The enrichment of retail e-servicescape with live-streaming integration: insights from qualitative exploration

Purpose As live streaming commerce becomes increasingly growing in the e-retailing environment, it is crucial to explore its role in enriching and expanding the e-servicescape model within e-retailing platforms. This paper seeks to enhance and extend the online retailing e-servicescape by integrating the dimensions specific to live-streaming e-commerce. Design/methodology/approach This research employed a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with 15 participants, focusing on their e-retail live-streaming experiences in China. This method provided valuable insights into the perceptions and experiences of individuals engaged in live streaming as an extension of the e-servicescape. Through thematic analysis, six dimensions of live streaming were identified as enrichments to the e-servicescape framework. Findings This paper proposes enriching the live-streaming dimension by introducing six sub-dimensions: attractiveness and authenticity, reliability and credibility, responsive lively interactions, social connectivity, celebrity influence and community consciousness. These sub-dimensions expand the e-servicescape within online retail platforms. Research limitations/implications It is anticipated that the findings will offer significant perspectives on how online consumers evaluate the importance of live-streaming attributes in the changing dynamics of the e-servicescape. Practical implications By exploring the importance of live-streaming and online purchasing experiences for customers, this insight can help create an online retail environment that is more engaging. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that thematically enriches the e-servicescape by integrating the live-streaming dimension based on e-retailing. It provides a structured framework for future research to employ a quantitative approach to test the effectiveness of the enriched e-servicescape resulting from the integration of live-streaming commerce with consumers’ behavioural responses.