The Influence of Anchor Characteristics on Consumers' Impulse Apparel Purchase Intention — Evidence from FsQCA

Live streaming has become the hottest marketing method for apparel brands nowadays. E-commerce anchors, as the core of live marketing, have an important role in influencing consumers' impulse purchase intention. However, the research on clothing brand anchor characteristics on consumers' impulse purchase intention based on live-streaming anchor characteristics has yet to be explored in related studies. The article uses consumer trust and attitude as mediating variables, and the cognitive-affective system as an analytical framework. All variables are tested by validated factor analysis, and FsQCA to analyze the grouping of anchor characteristics (attractiveness, popularity, professionalism, interactivity, and brand fit) in apparel live streaming marketing. The article discovers seven configurations that triggered consumers' high impulse purchase intention and five configurations of non-high impulse purchase intention. The findings indicate that (a) all dimensions of anchor characteristics have a significant effect on consumers' impulse purchase intention, in which the effect of popularity is most significant; (b) consumers' trust has a mediating effect between anchors' attractiveness, popularity, interactivity, brand fit, and impulse purchase intentions; (c) consumers' trust and consumers' attitude have a chain-mediated effect between popularity, brand fit, and impulse purchase intention. The results of the research will help clothing anchors to further understand consumers' information needs and perceived preferences, and provide references to improve the quality of live streaming.