A guide to immersive retail & the metaverse age

In the early 2000s, the retail landscape dramatically changed as the internet became mainstream and pioneering ecommerce companies, like Amazon.com, opened for business. Today, a mobileoptimized ecommerce website is table stakes. In fact, a static, 2D, brochure-ware style website with easily searchable products, categories, and prices has been commonplace among retailers since the beginning of the mobile revolution. But, this approach is no longer a compelling way for retailers to showcase and differentiate their brand to shoppers. Consumers expect an elevated, modern digital retail experience—especially as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to online shopping at a much faster pace than anyone previously predicted.

Now, digital properties, like websites, mobile apps, and social media channels, are the “flagship store” that represents a retail brand, and these digital storefronts are almost certainly the first place consumers visit to learn more about a product or brand. This dramatic shift to online, connected retail experiences is pushing demand for innovative retail technologies that can attract shoppers and keep them coming back again and again as repeat buyers, and increasingly more importantly, as brand evangelists.