H&M provides metaverse experience on major gaming platform

Global fast-fashion retailer H&M Group is providing customers with an immersive digital environment to create virtual products and play games.

H&M is launching the “H&M Loooptopia Experience” on the Roblox virtual gaming platform. The H&M Loooptopia Experience on Roblox is an immersive 3D metaverse environment featuring a city square, as well as play sessions in several alternate Roblox worlds.

In these metaverse worlds, users can gather a variety of digital materials to build virtual garments and outfits for their Roblox avatars by engaging in activities such as mini-games, styling sessions, and live events. They can also virtually collaborate with friends to trade clothes, take selfies, or interact. When it's time to change up a style, users can recycle old clothes to earn rare elements and participate in a digital runway show.

H&M is partnering with metaverse studio Dubit to offer its virtual Looptopia experience on Roblox.

“People who shop and wear H&M garments and accessories are increasingly spending time in virtual spaces and digital worlds. The H&M Loooptopia Experience on Roblox is now allowing us to explore new ways to engage with our current and new customers in the places they love to be, both online and offline," said Linda Li, head of customer activation & marketing, H&M Americas. "In the coming years, H&M will continue to explore this fast-growing expanse of virtual and augmented realities."

"At H&M we want to encourage the emerging generation of digital natives to express themselves through fashion both off and on screen. H&M Loooptopia Experience on Roblox is an exciting new world that unleashes creativity and lets players create and evolve their virtual wardrobe on Roblox, so they can feel the most like themselves through their avatar," said Max Heirbaut, global head of brand experience, metaverse, for H&M.

"We loved collaborating with H&M to build the H&M Loooptopia Experience on Roblox- the place on Roblox where anybody can be a fashion designer," said Andrew Douthwaite, chief commercial officer, Dubit. "H&M wanted to offer an experience that promotes fun and sustainability, in keeping with their brand DNA of style, creativity and culture. It's been amazing to see the concept evolve from the initial design and workshop through to this iconic launch."

Retailers turn to Roblox

The Roblox immersive gaming platform is proving to be a top metaverse environment for retailers to both open stores and provide gamified virtual experiences. In one current example, fast fashion retailer Forever 21 operates the Shop City virtual store on Roblox, where customers can buy and sell the retailer’s merchandise, including accessories and clothing, hire non-player characters (NPCs) as employees, and customize every aspect of their own store as they try to become the “top shop” in the gamified experience. 

And Build-A-Bear Workshop recently launched a metaverse experience called “Build-A-Bear Tycoon” within the Roblox virtual gaming environment. As users progress through the game, they can unlock digital collectable bears which they can then obtain in real-life versions. Build-A-Bear also offers special codes for in-experience redemption through its various channels, and Build-A-Bear Tycoon participants can earn digital currency to use on Roblox.