Live Streaming Into Impulsive Buying: How Utilitarian, Hedonic, Symbolic Value And Trust Drive Gen Z Customer Engagement On Tiktok Live Commerce

Abstract

The transformation of shopping methods to digital platforms in Indonesia, which provides a space in a live streaming context, has been adopted by many sellers to sell their products directly to customers. Prior studies highlighted the success of big brands like Somethinc, but they have not fully explored the underlying psychological mechanisms driving consumer behavior. This study investigates impulse buying behavior in the context of TikTok live streaming commerce by adopting the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. A quantitative approach was employed with data collected from 229 Generation Z respondents in Indonesia and analyzed using SmartPLS. The research model integrates three dimensions of perceived value (utilitarian, hedonic, and symbolic), two types of trust (trust in products and trust in sellers), and customer engagement. Out of sixteen hypotheses tested, thirteen were supported while three were rejected. The findings reveal that hedonic and symbolic values exert a strong influence on impulse buying, whereas utilitarian value does not demonstrate a significant effect. Perceived value was also found to enhance both product trust and seller trust; however, trust in products did not necessarily translate into trust in sellers, as the latter was shaped more by seller performance and responsiveness during live sessions. Furthermore, customer engagement emerged as the most direct and powerful driver of impulse buying, largely influenced by perceived value and product trust rather than trust in sellers. These results suggest that Generation Z consumers engage in impulse purchases during live streaming not only for practical needs but also as a form of entertainment and self-expression. The study contributes to the growing literature on digital retailing by providing empirical evidence of the psychological mechanisms underlying impulse buying in live streaming commerce, while also offering managerial implications for sellers aiming to optimize engagement strategies in interactive shopping environments.