How pre-purchase return tendency shapes planned vs. unplanned returns in livestream commerce

While livestream commerce (LSC) is plagued by exceptionally high product return rates, whether consumers' return behaviours are explained by their pre-purchase return-related psychological states is largely unknown. This study addresses this critical issue by investigating how consumers' Pre-purchase Return Tendency (PPRT), a subjective assessment of return likelihood formed before a purchase, shapes actual return behaviour, and crucially, what the key boundary conditions of this relationship are. Through a longitudinal field study across two distinct industries, we linked consumers’ real-time PPRT survey data to their post-purchase return outcomes. From the lenses of Construal Level Theory and Implementation Intentions Theory, we find that PPRT is a significantly stronger driver for planned returns, where it reflects a pre-meditated strategy, than for unplanned returns. Furthermore, we uncover the dual role of Perceived Ease of Return (PEOR): it does not moderate the strong PPRT-planned return link, but it acts as a critical amplifier for unplanned returns, significantly strengthening the relationship. These effects are consistently more potent in the high-stake, quasi-experience good context (pearl jewellery) compared to the lower-stake, search good context (hair comb industry). This research offers a nuanced, evidence-based model of consumer return behaviour, providing important theoretical and managerial implications for the LSC era.