The influence of streamers’ cultural intelligence on consumer continuance in live commerce

Purpose Given the cultural diversity of live commerce audiences and the intensifying competition that makes retaining existing consumers ever more difficult, this study investigates how streamers' cultural intelligence shapes consumers' relationships with these platforms and, by extension, their continued, extended use of live commerce. Design/methodology/approach A total of 599 valid responses were gathered through a cross-sectional, online questionnaire survey and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. Findings The results indicate that streamers' behavioural cultural intelligence positively influences consumer engagement, which in turn promotes key platform outcomes, namely satisfaction, love and loyalty. These attitudes stimulate usage intention, ultimately prompting continued and extended use of live commerce, reflected in usage behaviour, experience response and cross-category usage. Practical implications This study yields valuable insights for practitioners. It stresses the need to account for cultural diversity within even national borders. Recognizing streamers as key human touchpoints in live commerce, this study underscores the need for platforms to develop and train streamers' cultural intelligence, which is found critical for retaining existing consumers and ensuring platform sustainability and, by extension, sectoral growth. Originality/value By examining how streamers' cultural intelligence affects consumers' continued and extended use of live commerce, this study advances existing knowledge of the streamer's role in consumer retention. This cultural lens also adds new insight to source characteristics, extending beyond those typically featured in conventional source-effect models (e.g. credibility).