Walmart introduces immersive digital shopping experiences

Brief description of the dive:

• Joining other retailers in the virtual store trend, Walmart last week debuted its immersive shopping platform called Walmart Realm, according to a Wednesday LinkedIn post from chief marketing officer William White. Immersive shopping experiences allow consumers to browse virtual environments and purchase products within them.

• The virtual store includes three digital environments curated by online creators Mai Phammy, Nava Rose, Makenzie and Malia. The three sections, called Y’allternative, Go Chromatic and So Jelly, are Western, Metallic and Marine environments where customers can purchase home, fashion and beauty products.

• Walmart Realm also includes gamification elements where users can interact with products and access gifts. The seller started cooperation with Emperia to develop the digital store.

Diving Insights:

Walmart is delving into immersive experiences. Walmart Realm are virtual stores run by influencers whose task is to shorten the distance between inspiration and shopping.

“At Walmart, we are committed to innovation with e-commerce experiences designed with the virtual world at its heart,” White said of the debut of Walmart Realm. “This latest innovation is changing the retail landscape and we are excited to bring it to our customers.”

Last summer a retailer introduced the Supercampus game on Roblox just in time for the back-to-school shopping season. During the game, players could solve puzzles and play with 3M, Crayola and Bic products.

Over the last year or so, the immersive store trend has gained popularity. In addition to Walmart, Emperia has helped other brands and retailers develop their virtual stores, including: Lacoste, Bloomingdale’s AND Tommy Hilfiger.

Similarly, experienced e-commerce company Obsess is expanding its list of retail partners looking to create virtual stores, which currently includes Elizabeth Arden, J crew AND Aloyoga. After launching its virtual store, Alo Yoga, last year started working with Obsess again to develop immersive shopping experiences on Apple Vision Pro, called Alo Sanctuary.

Additionally, after two years of developing the tool, Obsess released Ava by Obsess, which helps brands develop their own virtual stores and customizable 3D experiences. Using this tool, brands and retailers such as Ralph Lauren and Charlotte Tilbury have created virtual stores.

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