Macy’s has moved into the metaverse for shopping.
On Wednesday, Macy’s introduced “mstylelab,” a digital fashion platform that will rotate immersive experiences, the first of which is a metaverse journey featuring the new Macy’s On 34th private brand in a shoppable environment.
The next activation on mstylelab will be a non-fashion immersive metaverse experience in November focused on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The idea is to connect in a different way with existing Macy’s shoppers and attract new ones, particularly those more web- and tech-inclined, and to keep them all engaged.
The mstylelab fashion experience, developed using Journee metaverse technology, involves creating a user name and personalized avatar that journeys through a surrealistically depicted New York City, with hovering Macy’s star checkpoints and styles from Macy’s On 34th brand that pop up along the route.
The experience is shoppable, with a link to the shopping cart. You control the movements of your avatar with a cursor. It’s like a game with no winners or losers, though personalized digital T-shirts that match your mstylelab digital fabric are given as gifts.
“We are excited to launch mstylelab, the next evolution of our Web3 digital strategy, creating a hub for style inspiration and discovery at the intersection of fashion and technology,” said Dave Torres, Macy’s vice president of interactive marketing. “As we grow and evolve the mstylelab digital platform and community, new activations and experiences will be brought to life creating immersive storytelling focused on fashion and style, in a fun and shoppable environment.”
Journee specializes in hosting, managing and producing immersive digital spaces such as virtual stores and interactive retail experiences. Mstylelab is accessible on any device, using any browser, at macys.com/mstylelab.
“We are excited to partner with a world-renowned brand like Macy’s to showcase the future of fashion retail. This is a unique metaverse activation that will bring this type of immersive experience to a broader audience,” Erika Lang, head of Americas at Journee, said in a statement. “Consumers are seeking multiple touch points on multiple platforms to seamlessly integrate immersive virtual experiences into their customer journey. This innovative technology will propel the fashion industry — as well as many others — into its next phase. Reaching consumers where they are and providing new ways for them to shop and interact with one another is vital in order to deepen their relationships with brands.”
In the case of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy’s is utilizing the On Cyber platform for the metaverse technology.
“Mstylelab aims to redefine fashion as a canvas for innovation, blending technology and immersive environments to empower discovery, self-expression and connectivity,” Macy’s indicated in its statement. Future Macy’s experiences on mstylab will be for the most part, fashion-focused.
A personalized fabric avatar moving through the Macy’s mstylelab metaverse experience.
