What happened: Amazon is expanding its retail presence beyond its vast online marketplace with the launch of a new immersive shopping experience.
Details: Amazon Anywhere launched on Tuesday, allowing retail customer to purchase real-world items directly in mobile apps, video games, and virtual spaces in the metaverse. The service debuts within "Peridot," an augmented reality game by Niantic, the maker of "Pokémon Go," where players will be able to link their Amazon accounts and buy game-branded products, like T-shirts and stuffed animals, from its online store without exiting the experience.
The bigger picture: Amazon is exploring games and the metaverse as a new avenue for customers to discover products on its site. Based on information provided by Statista, marketers familiar with the metaverse chose the retail sector as the second-best industry, after gaming, to actively engage customers within the metaverse.
