From mobile phone screen to taste buds: A study on the impact of Douyin live streaming E-service scenarios on Durian consumer trust and purchase intention.

Abstract

While live streaming has transformed e-retailing, its application to high-value, perishable agricultural products remains under-theorized. This study aims to explore the micro-mechanism of digital marketing for high-value regional products,reshape the e-servicescape framework specifically for fresh durians sold on social commerce platforms (Douyin), examining the psychological mechanisms driving impulse buying. Adopting an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, the research first conducted in-depth interviews with 18 consumers, employing the Gioia methodology to inductively identify unique agricultural environmental cues. Subsequently, a quantitative survey of 428 verified buyers was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to empirically test the proposed Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. The qualitative findings enriched the e-servicescape by identifying four distinct dimensions: Visual Freshness (diagnostic quality cues), Streamer Expertise (quality gatekeeping), Real-time Interactivity (social presence), and Rural Support Consciousness (altruistic motivation). The quantitative results confirmed that Visual Freshness and Streamer Expertise significantly influence impulse buying through the full mediation of Perceived Trust, whereas Real-time Interactivity and Rural Support Consciousness drive behavior via Perceived Enjoyment. Uniquely, the study validates that moral satisfaction from supporting farmers acts as a hedonic driver in this context. These findings not only advance theoretical understanding by contextualizing fresh fruit marketing but also offer a validated digital-intelligence driven path for upgrading regional industries, providing strategic references for the digital transformation of cultural and agricultural tourism sectors.