Ratings and Live Streaming Drive Customer Purchases on TikTok Shop Social Commerce Platforms

Ilustration by AI 

FORMOSA NEWS

Online customer ratings, interactive live streaming sessions, and consumer text reviews directly shape buying behavior in modern social commerce environments. Researchers Muhammad Kasyfi Fadli, Victor Lamboy Sinaga, and Dina Agnesia Sihombing from Institut Bisnis dan Multimedia Asmi (IBM ASMI) investigated how these digital information signals influence purchasing decisions for 3Second apparel products on TikTok Shop. Published in Jurnal Multidisplin Madani (MUDIMA) in August 2026, the empirical study reveals that combining these three features accounts for 63.7% of the variance in consumer purchasing decisions, demonstrating how aggregated feedback and real-time visual engagement act as primary drivers for online shoppers.

The Evolving Landscape of Social Commerce

Digital commerce has transitioned from basic e-commerce transactions into interactive social commerce environments where social interaction, content creation, and shopping merge within a single platform. Platforms like TikTok Shop allow consumers to evaluate products using multiple information formats before making purchase decisions.

Because online shoppers cannot physically inspect or try on apparel items prior to payment, digital information cues are critical for reducing purchase uncertainty. While traditional e-commerce relied heavily on static text reviews, modern social commerce integrates instant numerical ratings and real-time video demonstrations. Understanding how consumers weigh these distinct information channels helps fashion retailers optimize their digital storefronts and marketing strategies.

Research Methodology

The research team at IBM ASMI used a quantitative associative research design to evaluate the relationship between three digital information features and consumer purchasing decisions. The study sampled 60 eighth-semester undergraduate students at IBM ASMI, drawn from a target population of 144 students using the Slovin formula with a 10% margin of error.

Data collection occurred via online questionnaires using a 5-point Likert scale. The respondent pool was predominantly female (66.7%) and aged between 21 and 22 years (50%), with the largest academic concentration from the Management program (48.3%). The collected data underwent validity, reliability, and classical assumption testing before undergoing multiple linear regression analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.

Key Statistical Findings

The empirical results show that all three independent variables—online reviews, ratings, and live streaming—exert a statistically significant positive effect on purchase decisions for 3Second products on TikTok Shop:

• Numerical Ratings ($B = 0.421, p = 0.013$): Numerical ratings generated the highest regression coefficient among the variables tested. Aggregated star ratings serve as quick visual signals that allow consumers to evaluate product quality rapidly when comparing multiple fashion items.
• Live Streaming ($B = 0.348, p = 0.003$): Live streaming recorded the strongest statistical test value ($t = 3.101$) and the lowest p-value. Real-time product demonstrations and direct host interactions provide visual clarity that addresses remaining product doubts.
• Online Reviews ($B = 0.329, p = 0.038$): Written reviews from prior buyers significantly assist product evaluation by providing detailed accounts of actual customer experiences, though their relative impact was lower than ratings and live broadcasts.
• Simultaneous Impact ($F = 32.805, p < 0.001$): The complete linear model explained 63.7% of the variation in consumer purchase decisions ($R^2 = 0.637$), proving that these three digital features work collectively to drive transactions.

Real-World Impact and Business Implications

The findings provide practical guidance for fashion brands, online retailers, and digital marketers operating on social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop. Rather than treating reviews, ratings, and live streams as isolated features, businesses must integrate all three into a unified digital sales strategy.

To maximize sales conversions, retailers should actively encourage post-purchase feedback to build a rich repository of detailed customer reviews. Consistently maintaining high product quality and fulfillment speed is essential for securing favorable star ratings, which act as initial filtering mechanisms for buyers. Furthermore, investing in trained live-stream hosts who demonstrate garment fits and answer viewer questions in real time directly bridges the gap between digital browsing and final purchases.

"Online reviews provide experiential information, ratings offer aggregated evaluations, and live streaming provides interactive product information. These features complement one another to support consumer purchase decisions."

— Muhammad Kasyfi Fadli, Institut Bisnis dan Multimedia Asmi

Author Profile

Muhammad Kasyfi Fadli, S.M. is a researcher and academic affiliate at Institut Bisnis dan Multimedia Asmi (IBM ASMI) specializing in digital marketing, consumer behavior, and social commerce dynamics. Co-authors Victor Lamboy Sinaga, M.M. and Dina Agnesia Sihombing, M.M. are faculty members at IBM ASMI whose research focuses on business management, marketing strategy, and quantitative data analytics.

Source Information

Article Title: The Effects of Online Reviews, Ratings, and Live Streaming on Purchase Decisions: Evidence from 3Second Consumers on TikTok Shop
Journal Name: Jurnal Multidisplin Madani (MUDIMA)
Publication Year: 2026 (Vol. 6, No. 8, pp. 1154–1160)
Official DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/mudima.v6i8.119

URL : https://journalmudima.my.id/index.php/mudima