New ebook explains how retailers can implement interactive shopping experiences now to set the stage for metaverse commerce

Twenty years ago, when the internet and ecommerce became mainstream, no one envisioned the social media channels and immersive games that are available today. At that time, a website with professional, attractive images and an intuitive checkout process seemed sophisticated to most consumers. Fast-forward to the early 2020s, and that basic brochureware-style website seems boring and mundane. Now, arguably because of the immersive experiences of social media and online games, shoppers want to look at a product from all angles in 3D and import a picture of their face into an app or website to visualize how a hair color, a pair of sunglasses, or a makeup shade will look on them. These sophisticated shopping experiences help bring the product to life and give people the opportunity to try before they buy so that they make the right purchase decisions.

While many retailers are already implementing these more compelling technologies, savvy companies—like Amazon, Burberry, and Ralph Lauren—are also deploying extended reality retail experiences that include augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality to create much more immersive shopping experiences. And you can bet that the most innovative retailers in the industry are looking even further ahead and wondering what’s on the horizon in the coming years.

Many believe the future of shopping is the metaverse

If you’ve heard the term metaverse, likely in the context of gaming and social media, but you aren’t sure what it is or how it could impact the retail industry, and you want to learn more, be sure to download and read our new ebook, A Guide to Immersive Retail & the Metaverse Age.

Although the metaverse is in its infancy and hasn’t been fully defined, the ebook explains what we know about it today, including a formal definition from Gartner as well as an outline of the seven layers of the metaverse as described in “Building the Metaverse” on Medium. It also includes a list of technologies and terms—such as blockchain, spatial computing, and non-fungible tokens—that retailers should understand and watch as the metaverse takes shape.

However, the ebook goes beyond definitions to provide in-depth discussions and insights about:

• Why retailers should care about the metaverse;
• How early-adopter companies are creating immersive retail experiences today;
• What technologies retailers need to create a metaverse-ready infrastructure;
• What the future of shopping will look like; and
• What steps retailers can take now to start creating immersive shopping experiences.

If you’re a retailer that wants to be prepared for the metaverse and its impact on retailing, then this ebook will provide immense value as we discuss what retailers can do today to position themselves to pounce on the opportunities that the metaverse will eventually bring. And many of those ideas can be impactful today, so we’re not suggesting huge investments with no immediate returns.

We hope you’ll download and read our new ebook to learn more about immersive retail shopping experiences, the metaverse, and how Amazon Web Services (AWS) can help your retail business prepare now for the future of shopping.