Dive Brief:
- Deepening its relationship with Roblox, Forever 21 unveiled the F21 Metaverse Collection, the retailer’s first metaverse-inspired fashion collection, in celebration of its first year on Roblox, the company said Wednesday in a press release.
- The collection has hoodies and t-shirts designed with features from the retailer’s virtual product assortment. According to the announcement, customers can also get the physical version of the Forever Beanie, the top-selling item in the Forever 21 Shop City on Roblox.
- Forever 21 is also releasing one limited-edition virtual accessory once per day from its latest collection for 24 hours only. The retailer said it is developing more ways to connect its online and physical items through experiences that blend both.
Dive Insight:
Forever 21 is once again bridging its online and offline experiences.
Last year, the retailer debuted Forever 21 Shop City, the Roblox environment where users compete to reach top shop status. Over the summer, Forever 21 unveiled its limited-edition Barbie Summer 2022 collection in stores and in Forever 21 Shop City on Roblox.
“Our initial goal with Forever 21 Shop City was to expand how we engage with our customers and make our products accessible to all,” Winnie Park, Forever 21 CEO, said in a statement. “With the success of the virtual Forever Beanie in our Roblox store, we are thrilled to bring this beloved product and the entire F21 Metaverse Collection to life.”
Like Forever 21, other brands and retailers have been experimenting with Roblox to bring in revenue from digital goods and connect with the next generation of consumers as the metaverse is expected to generate $2.6 trillion in e-commerce sales by 2030. Among the recent major brands and retailers that launched Roblox activations are Claire’s and Ralph Lauren.
Besides Roblox, other brands and retailers have been creating virtual environments of their own. This month, Nike introduced its virtual products and creations platform under the .Swoosh domain. In a similar move, Adidas unveiled a virtual gear product category on its website, where shoppers can browse the brand’s 16-piece collection.
As Forever 21 unveils more digital offerings, the retailer also has changed its leadership and concentrated on its brick-and-mortar presence. Earlier this year, the company appointed Winnie Park, formerly the CEO of Paper Source, to become its new chief executive. In October, the retailer said it aims to open 14 new locations through summer 2023 in malls in Illinois, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Georgia and other states.
