlying user-oriented IICs. This evolutionary path transcends three phase: Identification phase, Lock-in phase, and Enhancement phase. We identify four critical user-oriented IICs dimensions: bianyi, self-cognizance, contextual empathy, and ecosystemic orchestration. These capabilities act as strategic catalysts, enabling firms to sense market shifts, build trust through transparency, and orchestrate digital ecosystems. This paper constructs an integrated evolutionary model of BMI for consumer-centric enterprises. Practically, it offers a three-phase strategic roadmap for resource-constrained latecomers to bypass traditional barriers and achieve disruptive growth in a digital-intelligent landscape.