Will Walmart dominate virtual retail?

It’s not enough that Walmart decided to open 150 new stores in the US. Beyond the real world, Walmart has launched a virtual shopping platform, Walmart Realm, which represents a significant evolution in the world of e-commerce. This innovative marketplace introduces a unique mix of influencer-led virtual stores, creating immersive shopping experiences for consumers.

Walmart Realm aims to gamify the shopping journey by using Emperia’s advanced technology to transport customers to fantasy worlds. These virtual environments not only allow users to interact with products, but also offer nostalgic online games, making the shopping process both immersive and fun.

On LinkedIn, William White, Walmart’s chief marketing officer, shared how Walmart Realm “pushes boundaries as a first-of-its-kind digital shopping experience with influencer-led virtual stores in immersive worlds. It’s fantastic, it’s inspiring and, to put it simply, it’s great fun. At Walmart, we are committed to innovation with e-commerce experiences designed for the virtual world. This latest innovation is changing the retail landscape and we are excited to bring it to our customers.”

The core of Walmart Realm is several distinctive virtual stores, each led by influencers and inspired by popular social trends. These stores include:

• So Jelly: An underwater playground full of vivid colors and imaginative surprises for fun shopping.
• Your alternative: A Western-style place with a touch of dark, gothic aesthetics, offering a unique and bold atmosphere.
• Go to chromatic version: A futuristic environment with shiny metallics and elegant patterns, perfect for those looking for a modern shopping atmosphere.

In addition to theme stores, Walmart Realm features social content from the retailer’s creators, increasing product discoverability and engagement. The platform also includes three mini-games, each inspired by the presented products.

Justin Breton, director of brand experience and strategic partnerships at Walmart, highlighted the platform’s innovative approach. He emphasized that Walmart Realm is not just a digital replica of a physical store, but a creative shopping experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional retail. “We continue to shorten the distance between inspiration and commerce by highlighting the best fashion, beauty and home products selected by our creator partners in each virtual store,” Breton explained.

With Walmart Realm, the company is betting on immersive commerce as the future of online shopping. This initiative marks just the beginning of Walmart’s efforts to define and lead in this innovation space and its commitment to combining technology, creativity and social impact.

Earlier this year, Walmart and Unity partnered to integrate Walmart’s commerce APIs with the Unity game and app development platform. This enables developers to sell physical items in real-time 3D (RT3D) on over 20 platforms, increasing user engagement by enabling seamless in-game purchases.

The collaboration leverages Unity’s massive developer community and aims to combine virtual activities with physical shopping experiences. Walmart has already tested this model in virtual experiences such as “House Flip,” “Avakin Life,” and “ZEPETO,” where users can purchase real-world items that match virtual goods.

Walmart’s Unity Software-Development Kit (SDK) will allow developers to embed these commercial APIs, allowing players to purchase physical products without leaving the game. This integration helps maintain immersive experiences and offers developers new revenue streams in the form of affiliate commissions.

Additionally, last year Walmart launched “Walmart Discovered,” a virtual experience on Roblox that aims to foster community engagement and creativity. Users aged 13 and over can explore various revamped sections such as Sports, Animals, Racing and Beauty, where they discover and vote for their favorite games, virtual items and experiences. This initiative highlights over 300 community creators and allows developers to monetize their creations through Roblox’s currency, Robux.

“Walmart Discovered” includes personalized features such as My Department, where users can save and revisit virtual items and experiences, and My Cart, a customizable assistant inspired by iconic Walmart shopping carts. This immersive experience is available on multiple devices, including PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Amazon, Xbox, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The platform aims to inspire customers and build stronger online communities through interactive and engaging virtual experiences.

Last month, Walmart also enhanced its Walmart Connect advertising platform, modernizing it so advertisers can reach more consumers.