The Obsess workforce attended eTail Palm Springs 2025, the place business leaders gathered to discover the way forward for digital innovation, buyer expertise and the evolving retail panorama. As a part of the occasion, Neha Singh, Chief Innovation Officer at Infinite Reality and CEO of Obsess, joined Ruchika Julapalli, VP of Digital Expertise at J.Crew, for a compelling session on the longer term buyer journey and the transformative energy of immersive applied sciences. Missed the session? Listed below are the important thing insights:
The Rise of the Gaming Client
Singh highlighted a serious shift in shopper conduct: 80% of today’s consumers identify as gamers, a figure that climbs to over 90% among Gen Z. As gaming tradition continues to form digital conduct, customers count on dynamic and next-level model experiences. Manufacturers that acknowledge and adapt to this shift are well-positioned to seize the eye—and spending energy—of this extremely engaged demographic. To study extra in regards to the gaming developments to maintain high of thoughts for 2025, download the infographic.
Emotional Engagement as a Income Driver
The session underscored the ability of emotional connection in driving shopper conduct. Emotionally connected buyers spend 2.5 times more annually, recommend brands at a 58% higher rate, and have a 306% higher customer lifetime value. Digital 3D experiences are rising as a few of the only instruments for fostering these emotional bonds, providing customers memorable interactions that transfer past the normal “explore-scroll-add to cart” procuring mannequin.
Past engagement, immersive experiences are driving measurable enterprise outcomes, based on a examine carried out by Coresight Research in partnership with Obsess.
- Buyer Acquisition: 67% of shops implementing virtual stores reported buying new prospects.
- Elevated Engagement: 77% noticed an uptick in product clicks.
- Gross sales Uplift: 88% skilled a lift in gross sales.
J.Crew’s Immersive Improvements
Julapalli shared J.Crew’s newest ventures into immersive retail, highlighting the model’s method to mixing storytelling with innovation. J.Crew has launched a number of seasonal web-based digital experiences in collaboration with Obsess, most lately the Virtual Ski Chalet—a 360° holiday-themed procuring vacation spot with interactive video games and shoppable merchandise.
In 2024, with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, J.Crew launched the Digital Closet, a premiere visionOS app within the vogue sector, solidifying its place as an early innovator in spatial computing. Designed to supply an interactive, intuitive and customized styling expertise, the J.Crew Digital Closet reimagines how prospects interact with the model, reinforcing the storytelling component and creating extra significant buyer interactions. Learn extra in regards to the expertise here.
Strategic Concerns for Manufacturers
For manufacturers wanting to discover immersive applied sciences, Singh and Julapalli supplied a number of pointers:
- Outline Aims: Clearly determine the aim—whether or not it’s innovation, model consciousness, occasion engagement, conversion optimization or one other strategic precedence.
- Purposeful Growth: Align immersive initiatives with clear aims to make sure centered and efficient execution.
- Information-Pushed Iteration: Constantly analyze consumer conduct to refine and optimize immersive experiences over time.
Trying Forward: Traits Shaping Retail
AI-Pushed Personalization: AI-driven personalization stays a key driver of retail innovation. Past analyzing previous behaviors, retailers are actually leveraging predictive analytics and generative AI to anticipate future buying patterns, enabling proactive product suggestions and optimized stock administration. By integrating AI throughout the shopper journey—from customized advertising and marketing to dynamic pricing—manufacturers can foster deeper shopper connections whereas driving sustainable development.
Immersive Commerce Accessibility: Immersive commerce is changing into extra accessible and environment friendly than ever. Developments in AI and prolonged actuality (XR) applied sciences have considerably lowered the boundaries to entry for retailers. The worldwide marketplace for digital actuality in retail is predicted to develop from $5.7 billion in 2024 to $24.1 billion by 2030, reflecting a 27% compound annual development fee. This enlargement is fueled by declining {hardware} prices and the rise of user-friendly platforms, permitting manufacturers to quickly develop and deploy 3D interactive procuring environments.
Social Commerce Growth: Social media platforms are evolving into complete procuring ecosystems, seamlessly integrating leisure content material to foster extremely engaged communities. Manufacturers are collaborating with creators to develop curated collections, leveraging influencer-driven belief and authenticity. Moreover, platforms like Roblox are redefining social commerce, enabling manufacturers to create immersive digital storefronts the place purchases are a pure a part of the consumer journey.
To study extra about Obsess-powered digital experiences, e-mail us at contact@obsessvr.com or book a demo.
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