Gap opens flagship store in the metaverse

Fashion retailer Gap is doubling down on its metaverse strategy by announcing a new, purchase-free virtual experience in Roblox, the popular children’s video game that’s evolved to become a major commercial hub in the metaverse.

The “Club Roblox Boutique,” as the activation is being called, is being built in partnership with SuperAwesome, a tech company that collaborates with “hundreds of brands and content-owners to enable safe digital engagement for under-16s,” per the company’s website. The virtual space has been modeled after the company’s flagship store in Times Square.

This isn’t Gap’s first adventure into the rapidly expanding world of Web3. In January, the retail company unveiled its first-ever NFT collection, which it developed in partnership with artist Brandon Sines — creator of the famous Frank Ape character. Gap’s upcoming virtual boutique, which is slated to launch this Friday, follows a string of similar activations from youth clothing brands — such as PacSun and American Eagle — that have been built in Roblox and geared towards boosting engagement with younger, more tech-savvy fans.

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