Lacoste launches virtual store with NFT holder benefits
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Dive card:
- Following a similar move by Bloomingdale’s, Lacoste has tapped Emperia, a virtual reality technology company, to create a virtual store, according to a Tuesday press release shared with Retail Dive.
- After entering the store through a crocodile’s mouth, virtual visitors can view and purchase five seasonal products in the retailer’s showroom. Another virtual room features the retailer’s Christmas-themed merchandise, according to the press release.
- The virtual store also features a room only available to members of UNDW3, the retailer’s Web3 community, that features a Lacoste NFT. Customers can visit this room in December to get the “loot” boxes, and the retailer will select five customers each day to win a prize, according to the press release.
Diving Insights:
Among the other companies that Emperia has worked with are Burberry, Dior and Christie’s, according to the company’s press release. Earlier this month, Bloomingdale’s joined the virtual store trend just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The department store had virtual sections for brands such as Nespresso, Chanel and Ralph Lauren.
“Lacoste bridges the gap between holiday shopping and gamification with this unique virtual experience. By tapping into a wide range of demographics with the different spaces and product lines, Lacoste can attract a wide range of demographics,” Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of Emperia , said in a statement. “Having a presence in the metaverse during such a significant shopping season and using NFTs in a practical way that creates a sense of community will take Lacoste to the next level, allowing them to leverage e-commerce and web3 innovation that never before, positioning marked as a fashion trailblazer.”
Like Lacoste and Bloomingdale’s, other retailers and brands have been experimenting with the metaverse to monetize digital goods and bridge the gap between the electronic world and the real world. In a similar move, Adidas launched a product category for digital equipmentwhich enables customers to purchase clothing made for online avatars.
Other brands have also launched non-fungible tokens to attract customers. In August, Tiffany’s introduced a collection of 250 NFTs which customers could redeem for a real pendant called an NFTiff, previously valued at $47,000. The following month, Gap launched a logo contest in which the winning artist’s Gap logo will be turned into an NFT and featured on a hoodie. The following day, Puma unveiled its first metaverse experience, titled Black Station, ahead of New York Fashion Week, where customers can buy NFTs and redeem them for limited edition genuine shoes.
