What Drives Viewers to Repurchase? The Role of Customer Experience and Relational Bonds

This study investigates the drivers of repurchase intention within the context of Chinese live-stream commerce by examining the interplay between customer experience and relational bonds. Grounded in experiential and relationship marketing theories, the research evaluates how cognitive and affective experiences influence repurchase intention and assesses the moderating roles of financial, social, and structural bonds. Data were collected from 369 consumers in China with prior live-stream shopping experience and analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The findings indicate that both cognitive and affective experiences are significant positive predictors of repurchase intention. Furthermore, financial, social, and structural bonds strengthen these relationships, suggesting that distinct relational bonds uniquely amplify the impact of experience on repeat purchase behavior. This study contributes to the experiential marketing literature by validating the dual influence of cognitive and emotional dimensions. Additionally, it extends relationship marketing research by elucidating the differentiated moderating effects of relational bonds in a live-stream environment. This integrated perspective advances the understanding of how informational and emotional experiences interact with relational strategies to sustain customer loyalty, offering strategic insights for platforms and sellers seeking to optimize retention in emerging digital commerce formats.