An experience ‘without the laws of gravity’: How teen brands are making the metaverse part of their retail strategies

If 2021 was the year Mark Zuckerberg brought the word “metaverse” to the mainstream, 2022 was the year that brands — especially those that cater to teens — started to make the metaverse a part of their marketing strategies.
Today, dozens of retailers — especially those that cater to Gen Z — are using virtual spaces to connect with younger audiences, introduce new products and build brand loyalty. Roblox, one of the so-called metaverse platforms that houses millions of user-generated games, has become a favorite among retailers because it has no barrier to entry and boasts a built-in base of more than 50 million daily active users. Mall brands, including Forever 21, Pacsun and Claire’s, have been among the quickest to embrace Roblox and its many possibilities. But the brands that have a presence on the platform run the gamut, with CPG conglomerates like Kellogg’s and luxury brands like Gucci also proving that they are receptive to the metaverse.
In the style of a “meta” experience that relies on connected worlds, teen-focused brands are beginning to use data from the metaverse to inform their physical retail strategies and vice-versa. On Dec. 1, Forever 21 celebrated its one-year anniversary on Roblox with a real-life apparel collection based on items it had tested in its digital experience, “Shop City.” And, on Dec. 6, Claire’s launched a 23-piece in-store and online collection in partnership with the gaming creator MeganPlays; 12 of the items are available in its “ShimmerVille” game on Roblox.
It’s a process that Forever 21 Chief Marketing Officer Jacob Hawkins calls “a great virtuous cycle.” “We design physically, and we’ll launch those in the metaverse,” he told Modern Retail. “We now design virtually, and we’re launching those into our stores and on our website… We’re going to continue to see what does well in one channel and look at launching it in the other channel.”
Developed by Wonder Works Studio and the Virtual Brand Group (VBG), “Shop City” allows users to build their own stores, compete with each other to become the “top shop,” hang out at a food court with friends and buy Forever 21 merchandise for their avatars. Each Roblox player has an avatar across games, and 1 in 5 daily active users updated their avatars on any given day last year.
On Dec. 1, Forever 21 began selling the real version of its avatar-centered hoodie, beanie and t-shirt in stores and on its website. While Forever 21 didn’t disclose how much revenue it has made from metaverse-inspired apparel, Hawkins said the items have “sold really well.”
At the same time, back in “Shop City,” Forever 21 is testing a new set of unique beanies to inform its real-life merchandise strategy, said Justin Hochberg, CEO of the metaverse creation company VBG, which works with brands like Barbie and “The Voice” on metaverse experiences. “Shop City” has sold 1.5 million units of its black beanie in the game. “It’s not just, we tested once, we launched the collection,” he told Modern Retail. “It’s constantly, what’s the next thing? What are we learning from?”

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