What: Brands like Valentino Beauty, Shiseido, and Vogue are integrating metaverse technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, smart mirrors, and immersive screens into physical retail spaces to create more engaging and memorable experiences.

Why it is important: This blend of physical and digital elements helps brands overcome the limitations of purely virtual experiences, increasing dwell time, brand engagement, and conversion rates, while catering to consumers' desire for in-person interactions.

This approach can also be applied to department stores, enabling them to offer interactive and immersive sections across various product categories. In a post-pandemic shift, metaverse technologies are enhancing customer experiences. Valentino Beauty used a smart mirror at a New York pop-up to allow visitors to digitally try on lipstick, attracting 1,500 people over two days and boosting sales. Shiseido's 360-degree pod at Macy’s Herald Square transported customers to Japan to experience the Future Solution LX product line, combining physical sensations with virtual reality. Vogue is set to unveil an immersive exhibit, "Inventing the Runway," which will take visitors through a 50-minute archival runway journey using massive video projections. These hybrid experiences are designed to be accessible and engaging, requiring no prior familiarity with new technologies. These initiatives highlight the importance of in-person connections and shared experiences. By mixing physical and digital elements, brands can create richer, more memorable experiences that cater to consumers' nostalgia for simpler, offline interactions while leveraging advanced technologie

Why the metaverse is moving into physical retail