Dual impact of live-streaming e-commerce on non-live sales: Evidence from Douyin

Globally, live-streaming e-commerce has emerged as a dominant force in product promotion. Existing research indicates that, as one of the channels capable of boosting sales, the adoption of live-streaming e-commerce exerts a notable impact on the sales performance of other marketing channels. Despite its ubiquity, its cross-channel impact on non-live sales channels remains underexplored. To address this gap, this study draws upon attention economy theory as a sensitizing framework and integrates cue utilization theory to investigate both the immediate and long-term impacts of live-streaming e-commerce on non-live sales performance for different broadcaster types. We propose that attention scarcity triggers temporary cognitive dependency in the short run and habitual attention reallocation in the long run, which jointly drive consumers to dynamically shift their attentional and behavioral focus between live and non-live channels. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset sourced from Douyin, this study analyzes 10 months of sales performance data from 272 streamers. The findings reveal a significant positive spillover effect on immediate non-live sales. Interestingly, the results also reveal a negative intertemporal substitution effect on future non-live sales, particularly following brand broadcasters. By integrating attention economy theory and cue utilization theory, this study builds a unified framework that explains the dual impacts of live streaming on non-live sales—spillover and substitution—thereby providing critical insights for retailers seeking to optimize multichannel strategies and broadcaster selection to balance short-term sales surges with long-term channel health.