The world-famous retail giant Walmart, which is probably known to all of us, has decided, like many other companies such as Disney, to become part of the metaverse. To be more specific, Walmart is launching two strategic initiatives through the Roblox metaverse, which are named Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play. These two new initiatives were launched by Walmart on September 26th and are aimed at the 52 million players that Roblox has. Several sections, or “islands”, will contain “interactive, immersive experiences related to Walmart’s fashion, beauty and entertainment stores”. Walmart Universe of Play, in turn, offers a virtual paradise of toys for children.
Walmart thus joins companies such as Gucci and Ralph Lauren in using Roblox’s massive fan base to advance their corporate marketing strategies. The gaming company Roblox was officially launched in 2006 and since then has amassed a large player database that is currently in high demand, making it an attractive company for the retail metaverse. In Roblox’s Gucci Town game, it’s even possible to earn currency that can be used to purchase digital goods. However, Walmart’s involvement in the metaverse is not entirely new, and many expected such a move, as last December the company filed several patents related to virtual goods, virtual currencies, and NFTs.
