Picture a digital rendition of a ‘90s shopping mall, bursting with vibrant colors, cartoonish avatars, and an array of items reminiscent of those found in your local Walmart.
Revealed on Wednesday, this novel e-commerce platform by the retail giant offers shoppers the chance to peruse digital replicas of select Walmart products, all within virtual marketplaces resembling fantastical worlds.
Look into “So Jelly,” an aquatic wonderland, watch the wild frontiers of “Y’allternative,” or venture into the metallic expanse of “Go Chromatic,” seemingly situated amidst the cosmos.
Presently, Walmart Realm exists as a website accessible via desktop or mobile devices.
Shoppers go through virtual stores, selecting items of interest, and adding them to their cart before proceeding to checkout via a link to Walmart.com.
Walmart, renowned for its extensive network of over 4,000 physical stores catering primarily to white female Baby Boomers, has been actively pursuing opportunities within the metaverse – the evolving convergence of gaming, social media, and e-commerce – to engage consumers and drive revenue.
The rollout of Walmart Realm underscores the retailer’s commitment to investing in virtual environments, even as some competitors pivot away from metaverse strategies in favor of other emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (although Walmart remains engaged in AI initiatives as well).
Justin Breton, Walmart’s director of brand experiences and strategic partnerships, emphasized the company’s experimental approach, aiming to leverage immersive commerce as a complementary component to its traditional online platforms rather than a replacement.
