The Effects of Livestreaming and Online Shopping Integration on Buyers’ Online Omnichannel Transaction Experience

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study explores buyers’ online omnichannel transaction experience, focusing on integrating livestreaming commerce and online store channels. It shifts the spotlight from the predominant emphasis on online and offline channel integration to the online-only omnichannel environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded in social cognitive theory, this study adopts a multi-method approach, integrating structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to capture individual and complex interactions among factors.

Findings

The study finds that internet usage significantly enhances online omnichannel experience by strengthening the positive effects of factors. While PLS-SEM results assert that channel integration quality positively impacts online omnichannel experience, fsQCA results indicate improved online omnichannel experience can be achieved in configurations where channel integration quality is absent.

Research implications

The study introduces a unique conceptualization of online omnichannel, revealing symmetric causal mechanisms of online omnichannel experience and improving the findings with asymmetric mechanisms, highlighting new insights, such as achieving higher experience without extensive shopping innovation or channel integration quality.

Practical implications

This study can guide practitioners in understanding the configuration of causal elements that enhance buyers’ omnichannel transaction experience through integrated online channels.

Originality

This research employs symmetric and asymmetric approaches to investigate transaction experience in an omnichannel setting, whereas the conceptualization of omnichannel emphasizes the integration of online-only channels.

KEYWORDS:

• Online omnichannel
• omnichannel experience
• channel integration quality
• shopping convenience
• shopping innovation
• integrated channel usability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data relating to the current study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This work is suported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [72172129]; the National Social Science Foundation of China [20BSH103]; and the Humanities and Social Science Research Planning Fund of the Ministry of Education [21YJA63003, 20YJC860006].