Fashion retailing in the metaverse

Abstract

As fashion and retail technologies have become more sophisticated, consumers are vastly connected to the multiverse, both through the cloud and the integration of physical and digital spaces called phygital. This type of omnichannel commerce has become a requirement for brands to stay relevant. Developing parallel to the world of omnichannel has been digital gaming. Imagine these two worlds converged into one concept. Enter the metaverse. The idea of the metaverse or a virtual alternative reality is not new. With various iterations in pop culture, the concept of escaping into another dimension, whether dystopian or utopian, is part of the human psyche. Fast forward to a virtual post-pandemic society, the concept of the metaverse and the community it develops is timely. The metaverse allows the consumer to dive into a far more stimulating and immersive experience that have fashion brands collectively strategizing their deliveries. This article will conduct a discourse analysis on the metaverse and its gaming roots, how fashion and retail hope to build community and compelling applications of brand deliveries through these digital worlds. The article will review the adoption challenges that may arise with the consumer, applications that are kink free, privacy protection, regulation, payment systems, adoption of entrance devices and brand deliveries using NFTs or non-fungible tokens.