How Bloomingdale’s is bringing its offering to the Metaverse

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US department store group Bloomingdale’s has been experimenting with new sales channels in the digital space for some time. The company recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and has now opened a virtual store with Christmas products.

While a heated discussion about the concept of “department store” has erupted in Germany not only since the insolvency of Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, the New York department store chain Bloomingdale’s is trying to redefine it: virtual department stores are creating a new shopping experience for customers who shop in the Metaverse are fully immersed in the parallel reality.

Last New York Fashion Week, which took place in September 2022, Bloomingdale’s first virtual department store went live after years of preparation, the Tech Crunch portal reported. It was co-designed by the Emperia shopping platform, which specializes in the Metaverse. The in-store product range included, among other things, a 360-degree view of products and interactive elements. Collections of well-known brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren or Marc Jacobs were available.

Through the different elements and channels of interaction used, the company wanted to address different generations of customers and offer new tailored shopping experiences. Virtual showrooms heralded a new phase in retail, as CMO Frank Berman pointed out.

New virtual Christmas store

As Retail Dive reports, Bloomingdale’s is now continuing to work with Emperia: At the start of the 2022 holiday season, the company opened a virtual Christmas store with many branded products. Among the brands available are Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Nespresso. In addition to the shopping functions, there are other offers such as a beauty and wellness area and a party room. Other attractions include a virtual forest with a ski hut and cafe.

Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of Emperia, highlighted the advantages of virtual technology: there are no limits to the creativity of brands, as well as the possibilities of design and interactions with customers in virtual space. Moreover, the technology is barrier-free and not bound by physical limitations.

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