Walmart Realm leverages Emperia technology for industry first influencer led virtual stores in immersive worlds

Walmart Realm has gone live, pitched as a first of its kind immersive commerce marketplace featuring influencer driven virtual shops.

This leverages technology from Emperia and gamifies the shopping journey, transporting customers into fantastical realms where they can interact with products and play nostalgic online games.

In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships, said: “Introducing Walmart Realm, the first ever immersive commerce experience curated by creators and inspired by social trends. Trust me when I say… You’ve never experienced online shopping like this before.”

“Walmart Realm embraces the limitless possibilities of virtual technologies, creating stunning shoppable environments to inspire our customers. Said differently, it’s not just a replica of a store or structure.”

“We’re continuing to shorten the distance between inspiration and commerce, highlighting the best fashion, beauty, and home products as selected by our creator partners, in each virtual shop.”

These shops include:

So Jelly: an underwater playground with colourful accents and surprises

Y’allternative: a Western destination mixed with dark, gothic tones

Go Chromatic: a futuristic experience with shimmering, chic metallics

Walmart Realm also includes social content from the retailer’s creators, and three mini games inspired by the featured products to drive product discoverability and deeper engagement with its brand.

Breton concluded: “Walmart Realm truly is the next iteration of adaptive retail. We’re placing our bets on immersive commerce and helping define the future of online shopping for retail. And guess what… We’re just getting started.”

“A big shoutout and congratulations to Haley Carre (Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart) for leading the charge and bringing this vision to life. Your hard work and dedication to making this what it is for our customers is greatly appreciated.”