Obsess has been acquired by Infinite Reality. Learn more [here](https://www.theinfinitereality.com/news/infinite-reality-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-virtual-shopping-platform-obsess).
Obsess has been acquired by Infinite Reality.
Learn more [here](https://www.theinfinitereality.com/news/infinite-reality-enters-into-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-virtual-shopping-platform-obsess).
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What is a Virtual Store?

As consumer behaviors and expectations evolve, the e-commerce interface also evolves. Virtual stores are a new type of digital shopping experience that provides more engagement and immersion for a brand’s customers. These immersive retail experiences live on a brand’s e-commerce site and are available to access via mobile or desktop. Customers can navigate around the 3D space, similar to how they would browse a real-life store.

Why do brands need VR shopping experiences?

Amazon created the traditional e-commerce interface 25 years ago to sell books and it has not changed since. The traditional interface is primed for infinite scrolling of the brand’s database, but is identical across verticals and product category. Most e-commerce sites continue to use the monotonous grid of thumbnails on a white background, lacking brand identity.

However, with virtual stores, brands are able to offer consumers a 360-degree online experience that is highly visual, immersive and creative. Featuring a curated selection of products, everything in a virtual store is intentional and custom to the brand. Brands are able to showcase products in contextual environments that enable consumers to visualize their usage and functionality. Using CGI technology, products are merchandised in a virtual store, allowing customers to interact with both products and content embedded into the environment as they move around. The immersive 3D environment is intuitive and offers a shopping experience akin to the real-life experience, plus ultra-engaging features and animations not possible in brick-and-mortar locations. They are easy to access with a web link, and don’t require an app download or a virtual reality (VR) headset.

Virtual stores enable brands to connect with younger consumersa valuable target for many brands. Through engaging features such as custom gamification and 3D multimedia content, virtual stores are able to cater to today’s consumer that expects an enhanced level of immersion due to social media and the popularity of gaming.

They also provide brands with valuable analytical data and insights into consumer behavior. Obsess provides robust, detailed, anonymized first-party data on every consumer interaction that occurs within a brands’ virtual store.

How Are Brands Using Virtual Stores?

From web browsers and gaming platforms like Roblox, to spatial computers and VR headsets, virtual stores are unique, immersive digital experiences for brands to reach their audience wherever they are. Brands and retailers use virtual stores for a variety of different purposes on a variety of different platforms, ranging from memorable virtual selling channels to innovative brand marketing solutions. 

See below for some examples of how brands are using virtual stores:

Ralph Lauren Virtual Stores

Ralph Lauren offered their global audience a unique online experience by virtualizing their physical retail storefronts. This allows consumers to virtually step into the elegant world of Ralph Lauren’s iconic global retail spaces from their own home, and browse their curated collections. Outside of the IRL location is a QR code for the corresponding virtual store, scaling traffic by empowering passersby to later shop the store at their own convenience. For some of the virtual stores in the Ralph Lauren repertoire, the virtual store is the only e-commerce optionthey are not available on the brand’s traditional e-commerce site and can only be shopped in physical locations around the United States and Canada. 

Read more about The RL Virtual Experiences.

Elizabeth Arden Virtual Store

Revlon’s Elizabeth Arden used their virtual store to modernize their brand through immersive storytelling and artificial intelligence. The brand sought to reach a new generation of shoppers through their virtual flagship store, engaging visitors with enhanced storytelling, gamification and personalization. 

Advancing their digital engagement strategy, the Elizabeth Arden virtual store features plenty of playful animations, interactive content such as personalized recommendation quizzes and the latest products. With the virtual experience, the heritage beauty brand dipped their toes into AI, utilizing generative AI-enabled content to showcase their legacy in an immersive art-gallery portal; the historic beauty brand used AI to complete archival photos featured throughout their experience. 

Elizabeth Arden Virtual Store

Alo Yoga Immersive Store

To engage their online fans, Alo Yoga created an Immersive Store across platforms on web and Meta Quest; the cult-favorite fitness brand later expanded their digital footprint into spatial computing with their Apple Vision Pro app, “Alo Sanctuary”

The popular activewear brand deepened consumer connections by providing exclusive access to content and empowering personalization through interactive customization—visitors of the virtual store were able to mix-and-match Alo products to create a custom look. Further immersing their community into their brand world, Alo provided an additional element of interactivity offline by transporting in-person event attendees to their virtual store via Meta Quest. They included this perk in their 2023 New York Fashion Week event, transporting users from the frigid New York winter to the serene mountains in virtual reality.

Read more about the Alo Yoga Immersive Store reached and engaged the brand’s online community.

American Girl Virtual Museum

Toy manufacturing sensation Mattel, launched a play-centric virtual experience for their American Girl brand to engage kids and parents beyond a single point of sale to increase brand affinity. Renowned for their iconic dolls, the American Girl Virtual Museum explores each girl’s narrative through custom brand mini-games, digital animations and immersive storytelling. Fostering imagination, the Virtual Museum dives into the rich history of the brand’s products and educates visitors on each doll through engaging features and content

“It takes five to seven touchpoints with the American Girl brand before a customer makes a purchase. That’s why having rich virtual content is worth investing in…it adds another interactive element to our brand,” says Debbie Hagg, VP of Marketing at American Girl.

As each new American Girl doll was announced, Mattel would expand their Virtual Museum to spotlight the girl in her own custom exhibit. Read more about the American Girl Virtual Museum, and how they built brand affinity. 

Crate & Barrel Virtual Flagship

Crate & Barrel created a fantastical reimagination of their new flagship in New York’s flatiron district—full of whimsical animations and dynamic product customizations not possible IRL. The virtual experience transforms the online furniture shopping journey, introducing engagement and interactivity beyond the traditional e-commerce experience. Underscoring the interactivity is the product customization feature, an intuitive tool for visitors to create custom sofa sets and botanical arrangements to visualize the outcome for their own needs. An exact replica of the physical store, the virtual flagship boasts more than 450 products for every room in the house, available for purchase directly in the experience, as well as services found in the store. 

Learn more about the virtual Crate & Barrel flagship, powered by Obsess. 

Crate & Barrel Virtual Flagship Store, powered by Obsess

Obsess has created 350+ AI-powered virtual stores and experiences for brands and retailers across verticals, hosted on their e-commerce sites, Roblox, Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest. Discover how leading brands in fashion, beauty, CPG, home and beyond are leveraging virtual stores in their digital engagement and brand marketing strategy. Read more about some of the virtual experiences Obsess has launched with our brand partners by clicking here.

Our patented, enterprise-grade 3D rendering technology is the backbone of the Obsess platform. To create a virtual store or experience for your brand, book a demo or email us at contact@obsessvr.com.

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Obsess is the leading experiential e-commerce platform enabling brands and retailers to serve immersive and highly interactive 3D virtual experiences that drive conversion, customer engagement, and brand loyalty amongst a new generation of gaming-fluent consumers. Obsess uses its proprietary virtual shopping platform and VR/AR technology to enable brands and retailers to set up 3D 360 digital storefronts on their websites.

© 2024 Obsess, Inc. all rights reserved.