Consumer purchase behavior in livestreaming commerce: An investigation through the lens of the UTAUT2 model

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractThe rapid growth of livestreaming commerce has transformed online retail in Asian markets, blending entertainment and shopping into an interactive and immersive experience. Despite its increasing prevalence, limited research has examined the determinants of purchase intention and actual buying behavior in emerging economies such as Vietnam. This study employs the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) to investigate the key factors influencing consumer behavior in livestreaming commerce. A structured online survey was administered to 520 Vietnamese consumers with prior experience purchasing through livestreaming channels. Data were collected using purposive sampling from e-commerce communities and social media networks between March and April 2025. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the proposed model. The results reveal that Performance Expectancy (β = 0.441, p < 0.001) has the strongest positive effect on Purchase Intention, followed by Effort Expectancy (β = 0.215, p < 0.001), Hedonic Motivation (β = 0.140, p = 0.006), and Price Value (β = 0.103, p = 0.030). Social Influence (β = –0.045, p = 0.218) shows no significant effect, suggesting that livestream shopping decisions are driven more by perceived utility and enjoyment than by peer influence. Regarding Actual Purchase, Facilitating Conditions (β = 0.296, p < 0.001) and Habit (β = 0.320, p < 0.001) are significant predictors, while Purchase Intention (β = 0.017, p = 0.583) is not. These findings extend UTAUT2 to a consumer context and offer practical implications for enhancing engagement and conversion in Vietnam’s rapidly digitizing retail landscape.AcknowledgmentThe author wishes to express deep gratitude to all survey participants for their valuable time and contributions, which significantly enhanced the success of this study. The author also extends sincere thanks to the author’s university for the financial support that made this research possible. This research was funded by University of Finance – Marketing.