Live Shopping Phenomenon: Between Marketing Innovation and Bai' Najasy
Every time a live streaming session begins, thousands of consumers flock to the comment section and race to press the checkout button. The host shouts, “DISCOUNT ONLY 30 SECONDS LEFT!”, “STOCK IS ALMOST GONE!”, or “FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!”. Shopping, which was once based on consideration of needs, has transformed into a race against time. This phenomenon is not merely a new way of shopping, but a marketing strategy that combines entertainment, social interaction, and psychological pressure to accelerate purchasing decisions.
The question is, does this practice still align with the principles of Islamic muamalah, which uphold honesty, transparency, and mutual consent in transactions?
The live shopping phenomenon has grown rapidly alongside the increasing use of digital platforms in Indonesia. Unlike conventional e-commerce transactions, live streaming merges shopping with entertainment and direct interaction between sellers and consumers. The presence of flash discounts, limited vouchers, and various exclusive offers during the broadcast pushes consumers to make immediate purchasing decisions.
This strategy has proven effective in boosting sales and driving the growth of the digital economy. However, the question is not simply whether this strategy successfully increases transactions. The more important question is whether the psychological mechanisms used in live shopping with flash discounts are in accordance with the principles of Islamic muamalah.
Shopping via live streaming with flash discounts is fundamentally a permissible marketing innovation. However, when the strategy is designed to suppress consumers’ ability to think rationally and encourage impulsive decisions, ethical issues arise that need to be examined. In the Islamic perspective, the issue of buying and selling is not only about the permissibility of the goods being traded, but also encompasses the method of transaction and how the parties involved are treated fairly.
Psychologically, the effectiveness of live shopping relies on several consumer behaviour concepts. The first is Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), the anxiety one feels when they believe they might lose an opportunity that others are gaining. Countdown timers, the continuously increasing number of buyers, and the flurry of viewer comments create social pressure that drives a person to purchase immediately without adequate evaluation.
Second is the Social Proof Theory. During a live broadcast, consumers witness thousands of people making purchases simultaneously. Information such as “10,000 products have been sold” or “500 people are currently checking out” creates the perception that the product is worth buying because many others are doing the same. As a result, the purchasing decision is no longer entirely based on personal need, but is also influenced by mass behaviour.
Third is the concept of urgency marketing. Discounts that are only valid for a few minutes create time pressure, making consumers feel they must act immediately. In a rushed state, the ability to compare prices, assess the product’s benefits, or consider one’s financial situation diminishes. Various studies on consumer behaviour show that high time pressure is closely linked to an increase in impulsive buying.
From the perspective of fiqh muamalah, this phenomenon can be associated with the concept of bai’ najasy. Bai’ najasy is the practice of creating a false impression of high interest or demand for a product with the intention of influencing others to buy. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), this practice was commonly carried out by pretending to raise the price without any real intention to purchase. Substantively, its essence is creating a market perception that does not fully reflect the actual conditions.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) prohibited the practice of najasy.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).
In the context of live shopping, elements resembling najasy can emerge when the seller or platform displays claims such as “THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE CHECKING OUT”, “STOCK IS ALMOST GONE”, or “THE BEST-SELLING PRODUCT TODAY” without supporting data. Such information creates the perception that the product has very high demand, prompting consumers to buy not out of need, but out of fear of missing an opportunity that many others seem to be seizing.
This phenomenon becomes increasingly relevant when linked to various digital marketing strategies that exploit consumer psychology. Countdown timers, real-time purchase notifications, and displays of continuously increasing viewer and buyer numbers can shape the perception that a product has higher value because it is in high demand. In such conditions, purchasing decisions are often no longer based on rational needs, but on the impulse to follow the majority’s behaviour.
Islam affirms that a valid transaction must be based on the mutual consent of both parties. Allah SWT states in QS. An-Nisa verse 29: “O you who have believed, do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, except it be a trade based upon mutual consent among you.” This verse indicates that consent in a transaction must arise from honest information and conscious consideration. When a purchasing decision is influenced by a perception of demand that is artificially constructed, the quality of that consent becomes questionable. Consumers are not making decisions based entirely on an objective assessment of the product, but are driven by the perception that many others are doing the same.