Why real-life shopping will always trump the metaverse

Dec 9, 2021 – 9.41am

The metaverse is coming. Did you hear? Amid the noise of NFTs and cryptocurrency and digital avatars, Facebook officially rebranded itself to Meta, making it clear that the notion of a parallel virtual reality is one in which it really believes.

With the metaverse will come shopping and, if Mark Zuckerberg is right, lots of it. In his presentation, Zuckerberg “tries on” several outfits before settling on his tech-bro uniform. That’s even as he promises that in the metaverse, we will all have access to “a wardrobe of virtual clothes”, and that the company hopes to “reach 1 billion people and host hundreds of billions in commerce”.

It has, you can imagine, got the fashion industry in something of a tizz.Virtual fashion has been around for a while now, and this year, luxury fashion in particular jumped on board. That was partly thanks to the tyranny of distance mandated by global lockdowns and partly because fashion loves a gimmick. Gucci now sells $12 virtual sneakers. You can dress your Snapchat avatar in Ralph Lauren. In May, an NFT of a “Baby Birkin” sold for $US23,500 (though, it should be said, without the knowledge or permission of Hermès).

Certainly, there is no question that online retail is booming, and the pandemic hastened e-commerce growth. But look at our behaviour when lockdowns eased. What was the first thing many of us did, when we could? We shopped. As soon as we could, we left the warm embrace of our homes, drove to malls and retail strips, battled with the parking gods and added things to carts that we actually had to carry.

For all the talk of the metaverse, and for all the convenience and ease of online shopping, there is still something beguiling and alluring about the in-store experience. I know the way I feel when I walk into my favourite boutiques, the way the salespeople know me by name, the way they can select garments they know I will love (they know my size, too). It’s special.

I often neglect to remember that I have no need for feather-trimmed pants or vertiginous baby-pink heels.

And yes, algorithms can learn this (like the Net-A-Porter ads that follow my every internet move), but they can’t replace the charming salesperson who knows you look great in lilac, and has just the thing for your dinner party. And who hands you a glass of champagne or, needs must, a coffee as you browse.

There is something deeply satisfying about touching a garment, trying it on, rating the fit and comfort, noticing the way it makes you look and feel. You’ve taken the guesswork out, but you’ve also opened yourself up to discovery in a way that’s difficult to achieve online through direct search. “Winning” an eBay auction results in a dopamine hit, for sure, but instore shopping is a whole other triumph. You came, you saw, you gave your credit card details. And you got to walk away with your spoils.

Talk about instant gratification.