Multi-Channel Supply Chains Considering Live Streaming Sales and Spillover Effects

Abstract: With the rapid development of e-commerce, an increasing number of companies, such as Huawei, Apple, and Adidas, are no longer confined to offline physical stores for product sales. They leverage third-party e-commerce platforms or establish online stores on their official websites. Modern consumers have access to various purchasing channels, including e-commerce platforms, offline stores, and manufacturer direct sales. In recent years, a new e-commerce model, live streaming sales, has emerged. In live streaming sales, professional salespersons or key opinion leaders (KOLs) showcase product performance, aiming to sell products online. Unlike traditional online channels, live streaming sales alleviate new consumers' uncertainty about product information through real-time interaction or comments from KOLs. Live streaming has been adopted by e-commerce giants worldwide, such as Taobao, JD.com, and Amazon, due to its significant sales revenue potential. Additionally, channels with KOLs may generate negative or positive spillover effects on other channels. These effects are crucial parameters for exploring the impact of seller profits in the multi-channel supply chain under live streaming conditions. Both domestic and international research have focused on live streaming sales, multi-channel sales, and spillover effects, with many studies yielding significant economic and social benefits. However, challenges faced by multi-channel supply chains, including complex channel management, difficulty in information synchronization, brand consistency issues, and increased costs, need to be addressed. To overcome these challenges, recommendations include integrating channel resources, optimizing channel experience, establishing cross-channel data analysis systems, strengthening supply chain coordination, continuous innovation and improvement, and strengthening brand building.