The Impacts of Channel Characteristics, Influencer Characteristics, and Product Characteristics on Live Commerce Viewers’ Purchase Intention*

Purpose: This study investigates how consumers form purchase intention in live commerce by integrating three sets of antecedents (channel, influencer, and product characteristics) and by testing the role of perceived usefulness within a partial mediation framework. While prior studies have often examined these factors separately, this study proposes an integrated model in which multiple cues jointly shape perceived usefulness and purchase intention through both direct and indirect paths. Research design, data, and methodology: A survey was conducted with Chinese consumers who had prior shopping experience via live commerce, yielding 367 valid responses. Measurement reliability and validity were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model was estimated using structural equation modeling within a partial mediation framework, in which channel characteristics (interactivity, entertainment, convenience), influencer characteristics (expertise, attractiveness, awareness), and product characteristics (product quality, brand awareness) were specified as antecedents of perceived usefulness, while both direct and indirect paths to purchase intention were examined. Mediation was further tested using bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples. Results: Interactivity and entertainment among channel characteristics, expertise and awareness among influencer characteristics, and brand awareness among product characteristics positively and significantly influenced perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness, in turn, had a significant positive effect on purchase intention. In the partial mediation model, convenience showed a significant direct effect on purchase intention, whereas most other direct paths were not statistically significant. Bootstrapping results indicated that brand awareness and influencer awareness had significant indirect effects on purchase intention through perceived usefulness, suggesting that different antecedents operate through different paths. Conclusions: The findings indicate that purchase intention in live commerce is shaped through a partial mediation structure where direct and indirect paths coexist. Perceived usefulness plays an important role in linking key channel-, influencer-, and product-related cues to purchase intention, while some factors (e.g., convenience) influence purchase intention directly. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of designing live commerce experiences that enhance consumers’ perceived usefulness, particularly through interactivity, entertainment, influencer expertise, influencer awareness, and brand awareness.