French luxury beauty brand L’Occitane en Provence has introduced a new metaverse experience in honor of the upcoming Ramadan season, set to start on March 10.
The initiative, named “L’Occitane Ramadan,” is a collaborative effort between L’Occitane, virtual studio Emperia, and Saudi Arabian artist Bayan Yasien. It highlights themes of “togetherness, gifting, and self-reflection,” echoing the spirit of Ramadan.
Within the virtual space, users can explore a Middle Eastern house set in a warm village, featuring both indoor and outdoor (Terrace) experiences. Both settings allow users to discover various L’Occitane products, including exclusive items such as a Ramadan beauty calendar. Visitors can click on products to explore details, add items to their cart, and make purchases directly from the virtual store.
Beyond shopping, the virtual space hosts interactive elements, including quizzes on skincare routines. Each quiz response generates a personalized product recommendation, allowing users to easily add suggested items to their shopping cart.
This collaboration isn’t L’Occitane’s first venture into the metaverse with Emperia. In July 2023, L’Occitane launched its inaugural virtual store, celebrating the brand’s heritage and signature scents: Lavender, Almond, Immortelle, and Shea Butter. Later, in November 2023, another collaboration resulted in an Alpine-themed virtual store for the holiday season, offering an immersive Christmas shopping experience.
Virtual stores are gaining traction as brands aim to provide customers with experiences that are more immersive and interactive compared to traditional e-commerce platforms. According to an October 2023 report by Coresight, 88% of retail decision-makers who invested in virtual stores reported an increase in sales post-launch, with 67% seeing a rise in new customers and 77% noting an uptick in clicks to product pages.
