Dongfang Li, a Ph.D. student of the RITM laboratory at Université Paris-Saclay, supervised by Lydiane Nabec, will defend her Ph.D. thesis entitled “The impact of Live Streaming Shopping formats on French consumers’ eating habits: analysis of the mediating role of perceived proximity on the intention to purchase local products”, on January 26, 2026. The PhD defense will be held in the Gaudemet Room (Building D of the Jean Monnet Faculty).

Composition of the jury:

  • Olivier Badot, Professor at ESCP Business School and Université de Caen Normandie – Reviewer
  • Gaëlle Pantin-Sohier, Professor at University of Angers – Reviewer
  • Stéphan Marette, Research Director INRAE-PSAE  – Examiner
  • Fanny Reniou, Associate Professor, University of Rennes 1 (IGR-IAE) – Examiner
  • Nathalie Guichard, Professor at Université Paris-Saclay – Examiner

PhD Thesis Abstract: In recent years, the convergence of e-commerce and social media has led to the emergence of Live Streaming Shopping (LSS) worldwide. Thanks to its real-time interactivity and instant visibility, LSS has transformed consumers’ access to food products, particularly locally. As global attention increasingly focuses on healthy diets and sustainable food systems, LSS offers new approaches to promoting consumer access to healthy and sustainable food products. An emerging format in France and widely deployed in China, the effects of LSS on purchasing behavior have yet to be extensively studied in academic literature. Given the lack of research on LSS in the food sector, this thesis explored how LSS formats influence consumers’ intention to purchase local food products online, examining the mediating role of perceived proximity in the food purchasing process via LSS. This thesis used mixed methods conducted in France and China, with two qualitative studies (participant observation and semi-structured interviews), a quantitative study in the form of an online questionnaire, and a laboratory experiment. The results indicate significant variations in consumers’ intention to purchase local food depending on the location of the LSS session and its sales scenario. Perceived proximity plays a mediating role in the effect of LSS formats on purchase intention. In addition, this thesis proposed a typology of LSS formats and validated new dimensions for measuring consumer-perceived proximity in the context of LSS. These results have important implications for the evolution and application of food LSS sales models. As an innovative digital business model, LSS can potentially promote the transition to healthier, more sustainable food systems.