Bloomingdale’s takes shoppers into the metaverse

Yesterday it was Bloomies (Newstores 24.11.22), the diminutive form of department store Bloomingdale’s, today it’s the ‘metaverse’, where the retailer has just launched its first virtual ‘Holiday’ store.

As a general rule, Newstores does not cover virtual retail as there is usually more than sufficient to be dealt with in real life. In this instance, however, what is in effect a virtual pop-up with a seasonal slant is worth a look, if only to see what the big brands do when freed from physical constraints.

The ‘store’ is a multi-floor affair with large brands being afforded a floor each, accessed in all cases by a virtual elevator/lift. On arrival, the brands have gone to town in a manner that wouldn’t be possible in a standard department store.

Practically, this means that the Chanel floor (this is the brand’s first virtual shop foray), for instance, involves a trip to the moon, while those visiting the Ralph Lauren level arrive in a ski chalet in a ‘magical Holiday forest’ and coffee lovers can visit a Parisian Café, courtesy of Nespresso.

This would not be a department store if there were not an overarching Bloomingdale’s wrap and this is certainly the case as it is the retailer that is entered, rather than the brand.

This is the second virtual store from Bloomingdale’s – the first opened in September to mark the retailer’s 150th anniversary.

This will be the only Newstores foray into the metaverse in the near future.

Source: Newstore by John Ryan