The findings highlight how real-time interaction, influencer recommendations, and limited-time promotions can encourage spontaneous purchasing decisions. As social commerce continues to expand across Southeast Asia, the study provides valuable insights for businesses seeking to improve digital marketing performance and customer engagement.
TikTok Shop Becomes a Major Force in Digital Commerce
TikTok has evolved from a short-video entertainment platform into one of the most influential social commerce ecosystems in the world. Indonesia represents one of TikTok’s largest markets, with millions of users actively consuming content and shopping through the platform.
The rapid adoption of TikTok Shop has transformed the way consumers discover and purchase products. Unlike traditional e-commerce platforms, TikTok Shop combines entertainment, social interaction, and shopping within a single digital environment.
Two features have become particularly important in this ecosystem:
- Live Shopping, where sellers promote products through real-time livestreams.
- Affiliate Marketing, where content creators earn commissions by recommending products to their followers.
According to the researchers, these features create a highly engaging purchasing environment that encourages consumers to make decisions quickly and emotionally.
Why Impulse Buying Matters
Impulse buying refers to unplanned purchases made without extensive consideration. In digital environments, impulse purchases are often triggered by emotional responses, social influence, limited-time offers, and persuasive product presentations.
For businesses, impulse buying can increase sales conversion rates and revenue. For researchers, understanding what drives this behavior helps explain how digital platforms influence consumer decision-making.
The study is particularly relevant as social commerce continues to grow worldwide, with platforms increasingly integrating entertainment and retail experiences.
Surveying TikTok Shop Customers
The researchers collected data from customers who had purchased products from Broguy Store through TikTok Shop.
Using a quantitative research design, the study surveyed 100 respondents selected from a population of 1,330 customers. Participants completed online questionnaires measuring their experiences with live shopping, affiliate marketing, and impulse buying behavior.
The data were analyzed using statistical modeling techniques designed to evaluate relationships between consumer behavior factors and purchasing decisions.
This approach enabled the researchers to determine how strongly live shopping and affiliate marketing influence spontaneous buying behavior among TikTok Shop users.
Live Shopping Shows the Strongest Influence
The study found that live shopping exerts the strongest impact on impulse buying.
Consumers who actively engage with live shopping sessions are significantly more likely to make spontaneous purchases. Several factors contribute to this effect:
- Real-time interaction between sellers and viewers.
- Immediate responses to consumer questions.
- Product demonstrations during livestreams.
- Exclusive discounts available only during broadcasts.
- Limited-time promotions that create urgency.
The researchers reported that live shopping generated a stronger effect on impulse buying than affiliate marketing, indicating that direct engagement plays a critical role in influencing purchasing decisions.
According to the study, livestream shopping environments reduce consumers’ tendency to carefully evaluate products and instead encourage emotionally driven decisions.
Affiliate Marketing Builds Trust and Encourages Purchases
The research also found that affiliate marketing has a positive and significant effect on impulse buying.
Affiliate marketing relies on content creators, influencers, and social media personalities who recommend products to their audiences. Consumers often perceive these recommendations as more trustworthy than traditional advertising.
The study identified several reasons affiliate marketing influences buying behavior:
- Credibility of the affiliate or influencer.
- Quality and clarity of product-related content.
- Strong social connections between creators and followers.
- Easy access to products through affiliate links.
When consumers trust a creator’s recommendation, they are more likely to purchase products without extensive planning. This trust reduces perceived risk and increases confidence in purchasing decisions.
As Reza Amelia and Rahmadi of Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati explain through their findings, affiliate recommendations can directly stimulate impulse buying by strengthening consumer confidence in both products and sellers.
Important Implications for Businesses
The findings offer practical guidance for businesses operating in the digital marketplace.
Companies seeking to increase sales on TikTok Shop can benefit from:
- Investing in interactive live shopping sessions.
- Offering exclusive livestream promotions.
- Collaborating with credible affiliates and influencers.
- Creating engaging content that demonstrates product value.
- Building stronger consumer trust through transparent communication.
The researchers suggest that combining live shopping and affiliate marketing strategies can produce stronger marketing outcomes than relying on a single promotional approach.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), these tools provide cost-effective opportunities to expand market reach and improve customer conversion rates.
Broader Impact on Digital Consumer Behavior
Beyond sales performance, the study contributes to a growing understanding of how digital platforms shape consumer behavior.
The findings demonstrate that modern purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by emotional engagement, social interaction, and digital trust. Consumers are no longer driven solely by product necessity; they are also influenced by immersive experiences and social recommendations.
As social commerce platforms continue to evolve, understanding these behavioral patterns will become increasingly important for marketers, policymakers, and researchers studying the future of digital commerce.
Author Profiles
Reza Amelia
Reza Amelia is a researcher from Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati (UGJ), Indonesia. Her academic interests include digital marketing, e-commerce, consumer behavior, and social media business strategies.
Rahmadi
Rahmadi is a lecturer and researcher at Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati (UGJ), Indonesia. His areas of expertise include marketing management, digital business, consumer behavior, and strategic marketing.
Source
Article Title: The Impact of Live Shopping and Affiliate Marketing on Impulse Buying on the TikTok Shop App (A Study of Broguy Store)
Authors: Reza Amelia, Rahmadi
Journal: Jurnal Ekonomi dan Bisnis Digital (MINISTAL)
Year: 2026
Volume and Issue: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 159–176
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ministal.v5i2.14
University Affiliation: Universitas Swadaya Gunung Jati, Indonesia
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