Dive Brief:
- As Roblox looks to tie its platform to revenue opportunities, the company has partnered with Shopify as its first commerce integration partner, the two companies announced Friday. A pilot program will begin soon and a broader launch is planned for early 2025.
- With the integration, developers, creators and brands who already use Shopify will be able to sell physical items like clothing and accessories within Roblox games without making the customer leave the Roblox platform, according to a Shopify announcement. This is just the first such partnership for Roblox, which said in its own announcement that it plans to integrate with “various” e-commerce platforms in the future.
- Already this year, Roblox has tested shopping with brands like E.l.f. Cosmetics, Fandango, Walmart and Warner Bros., allowing players aged 13 or older to discover — and order — physical products. With the Shopify partnership, eligible sellers that use the platform will be able to offer physical products directly from their Roblox experiences.
Dive Insight:
Roblox is integrating with Shopify as it maps out a broader e-commerce strategy. The gaming platform said the Shopify pilot will start with “a handful” of brands, creators and e-commerce partners later this year.
“Commerce happens everywhere — from physical stores, to online, to immersive spaces,” Shopify said in a statement. “One of the most relevant places for digitally-savvy Gen Z consumers in the world right now is Roblox, where millions of creators pursue entrepreneurship through immersive content creation. Now, we’re unlocking a new channel for their ventures.”
The partnership comes as Roblox aims to own 10% of all global gaming content revenue in the future, a goal that includes other aims, like hitting 300 million daily active users. While Roblox projects the majority (80%) of those users will come to Roblox to play games, the platform expects the remaining 20% to come to the platform to shop, learn, talk or consume entertainment.
In the upcoming months, Roblox also said it is introducing a price optimization tool, which will help creators determine the most attractive pricing strategy inside their Roblox experiences, and give regional pricing suggestions to tailor prices according to local economies. The news came amid a slew of other announcements about the future of the gaming platform.
After luring more brands and retailers to its platform in recent years, Roblox is now focused on helping brands bridge their online experiences with offline products. In July, E.l.f. Beauty added a virtual kiosk within its E.l.f. Up! experience on Roblox where users aged 13 or older could buy a physical, limited-edition hoodie. That same month, Vans debuted its Mixxa shoe within the Roblox universe first, before releasing it offline later.
