Blending retail and gaming in the digital economy

With the massive growth seen in the gaming industry, many e-commerce platforms have adopted some of its traits for a more engaging way to keep customers happy. As the current powerhouses of the digital economy, gaming often sets new trends when it comes to the tech they champion, monetisation strategies they employ, and how this is all leveraged toward sustained growth.

To improve what they have to offer, these two industries have taken action by combining game-like features with their current platforms to completely revamp customer experiences.

Leveraging New Technologies

In the last two decades, iGaming has been another revelation in the gaming industry and offered a bunch of best practices for retail to mimic. From classic games like poker and blackjack to modern crash games, online casinos have grown super popular in the digital age. Among their offerings, slot games have become particularly popular. Platforms that specialise in modern iterations of them, like Samba Slots, offer a unique gaming experience, available to people from across the globe.

This is because platforms like these have ultra-modernised the experience to cater to tech-savvy digital customers. By providing other niche features like instant payouts and streamlined registrations with modern technologies like blockchain and crypto payments, these contemporary platforms are a testament and road map to how game-based approaches can be just as effective in the retail sector.

In other instances, gaming has provided a roadmap for how to successfully integrate newer technologies like AI. While traditional video gaming has been leveraging AI for features like enhanced Non-Player Characters (NPCs), iGaming showcased its other uses, like customer services chatbots and customer analytics, both of which are now commonplace in digital retail sites. 

Adopting Gamification for Engagement

What other ways are retail companies using gaming to improve their customer experience? It’s quite simple, by gamifying their websites or service offerings. Sephora's Beauty Insider Program is a great example of this, as it gives customers the chance to earn exclusive rewards and opportunities to unlock higher tiers. Usually, these rewards are achieved when customers are incentivized to spend more money and, in turn, unlock better payouts.

Another example is McDonald's Monopoly Game, a seasonal game in which customers receive game pieces with a meal purchase.  Customers can then use their physical game pieces to earn free menu items and cash rewards, and this is a great way to make the process of buying food much more fun and engaging! 

Other examples of gamified experiences include loyalty point systems and augmented reality (AR) shopping games. One of the more popular and common retail games is spin-the-wheel discounts, which can be found in online casinos or mobile applications. These gamification strategies have proved successful. In some instances, they have been noted to increase customer engagement by up to 48%.

How Retail Has Inspired Online Gaming

While retail companies have gamified their platforms, online gaming has also seen an influx of retail-inspired elements in its service offerings. Gaming platforms now have a successful model where entertainment overlaps with consumerism by using retail inspired strategies. Netflix and Amazon both use personalised recommendations to keep their customers engaged and using their services. 

In terms of gaming, platforms such as Steam use the same mechanics and tailor offers (or provide time-sensitive discounts) to consumers based on their purchase history. Overall, this is a smart way for companies to gamify customer spending and encourage their interest in a platform or service.

Introducing features such as special events, opportunities to win prizes, and unlocking rare items means customers will easily spend more money. By doing so, user engagement can be organically enhanced. This, of course, helps revenue growth in the long run while securing a loyal customer base. 

Gaming & Retail Collaborations

Gaming and retail also successfully collaborate far more than most people realise. When two major brands from each industry team up, the result is usually some kind of awesome new offering or campaign that results. However, they can also include everything from sponsorships to in-game ads. Here are some great examples of such collaborations:  

Pokémon Go & Starbucks:

Partnering with the AR game, Starbucks turned many of its stores into PokeStops and gyms so Pokémon Go players could gather and play together. A limited offer, it temporarily allowed customers to also buy themed drinks. With the immense size of the Pokémon Go gaming community, these locations saw an influx of players that now double as customers for the retail brand.

Roblox & Gucci

This was another partnership that took a unique approach to attracting new customers, and that was through a virtual luxury retail experience. An event called the "Gucci Garden" allowed players to purchase exclusive Gucci items for their in-game avatars. The rarity of each item differed, with some being difficult to procure, which is a testament to the brand's real-life products. Not only did this event attract new players, but it also saw players re-selling these virtual items long after the fact, showcasing the brand's value.

Fortnite & Balenciaga

Combining fashion with gaming once again, Balenciaga introduced ‘skins’ Fortnite players could purchase for their characters in-game. This collaboration was an even bigger success after Balenciaga released a real-world, limited-edition clothing line inspired by Fortnite. This meant players could show off their cool outfits in-game and in real life!

How Technology Impacts Gamification

The gamification process also includes the expanding use of modern technologies, such as AI, AR/VR, and blockchain. Implementing AR/VR, for example, has changed the way many customers do online shopping. And where mobile technology is concerned, most retail purchases are now one click away.

Technologies like these go a long way in making experiences more efficient. Outside of retail specific platforms, gaming platforms have already grown immensely through the introduction of AI and VR. For example, platforms like Samba Slots have seen a major increase in user engagement after using these tools.

Benefits & Disadvantages of Convergence & Collaboration

These collaborations are very beneficial for retail and gaming companies. Both parties see an increase in customer engagement and brand loyalty, which is a great indicator of profitability and revenue growth. The added innovation of new technologies, such as AI, VR and AR, makes the process of gamification that much easier.

However, customers also benefit from these collaborations - after all, they are the target audience. Retail gamification means customers now get more value for money as they receive personalised offers more often. Additionally, these offerings can make certain activities (for example, grocery shopping) seem less like a chore. Having an immersive experience offered by your favourite brand does wonders for how the company is viewed.

While this is great, certain measures need to be taken to maintain an ethical balance for retail gamification. This convergence presents challenges related to privacy, addiction risks, and profitability for both of these sectors. While customer engagement is important, so is customer satisfaction and safety. As long as the companies are upholding their responsibility to said customers, these innovations will encapsulate only positive growth going forward.

Conclusion

The combination of retail and gaming has redefined consumer interactions and engagement in the digital world. Gamification is a tool that has proved crucial in the digital economy and has already made major waves globally. While the impact on these target markets has been immense, there is still potential for it to shape the future of these spaces.

There are limitless possibilities that come with blending retail and gaming, all of which would prove beneficial for both consumers and companies alike. Overall, integrating gamification into their service offerings seems to be the new trend for many large retail brands, and has proved to be a success.