Crate & Barrel is bringing the in-store shopping experience to customers at home

US – Furniture and home décor retailer Crate & Barrel has created an immersive digital version of its new flagship New York store.

Customers can navigate the store in a similar way to a computer game or Google Maps technology, observing the displays and clicking on products to discover pricing. As well as being a digital twin of the physical location, the virtual store also includes gamified features such as plates flying off the wall to form the perfect holiday party setting on a table when clicked on.

While most e-commerce stores require the customer to search for products, in-store shopping is more suited to organic discovery. Barrel & Crate’s virtual store aims to replicate this digitally.

Crate & Barrel is positioning itself as an industry-leader when it comes to the future of e-commerce, following the announcement of its multi-year plan for investment in technology in August 2023. Sebastian Brauer, Crate & Barrel’s senior vice-president of products, visual and Web3, told Fast Company he believes e-commerce is on the cusp of transformation: ‘We want to be ahead of the curve, so that we’re ready when the transformation comes.’

Whether it’s the latest metaverse activation or virtual shopping experiences in gaming, on LS:N Global we’re tracking the latest innovations in e-commerce in our Retail section.