Distribution Industry Actively Seeking New Opportunities
Home Shopping with Virtual Model Showhosts
3D Virtual Factory Tours
Convenience Stores Engage in Cross-Industry Collaborative Marketing
Department Store Cultural Centers Also Launch 'Meta Classes'
The distribution industry is stepping into the ‘metaverse,’ a three-dimensional virtual world where economic and cultural activities take place just like in the real world. Home shopping channels have chosen the metaverse to find new distribution channels, while convenience stores aim to increase loyalty among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), who are familiar with online environments.
◇Home Shopping: Virtual Models Appear, Then Virtual Assets Are Sold
According to the home shopping industry on the 7th, the main focus this year is to find new distribution channels beyond the traditional TV-centered sales. To counteract the rising TV broadcast fees and declining profitability due to competition from e-commerce channels, Lotte Home Shopping recently began actively building a metaverse environment. After introducing ‘Lucy,’ a virtual model created using 3D modeling synthesis technology, in February last year, Lotte Home Shopping debuted her as a home shopping host at the end of last year. They also established the ‘Meta Live Studio,’ which implements live commerce in a three-dimensional virtual world, allowing customers to experience products and brands through avatars. In April, they plan to enter the non-fungible token (NFT) business.
GS Shop, which introduced a TV home shopping broadcast using the metaverse last November, plans to expand this effort this year. During the broadcast selling the nut product ‘Otree Gourmet Nuts Blossom,’ they provided a virtual factory tour service by creating a 3D model of the production plant. CJ OnStyle is also actively entering virtual spaces. They opened a media wall studio applying virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) technologies and plan to conduct summer season fashion product broadcasts through the media wall.
They have also reached out to virtual assets. K Shopping signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the art entertainment company ‘Ray Village’ on the 24th of last month.
◇Convenience Stores Also Head to the Metaverse... Cross-Industry Collaborations
The convenience store industry, targeting the MZ generation as their main customers, has been opening stores in virtual worlds and actively engaging in cross-industry collaborations since last year. CU announced that, following Binggrae, it will collaborate with CJ CheilJedang to conduct marketing on the metaverse platform Zepeto. Products such as Hetbahn, Hetbahn Cupbap, Bibigo Wang Gyoja, and the Healthy Chicken Breast Steak, which are faithfully recreated, can also be found in the virtual reality convenience store. This marketing approach aims to increase brand intimacy in reality by having the Z generation, who are familiar with digital media, see the products displayed in the virtual reality convenience store.
GS25 also opened a dedicated map called ‘GS25 Masisseong Samgimi Wangja’ on Zepeto. The interior consists of a convenience store, caf?, shared kitchen, and more, where users can enjoy jump games and maze games. Seven Eleven opened the ‘Seven Eleven Kaia Island Store’ in the mobile casual social network game ‘Play Together.’
◇Education and Internal Events Also Held in the Metaverse
Employee and customer education as well as internal events are also taking place in virtual worlds. Factors such as the lack of spatial constraints in the era of routine non-face-to-face interactions, the ability to reduce various costs including venue fees, and the increased efficiency of online communication have contributed to this trend. It is also part of efforts to approach MZ generation talents and customers who are accustomed to online environments.
SSG.com announced that it opened a virtual training center called ‘SSG Town’ on the metaverse-based video conferencing platform ‘Gather Town’ and will start the 2022 first half new employee orientation there. Gather Town allows users to create characters like in an online game, roam virtual meeting rooms, and interact with other characters or participate in game activities. 11st also uses the metaverse for its seven-week new developer training program running until the 25th of this month.
The metaverse is also a hot topic at department store cultural centers. AK Plaza’s spring semester cultural academy will offer meta classes through SK Telecom’s metaverse service ‘ifland.’ Shinsegae Department Store Cultural Center’s Shinsegae Academy also introduced online lectures on the metaverse and coding. A distribution industry official said, “The distribution industry, which quickly reflects trends, is attempting to introduce the metaverse in various ways. Since it is still in the early stages, it is necessary to observe how it will be further developed.”
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