Forrester report - current immersive shopping experiences are not the metaverse

A new Forrester report breaks down how consumers’ shopping experience will likely evolve in the metaverse over the next decade.

Shopping experiences aren’t happening in the metaverse yet, despite the buzz about retailers selling digital clothing on Roblox or offering non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

These moves offer immersive 3D experiences, but they do not allow consumers to travel or move among different environments.

Key findings in the report include:

In two to three years: While there will still be no metaverse, immersive experiences will be more personalised and social. Shopping experiences may extend beyond a single brand, but consumers’ movement will be limited to a single platform or community.

In ten years: Forrester expects that consumers will be able to shop in highly immersive environments.

Beyond ten years: Metaverse experiences will have the potential to blend real and virtual or immersive experiences. While we know what is possible with technology, there are far too many uncertainties around use cases, commercial models, privacy, and more to make exact predictions.

Grocery shopping

The metaverse currently has no discernible value for supermarkets and CPG brands.

So says Viv Craske, Founder of Geeky Foody, a consultancy working with FoodTech and retail tech startups at seed, Series A and B stages.

In a LinkedIn post, Craske argues: “People do not want to do their grocery shopping in a virtual supermarket in their spare time.”

“They do not want to interact with a virtual experience of your brand. They do not want to go to a bar to put on VR headsets and interact with each other.”

He concluded: “We've been here before with AR experiences like Blippar. That didn't make sense for grocery brands. And neither does the metaverse.”

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