Sustainable consumption and impulse buying via livestreaming: The moderating role of price perception on urge to buy impulsively–A PLS-SEM analysis

This study employs the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model to examine the psychological and behavioral mechanisms driving impulse buying through livestreaming on e-commerce platforms, with a particular emphasis on sustainable consumption. It investigates the moderating role of price perception (PP) in the relationship between the urge to buy impulsively (UBI) and impulse buying behavior (IBB), aiming to understand how consumer awareness of pricing can influence more responsible purchasing decisions. Based on 366 valid responses from consumers aged 18 and above who had previously engaged in impulsive livestream purchases, data analysis using SPSS 30.0 and R reveals that susceptibility to social influence, impulse buying tendency, cognitive response (CR), and affective response (AR) significantly increase UBI. Perceived prospect indirectly affects UBI through its positive impact on CR and AR. UBI mediates the relationship between stimulus factors and IBB, underscoring its pivotal role in impulsive consumption. Crucially, PP negatively moderates the UBI-IBB link, suggesting that heightened price sensitivity may encourage more mindful and sustainable consumer behavior. These findings offer valuable insights for e-commerce platforms seeking to design livestreaming experiences that promote ethical consumption while balancing commercial objectives.