Sunglass Hut drives store traffic with metaverse promotion
Sunglass Hut is offering a virtual perk to customers who visit a brick-and-mortar store.
The specialty eyewear retailer, a division of EssilorLuxottica, is partnering with metaverse avatar platform Ready Player Me to offer digital sunglasses that allow users to accessorize their digital avatars. Customers can visit select Sunglass Hut stores across the U.S. to claim free sunglasses for their avatars.
Customers will be able to scan a QR code on the “SmartShopper” digital screens inside Sunglass Hut stores to redeem virtual Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglass models for their Ready Player Me avatars. Ready Player Me's avatar creation platform enables users to create custom avatars that can be used across multiple virtual worlds and gaming platforms.
Numerous retailers have linked physical products to virtual shopping environments, as evidenced by recent efforts from Walmart and Amazon. But Sunglass Hut is taking a novel approach by offering virtual merchandise in a physical location, with the added benefit of giving customers another reason to visit a brick-and-mortar store.
"We are excited to offer our customers the opportunity to bring their avatars to life with digital eyewear," said Giorgio Pradi, Sunglass Hut GM. "Our partnership with Ready Player Me is a pioneering initiative that demonstrates our commitment to innovation and to providing our customers with unique and engaging experiences."
"We are excited to collaborate with Sunglass Hut to bring digital sunglasses from Ray-Ban and Oakley to our users," said Timmu Tõke, CEO of Ready Player Me, the parent company of Ready Player Me. "We believe that virtual fashion is a rapidly growing market, and this partnership will help us to stay at the forefront of this trend.”
Virtual avatar sunglasses are available in the following Sunglass Hut physical locations:
California
- 3rd Street Promenade, Flagship – Santa Monica
- Disneyland, Flagship – Anaheim
- 356 N Beverly Drive – Beverly Hills
Florida
- Dadeland Mall, Macy's Flagship - Miami
- Disney Springs, Flagship - Orlando
Illinois
- 111 N State Street, Macy's Flagship – Chicago
New York
- Herald Square, Macy's – Manhattan
- 590 Fifth Avenue – Manhattan
- Union Square, Macy's Flagship – Manhattan
Founded in 1971, Sunglass Hut operates more than 3,000 retail locations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South Africa, and China; and is part of the EssilorLuxottica Group, a global manufacturer and distributor of eyewear.