Amazon Launches Virtual Shops for Holidays
Amazon launched a festive Virtual Holiday Shop in November. The immersive experiences use 3D technology, powered by Amazon Beyond, to showcase compelling visuals, interactive content and product selections throughout the holiday season.
Amazon Beyond is a 3D virtual commerce space that allows users to shop in a virtual reality (VR) environment that includes 360-degree views. It's available on Amazon's website via mobile or desktop.
Once inside the Holiday Shop, consumers are greeted with seasonal and cheerful music, festive animations and a guided journey designed to help users explore gift ideas. By clicking on different products merchandised throughout the virtual store, users can learn more about products and add items directly into their cart, and then check out as usual.
The Holiday Shop spotlights selections of Amazon's top 100-some gifts, stocking stuffers, holiday decor and premium products, including items from “sought-after” brands, including Beats x Kim Kardashian, Kate Spade, Bumble and Bumble and Coach, according to Amazon. Various dedicated sections of the shop highlight “next-gen gifts,” “top tech picks,” as well as customer-loved products and on-trend picks across fashion, home, kitchen appliances, electronics and beauty.
Notably, there’s also an interactive conveyor belt of gifts and shimmering ornaments on the ceiling that unlock surprises.
Inside the Holiday Shop, there’s also a new Virtual Toy Shop that offers a giftable selection of toys, games and activity kits from Lego, Play-Doh and Disney, as well as from small businesses such as Rainbow Loom, Magna-Tiles and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, and customer favorites and trending products from Amazon’s seasonal Holiday Kids Gift Book, including exclusive toys such as the Holiday Bear and Fox plushes from Wild Republic.
“We're always innovating to enhance the shopping experience and empower customers to discover products in easy and fun ways," Carmen Nestares Pleguezuelo, vice president of North America marketing & Prime tech, said in a media release. "With the Virtual Holiday Shop, we are excited to transport shoppers into a new immersive experience where they can browse over 300 of the most coveted gifts and toys of the season."
Amazon will continuously refresh the selection within the Holiday Shop with hundreds of items throughout the season.
Additionally, Amazon also offers other virtual showrooms and stores from brands, including Star Wars, Disney, Breville and Lego.