METAVERSE STORES EXPERT ADVICE
EXPERT ADVICE
Decking out your digital store
Emperia’s Olga Dogadkina reveals how you can make the most out of metaverse retail spaces
E
mperia is the developer of an immersive virtual stores platform for retail brands and has worked with the likes of Dior, Lacoste, Burberry, Bloomingdale’s, Dr. Barbara Sturm and Harrods. Here, Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of Emperia, shares how to nail everything from space design to user navigation.
What should one consider before launching a virtual space? Retailers need to set clear KPIs for their new virtual store. Whether it is increased online sales, increased in-store sales or purely engagement with the brand, it is important to give those spaces a purpose. A recurring trend Emperia’s been seeing is the usage of these spaces as flagship stores, which requires ongoing maintenance of both space and merchandise placement. This requires tools and a long term e-commerce strategy, which extends bricks-and-mortar retail efforts. Another important factor is timing: when to launch the space. Is it tied to a critical brand event, a product launch?
What does the process involve? The process usually starts with a brief, provided by the client. From there our teams sit together and come up with a concept and layout: a collaborative approach. Once the space is created, the retailer uses Emperia’s own SaaS platform to insert 3D products into the space, set pricing, etc. The process takes on average around two to three months, depending on the number of rooms and other elements included (AI, gamification, etc).
What are good examples of brands/retailers carrying their signature products or store traits into the metaverse?
Our recent work with Bloomingdale’s is a great example of how to transform an in-store experience into the virtual realm. Bloomingdale’s celebrated its
cosmeticsbusiness.com January 2023 15
Olga Dogadkina, co-founder & CEO, Emperia
Olga Dogadkina has experience in the luxury fashion industry and has worked with the likes of Microsoft on digital fashion commerce projects
emperiavr.com
try-ons, all while roaming around the reconstituted rooms of the Château De La Colle Noire.
150th anniversary last year, with a broad range of events and activations. As part of their New York Fashion Week celebrations we worked together to create a virtual store which presented the past, present and future of the brand, transforming the shopping experience of the Bloomingdale’s store into the online space, adding in a layer of gamification and product exploration, which received great response from shoppers. Then, at Christmas time, we worked together to create a holiday store which brought the festivities online.
What virtual space activations can engage metaverse visitors? Our holiday store for Dior Beauty, the Atelier of Dreams, created for the 2022 holiday season, was a direct extension of Dior’s global campaign carrying the same name. The store provides users with a magical and interactive experience, which allows for beauty product exploration, gift finding and
Dior’s Atelier of Dreams for the 2022 festive season enabled product exploration, gift finding and try-ons
The virtual shop consists of three rooms: the fragrance room features Le Collection Privée and includes a perfume personalisation feature, where shoppers can find the right perfume match for their unique personality. The gift finder room features a constellation journey, which assists shoppers with their gift finding, by asking a series of questions, creating a list tailored specifically for the individual and recommending gifts that match their ‘stars’. The beauty room displays the latest Dior products and features customisation and virtual try-ons, where users can use AR technology to apply products, using a digital camera.
How can brands create a virtual space that is authentic to them? Telling a true brand story through a virtual store is extremely important. Unlike 2D e-commerce websites, which are sales-driven, these virtual spaces provide retailers with a true opportunity to add a dimension of discovery, familiarity and loyalty with the brand, one that makes shoppers stick around longer, come back for more and ultimately increase their bottom-line. We work closely with clients’
e-commerce and creative teams to ensure a true sense of brand identity and integrity to ensure that
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
