Flipkart, an eCommerce giant, has introduced Virtual Worlds. It is a metaverse that enables customers to shop from a shop without leaving the comfort of their homes. The platform currently displays a list of products from different sellers. However, that will change when Virtual Worlds goes live and customers are able to access the entire shop virtually via Metaverse.
The objective is to enhance the experience and engagement of customers. Flipkart Worlds will let sellers create an entire space for themselves to display their products. A seller who is unable to invest in such a space, or does not require such a large space, will have an option to access Flipverse as a cotenant.
Both updates are tentatively scheduled to go live during the upcoming festive seasons. India is already seeing a wave of festivals being celebrated under the diverse cultural house. So, Flipkart should get its metaverse up & running in a short time. Ideally, it is the festival of lights and crackers – Diwali – that brings with it a lot of customers for shopping.
Flipkart is yet to talk more about the details from a seller’s point of view. It has made it clear that it will inspire a higher number of purchases by rewarding customers through gamification. Even though internal details pertaining to sellers could potentially be shared later. This would be about how much commission they will have to let go to register for Virtual Worlds, or what type of changes they will have to make in their listing at the time of transitioning to the metaverse shopping experience.
The company has stated that it is looking to help brands in crafting a unique brand image, adding that it is a chance for brands to establish a closer relationship with customers while showcasing their unique characteristics.
Ravi Krishnan, the Head of Flipkart Labs, has said that the project aims to define the future of shopping in the 3D space.
There are almost 45 crore customers who will benefit from this development. Flipkart has been pondering over the thought of having a metaverse on the platform. Thereby, working on it for several years. It was previously launched in a testing phase for 6 days. Reports showed positive behavior of customers from across 2,300 cities. Customers streamed 20,000 hours of content while looking for their favorite products.
Flipkart was earlier reported to have committed to the creation of 1 lakh jobs by the festive season. It does not necessarily link to Virtual Worlds but it does shed some light on the fact that Flipkart is eyeing expansion in employee strength and innovation. Employment has been committed in sortation centers, supply chains, and delivery hubs.
Flipkart and Amazon will first compete in their respective Festive Sale before diving into the festival seasons. Flipkart could tease a part of Virtual World during Festive Sale.
