Getting down to business
June 16, 2006 on 12:58 pm | In Uncategorized |3pointD has an interesting post on American Apparel opening a SL show room for their real world clothes. You could off course say that it is a perfect fit with clothes already being a massive part of the growing SL economy, but it really makes sense to me on a number of levels.
I talked about earlier how I feel the 2D web augments the 3D web well and vice versa. I this is an example to think about. Certain kinds of goods have been easier to sell over the 2D Web than others. Amazon have lead shown the way and buying books online with the vast selection and good prices quickly made sense to many of us.
Other goods have been a little harder to ship and though I know online clothes shops are on the rise; people I know still prefer to go out and pick up threads in meat space. Looking at a 2D representation of a shirt doesn’t say too much in the way of how it is going to look on me.
SL and its 3D space on the other hand let you make very accurate copies of RL clothes. You can then try it on your avatar to see how it looks; maybe even ask your friends what they think. Obviously this process could still be improved but I am starting to see why SL makes sense to American Apparel.
As SL and the web gets more closely wired in with each other you should be able top buy a shirt in world and have it sent directly to your home address. You could find the shirt you want, see how it looks on your avatar. When you buy it with your L$ the actual shirt gets sent to your home address.
Actually I think that a number of areas could setup benefit from setting up shop right now. How about strolling (fly if you want to) along with your little cart in a virtual Safeway supermarket? When I am picking out my foods I might want a little more than just a 2D picture of the cereal box. The real life science of setting the shelves in manner that makes me buy stuff I never knew I wanted has incredible potential in SL.
Many residents may not be over the moon about the idea of Ikea Island but I believe the 3D platform’s potential for commerce is big. American Apparel’s move caught the eyes of Forbes so I wonder if other big RL companies are coming along soon to tap into the booming shopping scene in SL. Setup costs are very low compared to the kind of money these companies are usually throwing around. The marketing potential is obvious already and soon the practical potential may be as well.
It just struck me as an interesting thought that maybe before very long some company might be making more money with SL than Linden Lab. Sticking my neck out in a semi cautious way I would say before the end of 2007.
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[…] Fashion Retailer to Open Second Life Store Now even real retailers are building stores inside the popular Second Life persistent online world. 3pointD.com reports (thx Micropersuasion) that fashion retailer American Apparel has hired designer Aimee Weber to build them an online store inside Second Life. American Apparel will sell apparel for Second Life residents that looks similar to the apparel they sell in their bricks-and-mortar stores. The store, located on a private island in Second Life, is set to open as soon as this weekend. The news has SL residents considering what it means that the first real-world fashion brand has made an entrance to Second Life. Fashion is one of the virtual world’s biggest industries, and the fashion business in SL is extremely competitive. So it’s not a surprise that the first real-world retail brand to set up shop in SL is a fashion retailer. The fashions themselves are patterned after American Apparel’s real-world clothes, and were designed by several designers, including Aimee, though she wouldn’t say who else was involved. The clothing will be priced “high-priced reasonable” compared to other SL fashions, Aimee says. No comment either on where the revenue from clothing sales will go - which leads me to believe it will go to the designers as part of their compensation It is an interesting development. A Forbes article on the virtual store says American Apparel calls the Second Life build an experiment. Schionning says that it’s just an experiment and that the company is not trying to make money with the venture. A token sum will be charged for clothing, but the prices are not yet set. This is “not a profit-making venture,” he says. Its real-life retail outlets typically feature racy, disco-era photographs of scantily clad girls and have been at the center of controversy over the kitschy decor, which has used 1970s Penthouse magazine covers. The 6,000-square foot virtual store is modeled after the hipster brand’s bi-level Tokyo outlet. The initial fashion selection will offer 20 styles of American Apparel’s signature logo-free casual wear: basic T-shirts, tank tops, undergarments and swimwear. Second Life residents may be privy to real-world promotions and discounts from American Apparel, and the marketing tactic may boost actual sales with a link to the online store, the company said. You can bet there will be more of these so-called experiments. Second Life Creativity seems to think so too. […]
Pingback by gamingblogs.net » Blog Archive » Fashion Retailer to Open Second Life Store Now even real — August 2, 2006 #
[…] Fashion Retailer to Open Second Life Store Now even real retailers are building stores inside the popular Second Life persistent online world. 3pointD.com reports (thx Micropersuasion) that fashion retailer American Apparel has hired designer Aimee Weber to build them an online store inside Second Life. American Apparel will sell apparel for Second Life residents that looks similar to the apparel they sell in their bricks-and-mortar stores. The store, located on a private island in Second Life, is set to open as soon as this weekend. The news has SL residents considering what it means that the first real-world fashion brand has made an entrance to Second Life. Fashion is one of the virtual world’s biggest industries, and the fashion business in SL is extremely competitive. So it’s not a surprise that the first real-world retail brand to set up shop in SL is a fashion retailer. The fashions themselves are patterned after American Apparel’s real-world clothes, and were designed by several designers, including Aimee, though she wouldn’t say who else was involved. The clothing will be priced “high-priced reasonable” compared to other SL fashions, Aimee says. No comment either on where the revenue from clothing sales will go - which leads me to believe it will go to the designers as part of their compensation It is an interesting development. A Forbes article on the virtual store says American Apparel calls the Second Life build an experiment. Schionning says that it’s just an experiment and that the company is not trying to make money with the venture. A token sum will be charged for clothing, but the prices are not yet set. This is “not a profit-making venture,” he says. Its real-life retail outlets typically feature racy, disco-era photographs of scantily clad girls and have been at the center of controversy over the kitschy decor, which has used 1970s Penthouse magazine covers. The 6,000-square foot virtual store is modeled after the hipster brand’s bi-level Tokyo outlet. The initial fashion selection will offer 20 styles of American Apparel’s signature logo-free casual wear: basic T-shirts, tank tops, undergarments and swimwear. Second Life residents may be privy to real-world promotions and discounts from American Apparel, and the marketing tactic may boost actual sales with a link to the online store, the company said. You can bet there will be more of these so-called experiments. Second Life Creativity seems to think so too. […]
Pingback by gamingblogs.net » Arsip blog » Self-Governing Could Limit Griefing The Guardian has a great article — August 3, 2006 #