NEARLY seven million people have visited Nike’s metaverse store in under six months.
The sportswear company was one of the first international brands to take the plunge and open up a digital store.
Last November it opened the doors to Nikeland on the Roblox metaverse platform.
Five months later, while announcing its third quarter earnings today, Nike revealed its digital store had been hugely popular.
Nikeland has been visited by 6.7 million people from 224 countries.
Visitors can play games such as tag and dodgeball while they can also try on Nike wear in the company’s digital showroom.
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Nike’s chief executive and president Jack Donahoe told investors special events held in the metaverse had helped drive engagement with customers.
He said: “During NBA All-Star Week, LeBron James visited Nikeland on Roblox to inspire its community towards physical movement in play.
“On the Nikeland court, LeBron coached and engaged with players, and participants were rewarded for physical gameplay with the ability to unlock virtual products.
“We plan to continue driving energy there with virtual products like LeBron 19 styles special to Roblox.”
Outlining how the project will help Nike make more revenue, Donahoe said the company is selling branded NFTs.
The clothing items and accessories can be worn by avatars in the metaverse.
The chief executive added: “We’re pleased by the positive momentum and energy we’re already seeing in the space and we’re excited by the future as we continue to extend our digital leadership in the industry.”
Since Nike first entered the metaverse a series of other fashion brands have followed suit including Ralph Lauren and Gucci.
Later this week the virtual platform Decentraland will also hold its first every virtual fashion week.
Analysts had warned in recent weeks that interest in the metaverse has slowed, with a decrease in google searches for the term since the middle of February.
The cooling of interest could risk putting businesses off investing in virtual platforms.
However, the success of Nikeland in its first five months is likely to help quell concerns.
