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Investigating the dynamic impact of customer traffic on sales performance: An empirical study of livestream e-commerce

Author

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  • Liang, Xuedong
  • Liang, Zhentang
  • Zhao, Yunying
  • Luo, Peng

Abstract

With the develop of livestream e-commerce, understanding how different traffic sources dynamically interact with sales performance is increasingly essential. guided by retail traffic theory, this study uses 381 days of data from a leading Douyin channel named Yuhui-Tongxing. the research applies a vector autoregressive model with exogenous variables model to analyze the dynamic effects of fan-based, paid, short-video, and algorithmic traffic. the results highlight distinct roles for each traffic type. fan traffic is the strongest driver of long-term total sales. short-video traffic effectively triggers immediate orders and helps convert casual viewers into loyal followers over time. in contrast, paid traffic significantly boosts sales efficiency but does not increase total sales volume. additionally, the study finds a competitive trade-off where reliance on paid traffic may reduce organic algorithmic recommendations. these findings promote retail traffic theory by showing that the livestream traffic ecosystem is an interconnected system.

Suggested Citation

  • Liang, Xuedong & Liang, Zhentang & Zhao, Yunying & Luo, Peng, 2026. "Investigating the dynamic impact of customer traffic on sales performance: An empirical study of livestream e-commerce," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:92:y:2026:i:c:s096969892600127x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104846
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