Flipkart, an Indian online marketplace, is entering the realm of immersive shopping experiences with Virtual Worlds in order to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement. Building on their previous introduction of 3D and AR features and Beauty/Makeup Try-ons in 2021, Flipkart is now prioritizing immersive shopping. By providing users with lifelike visualizations of products and incorporating interactive and enjoyable elements, these spaces aim to increase engagement and help customers make better-informed purchase decisions.
Flipkart has achieved a significant milestone in the global e-commerce industry with the successful implementation of Flipverse (the link is only available through the app only for Android users currently) a virtual metaverse activation. This innovative initiative attracted people from 2,300 cities who were able to explore products and engage in a truly unique experience.
The Flipverse streaming sessions amassed an impressive total of 20,000 hours, with a consistent stream of 300-500 users connecting to the virtual world on their mobile devices every minute. It is worth noting that users who created personalized avatars spent six times more time in Flipverse compared to the average user, highlighting the platform’s captivating appeal and ability to captivate audiences. Building on this success, Flipkart is now offering brands the opportunity to create customized virtual metaverse worlds within their platform.
Flipkart is providing two different types of shopping experiences that are designed to fully engage customers and create a sense of immersion.
- The initial format involves specialized Virtual Worlds designed by brands such as Coca-Cola and Mondelez specifically for the Flipkart app. These virtual spaces are visually rich and interactively engaging, catering to the evolving trends in shopping and creating an immersive experience for users.
- Flipkart’s Virtual World, called Flipverse, incorporates the co-tenancy of brands in its second format. In this format, users can explore a wide range of laptops, approximately 45-50, within an immersive setting resembling an offline store.
Flipverse: Flipkart revolutionizes online shopping with the Virtual World Shopping Experience
Commenting on the offering, Ravi Krishnan, Head, Flipkart Labs, said, “We launched the Virtual World Metaverse experience on our platform to lead an immersive shopping experience. Flipkart continues to innovate with a focus on customers, and this launch strengthens our dedication to improving user shopping experiences. In this 3D environment, users can explore products, try them on, and experience the excitement of shopping. Brands have the opportunity to virtually present their unique characteristics, forging closer relationships with customers. The co-tenancy feature within Flipkart’s Metaverses allows brands to present a variety of products in a shared 3D space, setting the stage for the future of shopping.”
Sumeli Chatterjee, Head – Integrated Marketing & Experiences (IMX) at The Coca-Cola Company India and South West Asia said, “As the excitement builds for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, Thums Up is thrilled to be the official beverage partner of the tournament. Through cutting-edge technology like 3D & Blockchain, the launch of Thums Up Virtual World experience enhances immersive shopping, deepening connections between brands and shoppers. Just as cricket unites fans, our partnership with Flipkart brings shoppers closer to enjoying their favourite products.”
Desmond D’Souza, Senior Director- Sales, Mondelez India, said “A virtual 3D experience was created to celebrate 75 years of Cadbury in India by taking shoppers on Flipkart through an engaging brand journey and leading them to a collector’s edition vintage box. We have always believed in being where our consumers are and this strong collaboration between the Flipkart and Mondelez India teams is a reiteration of our consumer-first approach to provide unique and immersive experiences, this time for the next-gen of shoppers.”
Flipkart Labs has a variety of upcoming Virtual World releases planned, which include both brand-specific Worlds and Flipverse, just in time for the festive season. Flipkart Labs is a leading center dedicated to utilizing emerging technologies to create engaging customer experiences. They are actively utilizing innovative technologies like 3D, AR, Blockchain, and Generative AI to improve the shopping experience for their vast customer base of 450 million people. As the festive season approaches, Flipverse will be reintroduced to offer brands a unique opportunity for users to explore products in a 3D format within this shared space.
Flipkart Labs collaborates with various internal teams at Flipkart such as the Ads & Category teams, as well as an external tech partner called Layer-E, to create Virtual World experiences. Layer-E specializes in constructing immersive infrastructure for Web3 commerce, working with global brands, creators, art, media, and entertainment IPs.
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