Virtual Home by Mashable Now Offers Shopping for Walmart Goods Directly
In the ever-evolving world of retail and technology, shoppable content integration has become a key trend. Companies are focusing on creating experiential, interactive, and socially integrated shopping experiences across multiple platforms, merging physical and digital commerce.
This year, Mashable Home, a completely virtual experience for SXSW 2021, exemplifies this trend. The Mashable Home offers shoppable content from Walmart, providing users with over 50 products to discover and potentially purchase on Walmart's website.
The concept for Mashable Home originated from Mashable's physical Mashable House at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. This year, users can navigate a virtually-rendered 3D house with high-concept rooms, each designed to inspire and come with programming such as cooking videos featuring influencers using Walmart's groceries and cooking tools.
The Mashable Home includes editorial content, interactive games, live on-demand programming, and shoppable hotspots. These hotspots allow users to purchase springtime products directly from Walmart.com. The immersive experience will introduce new content from March 8 to March 12.
Mashable is not the only company investing in shoppable content. Walmart, for instance, launched its second shoppable livestream on TikTok this week, to showcase beauty products. Last December, Walmart brought livestream shopping events to TikTok, featuring influencers and showcasing fashion and apparel brands.
Similarly, Instagram launched "Shopping in Reels" in December, allowing users to purchase products tagged within Reels. Google released a video shopping platform called Shoploop last July, emphasizing discovery through dynamic, shoppable video content.
The trend of shoppable content integration extends beyond social media and video platforms. Retailers are combining physical retail with digital enhancements to create seamless shopping journeys, such as AR mirrors, AI kiosks, and integrated app features. This approach aims to deepen customer relationships beyond transactions by offering memorable, convenient experiences.
Brands that integrate shoppable content catering to Gen Z consumers' preferences for instant gratification, customization, and socially shareable shopping moments are gaining traction. Physical retail environments double as content studios for social sharing, while flexible payment options and resale platforms align with their values.
All content from Mashable Home will be accessible through April 8. Mashable has also partnered with eBay to add shopping tag icons in articles and images for readers to buy the items on eBay's marketplace. As the world of retail and technology continues to evolve, shoppable content will undoubtedly remain a key trend.
[1] TechCrunch: Shoppable content: The future of retail? [2] TechCrunch: Mashable Home brings shoppable content to SXSW 2021 [3] TechCrunch: Walmart's TikTok livestream shopping events [4] TechCrunch: Instagram's Shopping in Reels [5] TechCrunch: Google's Shoploop video shopping platform
- As the world of retail and technology continues to evolve, tech-savvy consumers are increasingly engaging with shoppable content, making it a potentially promising trend for the future, as TechCrunch suggests in their article "Shoppable content: The future of retail?"
- In line with this trend, Mashable Home, a virtual experience for SXSW 2021, offers shoppable content from Walmart, blurring the lines between entertainment, lifestyle, and business, as covered in TechCrunch's article "Mashable Home brings shoppable content to SXSW 2021."
- Walmart is also investing in shoppable content, leveraging social media platforms such as TikTok to showcase a variety of products, including fashion, apparel, and beauty, as reported in TechCrunch's article "Walmart's TikTok livestream shopping events."
- Instagram, in an attempt to keep up with shoppable content trends, launched "Shopping in Reels" in December, allowing users to purchase products directly from within Reels, as outlined in TechCrunch's article of the same name.
- Google ventured into this trend by releasing Shoploop, a video shopping platform emphasizing discovery through shoppable, dynamic content, as detailed in TechCrunch's article "Google's Shoploop video shopping platform."
