THE METAVERSE IN LUXURY FASHION BRANDS’ OMNICHANNEL STRATEGIES

Fashion firms are the most active and enterprising in terms of digital initiatives and investments in the Metaverse, where they engage consumers with exclusive experiences. For example, luxury fashion companies create branded virtual clothes for avatars and digital alter egos through which consumers can access the Metaverse. In this context, new purchasing methods and innovative logics of interaction with consumers emerged, revolutionizing the traditional customer journey of the fashion sector. Although the academic literature has recently focused on the Metaverse in fashion marketing strategies, no previous studies have analyzed the role of the Metaverse in the omnichannel strategies of luxury fashion brands. As recently pointed out by Yoo et al. (2023), a major cost associated with the Metaverse concerns extending firms’ omnichannel strategy. Thus, the objective of this research is to investigate how the Metaverse has been integrated in the omnichannel strategies of luxury fashion brands. Considering the exploratory purpose of this study, we adopted a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews. So far, we have collected 11 semi-structured interviews with professionals operating in luxury fashion firms, consulting companies and various associations specialized in the Metaverse. The preliminary results of this exploratory research highlight opportunities for companies in the luxury fashion sector and some limits, mainly technological, linked to the implementation of the Metaverse in business processes.