TRANSFORMING DIGITAL CONSUMPTION VIA LIVE STREAMING COMMERCE: PRODUCT INFORMATION QUALITY AND PLATFORM SERVICE QUALITY, PERCEIVED VALUE, TRUST AND PURCHASE INTENTION IN CHINA’S HOME FITNESS EQUIPMENT SECTOR

Abstract

Live streaming commerce is reshaping digital consumption in China and has become especially salient in the fast-growing home fitness equipment sector. Focusing on home fitness equipment, this study investigates how product information quality and platform service quality drive purchase intention through the mediating roles of perceived value and trust. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and informed by Media Richness Theory and the Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) consumer decision model, we analyze cross-sectional survey data from 554 Chinese fitness enthusiasts using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results show that both product information quality and platform service quality significantly enhance trust and purchase intention, while product information quality also exerts a strong positive effect on perceived value. Moreover, perceived value and trust serve as significant pathways linking these livestreaming factors to purchase intention, supporting their mediating roles. The study advances theory by integrating S-O-R with media richness and EKB perspectives in a durable-goods livestreaming context, and it  highlights how richer information and dependable services foster more informed, responsible, and sustainable consumer choices. Managerially, the findings recommend investing in rich, accurate, and clear product demonstrations and in reliable, responsive platform services to build trust, enhance perceived value and convert viewers into buyers.