The metaverse has only gotten more luxurious.
Immersive Trading Platform ByondXR recently launched virtual stores for Armani Skincare and YSL Beauty Thailand. With the aim of becoming the “Shopify of the Metaverse”, ByondXR specializes in XR technology for e-commerce, creating 3D stores and showrooms for companies, brands and retailers. The company has served clients such as Lancôme, Calvin Klein, Olay and Target, before their partnership with Armani and YSL.
This collaboration reinforces the already growing status of virtual reality and augmented reality as the future of e-commerce. Today, XR is not only an exciting feature of video games, it is fast becoming a wise business decision.
Luxury Brands Join the Metaverse with Virtual Stores
Fans of Armani Skincare can now visit the brand virtual store, recently launched. This collaboration between ByondXR and Armani ushered in a new era of online shopping in the luxury goods metaverse.
The virtual store is set up to mimic the experience of shopping in a real Armani store. It even includes a digital memory game, which shoppers can play to win prizes. There is also a virtual makeup tester called the “Virtual Try-On” where users can see what some Armani products would look like before purchasing.
in Thailand, YSL Beauty also stepped into the metaverse era and launched his own virtual store only this month. Like Armani’s store, YSL’s XR store offers games and brand experts to help customers while enjoying the store virtually.
Improving the e-commerce experience
The COVID-19 pandemic that forced people to stay indoors made online shopping the go-to for consumers. But while it was convenient, many shoppers missed the actual experience of wandering around a store and viewing the items for sale, rather than scrolling up and down a computer screen, looking at 2D images of the products.
But now the metaverse is changing the landscape of e-commerce† Imagine lying at home in bed on a cold day, just relaxing. You’re in the mood for some retail therapy, but you don’t feel like going out. AR and VR can help.
Virtual stores are simply the XR version of a company’s physical store. Instead of going to a mall or physical store, customers can visit a store using virtual or augmented reality. With virtual stores for brands like Armani Skincare and YSL Beauty, the online shopping experience is taken to the next level. Customers can feel like they are in the store without actually having to leave their home.
This means that lockdowns or unexpected emergencies no longer hinder business. Business hours would become irrelevant – you can open your virtual store 24/7. Even geography would no longer be a barrier: people from all over the world can visit your store remotely.
Metaverse as the future of e-commerce
As more and more brands recognize the potential of virtual and augmented reality for e-commerce, we can expect more companies to embrace virtual stores. It’s a unique yet familiar experience for shoppers, one that just might pave the way for the metaverse to become the future of online retail.