IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jmathe/v13y2025i2p230-d1564790.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Live-Streaming Adoption Strategies in Downstream-Dominant Supply Chain

Author

Listed:
  • Delong Jin

    (School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China)

Abstract

In recent years, live streaming has become popular among merchants as it helps them obtain direct access to and attract customers. This study examines how weak upstream providers and strong downstream sellers adopt live streaming in a supply chain framework. It uses a theoretical game model with one provider and one seller. The seller sets the procurement price, and then the provider decides the supply level. Both can use live streaming alongside traditional channels. The results show that (1) live streaming raises both procurement and retail prices in traditional channels; (2) retail prices may differ or coincide between channels when different parties use live streaming; (3) as live streaming’s market cultivation efficiency decreases, the adoption strategies shift from both parties using it to only the provider or neither; and (4) live streaming always benefits the provider but harms the seller, with the overall impact on the supply chain depending on the cultivation efficiency and types of equilibrium strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Delong Jin, 2025. "Live-Streaming Adoption Strategies in Downstream-Dominant Supply Chain," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:13:y:2025:i:2:p:230-:d:1564790
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/2/230/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/2/230/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Duan, Yongrui & Song, Jia, 2024. "The adoption of live streaming channel considering impulse buying and product returns," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    2. Li, Guo & Li, Xiaochuan & Zheng, Hong, 2023. "Discount preannouncement in the digital supply chain era," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    3. Niu, Baozhuang & Yu, Xinhu & Li, Qiyang & Wang, Yulan, 2023. "Gains and Losses of Key Opinion Leaders’ Product Promotion in Livestream E-commerce," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    4. Xu, Xiaoping & Wang, Yuting & Cheng, T.C.E. & Choi, Tsan-Ming, 2024. "Should live broadcasting platforms adopt artificial intelligence? A sales effort perspective," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 318(3), pages 979-999.
    5. Xin, Baogui & Hao, Yaru & Xie, Lei, 2023. "Strategic product showcasing mode of E-commerce live streaming," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    6. Rui Li & Weidong Huang, 2024. "Differential Games between a Brand Manufacturer and an Internet Celebrity Regarding Fairness Concerns," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-21, October.
    7. Liu, Baolong & Wang, Weilong, 2023. "Live commerce retailing with online influencers: Two business models," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    8. Huang, Lingchen & Liu, Bin & Zhang, Rong, 2024. "Channel strategies for competing retailers: Whether and when to introduce live stream?," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 312(2), pages 413-426.
    9. Lu, Wei & Ji, Xiang & Wu, Jie, 2025. "Retailer’s information sharing and manufacturer’s channel expansion in the live-streaming E-commerce era," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 320(3), pages 527-543.
    10. Tian, Yu & Frank, Björn, 2024. "Optimizing live streaming features to enhance customer immersion and engagement: A comparative study of live streaming genres in China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    11. Cui, Xueqing & Li, Yongjian & Li, Xiang & Fang, Shulin, 2023. "Livestream e-commerce in a platform supply chain: A product-fit uncertainty reduction perspective," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    12. Li, Kaili & Yao, Song & Li, Yongjian & Tang, Fangcheng & Wang, Zhongbin, 2025. "Deliberate shortage in live-streaming commerce," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    13. Chen, Qiuyan & Yan, Xin & Bian, Yiwen & Han, Xiaohua, 2025. "Live streaming channel and product assortment with both national and store brand products," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fan, Xiaojun & Zhang, Lu & Guo, Xin & Zhao, Wenyu, 2024. "The impact of live-streaming interactivity on live-streaming sales mode based on game-theoretic analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Zhang, Haiyue & Sui, Ronghua & Zha, Xiaoyu, 2025. "The key opinion leader introduction and pricing strategy for live streaming e-commerce platforms considering the impact of network effects," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    3. Liu, Xingfen & Zhou, Zhongbao & Zhong, Feimin & Hu, Minhui, 2024. "Resolving the information reliability issue in live streaming through blockchain adoption," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    4. Li, Qingying & Zhu, Shuo & Choi, Tsan-Ming & Shen, Bin, 2025. "Maintaining E-commerce supply chain viability: Addressing supply risks with a strategic live-streaming channel," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    5. Zhang, Ting & Tian, Yuan & Cheng, T.C.E., 2025. "Online retailing with key opinion leaders and product returns," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    6. Chen, Yue & Wang, Yong & Zheng, Jing & Song, Yimin & Wen, Yue, 2025. "Self-reliance vs. Dependence: Optimal live streaming strategies selection for E-retailers at different developmental stages," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    7. Dong, Jingyang & Guan, Zhimin & Yu, Tianyang & Guan, Xingrui & Zhang, Jun, 2025. "Manufacturer encroachment through live streaming considering consumer disappointment aversion," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    8. Niu, Baozhuang & Chen, Yuyang & Zhang, Jianhua & Chen, Kanglin & Jin, Yong, 2025. "Brands’ Livestream Selling with Influencers’ Converting Fans into Consumers," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    9. Lu, Wei & Ji, Xiang & Wu, Jie, 2025. "Retailer’s information sharing and manufacturer’s channel expansion in the live-streaming E-commerce era," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 320(3), pages 527-543.
    10. Xu, Xiaoping & Chen, Xinru & Hou, Jinyan & Cheng, T.C.E. & Yu, Yugang & Zhou, Li, 2025. "Should live streaming be adopted for agricultural supply chain considering platform’s quality improvement and blockchain support?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    11. Zhou, Chi & Yu, Jing & Qian, Yong, 2024. "Should live-streaming platforms nonexclusively promote brands from traditional retail platforms?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. Xu, Xiaoping & Wang, Yuting & Cheng, T.C.E. & Choi, Tsan-Ming, 2024. "Should live broadcasting platforms adopt artificial intelligence? A sales effort perspective," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 318(3), pages 979-999.
    13. Zhang, Xuelan & Lin, Jun & Li, Yifu, 2025. "Dual pricing with purchase hassle," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    14. Zhen, Xueping & Wang, Ping & Li, Xinran, 2024. "The Streamer's sales strategy choice considering sales effort," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Xu, Yuqiu & Cao, Kaiying, 2025. "Competition or co-opetition: Optimal fresh produce delivery mode strategy for livestreaming platform," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    16. Duan, Yongrui & Song, Jia, 2024. "The adoption of live streaming channel considering impulse buying and product returns," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 274(C).
    17. Guo, Shuhui & Chen, Huan & Dai, Bitao & Wang, Mengning & Liu, Shuo & Zhang, Cheng & Liu, Shan & Lu, Xin, 2025. "Influential factors of streamer popularity in the live streaming platform," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    18. Chen, Qiuyan & Yan, Xin & Bian, Yiwen & Han, Xiaohua, 2025. "Live streaming channel and product assortment with both national and store brand products," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    19. Yang, Wenting & Govindan, Kannan & Zhang, Jiantong, 2023. "Spillover effects of live streaming selling in a dual-channel supply chain," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    20. Liu, Jiqiong & Yuan, Rui & Feng, Shuai & Wang, Guanxiong, 2025. "Quality-differentiated distribution strategies between live streaming and online channels," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jmathe:v:13:y:2025:i:2:p:230-:d:1564790. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.