“Countdown to Buy” the Impact of Perceived Competition and Bandwagon Effect on Impulse Behavior in Live Streaming Commerce

ABSTRACT This study examines how scarcity and atmospheric cues in live streaming commerce (LSC) influence impulse behavior, guided by the stimulus‐organism‐response (S‐O‐R) theory. Using data collected from 2419 Chinese consumers and analyzed using partial least squares (PLS), the results show that both cues significantly enhance consumers' impulse buying tendencies. Furthermore, perceived competition and bandwagon effect mediate these relationships, revealing a distinct psychological pathway through which LSC features stimulate impulsive purchases. By integrating environmental and social triggers into a unified framework, this research extends theoretical understanding of consumer impulsivity in digital contexts. The findings also offer strategic guidance for e‐retailers and platform managers seeking to optimize live streaming settings to encourage spontaneous buying behavior.