Photo: Amazon
It’s 2023, and the retail industry is expanding like never before. The e-commerce landscape is going every which way as retailers strive to take the lead over one another. This past May, Amazon launched its Amazon Anywhere service, which integrates Amazon Prime seamlessly into video games and mobile apps.
Amazon first launched this service in collaboration with the virtual pet game Peridot, produced by Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go. While playing Peridot, you can sign in to Amazon Prime, and all of your accounts will be synced across the game, the Amazon app, and Amazon’s website.
According to Forbes, “Amazon embeds physical Peridot-branded products within the game’s app, so players who link their Amazon accounts can buy Peridot-branded apparel (like T-shirts), throw pillows and other items.”
This means that for players of the game, “it’s easy to then tap the ‘buy’ button and check out using your linked Amazon account without leaving the game. Products will ship to you like any other purchase from Amazon, and you can track and manage orders via the Amazon app,” as explained by Amazon.
Ultimately, this B2B endeavor opens up new avenues to sell any kind of physical product through any type of digital experience. Forbes also noted that, at this time, “Amazon hasn’t said whether Anywhere will be extended to other games, but it would make practical sense.”
The biggest change Anywhere brings to the digital realm is how shopping in a game is no longer restricted to proprietary currency and items. In essence, game developers and creators can curate their physical products into their games and digital experiences.
To further create a sense of demand and a fear of missing out (FOMO), companies can sell exclusive items through these sales channels. With plenty of potential, this basically transforms every game or app into an e-commerce store utilizing standard currency, with all fulfillment being handled by Amazon Prime.
Ultimately, the existence of Anywhere may be a huge boon for Amazon in multiple ways; the retailer is already invested in gaming, and now it’s expanding sales opportunities for digital creators. This seems like it’s meant to be the next evolution for retail, but this venture hasn’t been so successful for others.
According to PYMNTS, “Walmart has reportedly shut down its Universe of Play metaverse experience on Roblox just six months after its launch. However, Walmart has stated that discontinuing the experience was always intended. Furthermore, Walt Disney has closed its division that focused on creating next-generation storytelling and consumer experiences for its metaverse strategies. This decision was made following the recent announcement by social media giant Meta that its metaverse division had suffered a loss of $4.3 billion in the fourth quarter.”
At this point, many critics believe that there was nothing but inflated expectations for the metaverse, and big-name retailers jumped in with eagerness, excitement, and a sense of urgency. However, it doesn’t seem like anyone has been able to crack the code for an overwhelmingly successful platform that’s streamlined.
But that’s not stopping others from trying, similar to Amazon. Instagram and TikTok have already integrated digital shopping experiences.
PYMNTS also noted that “Snap, parent company of Snapchat, has been instrumental in promoting the adoption of AR commerce, having invested in AR for over a decade. It recently launched a Shopping Suite that includes a range of try-on and sizing tools tailored for retail, particularly for clothing, footwear and eyewear.”
In the words of Amazon, “There’s a sense of excitement in discovering unique and relevant items within the game that you can get delivered right to your door.”
BrainTrust
Ken Morris
Managing Partner Cambridge Retail Advisors
Lisa Goller
B2B Content Strategist
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