Influencers in Immersive Retail: The Future of Shopping Is Personal

In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, the convergence of virtual stores and influencer marketing is reshaping how consumers discover and engage with brands. As businesses increasingly invest in immersive digital experiences — ranging from augmented reality (AR) showrooms to fully interactive metaverse experiences — influencers are becoming pivotal players in driving traffic, building trust, and enhancing customer journeys in these virtual environments.

The Evolution of Virtual Stores

Virtual stores have moved far beyond static online catalogues. Today’s digital storefronts integrate AR, VR, and 3D modeling to allow consumers to “walk through” stores, try on products virtually, and receive real-time recommendations.

The global virtual shopping market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.3% and reach $17.86 billion by 2030 and with  73% of shoppers are stating that they are more likely to purchase a product after experiencing it through AR or VR, shoppable virtual experiences is now a force to be reckoned with.

Major brands like Nike, Walmart, Gucci, Lacoste and Samsung have launched successful standalone virtual spaces and different digital platforms such as Roblox, Decentraland, and Fortnite.

These immersive experiences are often gamified and social—making them an ideal environment for influencer collaboration.

Why Influencers Matter in Virtual Commerce

Influencers bring accessibility, trust, and relatability to virtual shopping environments. Here’s how they’re making a measurable impact:

Personalized Guided Experiences

Influencers can act as digital hosts or avatars, providing real-time walkthroughs of virtual stores. These live or recorded sessions mimic shopping with a friend — making the experience feel more accessible and trustworthy.

Nielsen’s research indicates that 88% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over brand-created advertising, which goes to show how important putting a familiar face to a brand has become.

Walmart Realm takes a unique social-inspired approach; this first-ever immersive social commerce experience is curated by digital creators and is driven by social trends, reflecting the set of tastes and product selection of each creator, all leveraging the Emperia platform, to create these individual stores. With millions of daily online users visiting the standalone platform, the virtual experience has seen and average time spent of 8 minutes (333% higher than the industry average) and an increase of 82% in GenZ traffic for the Walmart brand, all driven by digital creator promotions.

Virtual Try-Ons and Live Demonstrations

With AR and video integrations, influencers can showcase how products look or function. This is especially effective in fashion, beauty, and tech.

61% of consumers say they prefer brands that offer AR try-on features when shopping online. Brands using AR and influencer campaigns together report a 94% higher conversion rate compared to static content alone.

MAC collaborated with Snapchat creators and makeup influencers like Victoria Lyn to promote AR try-on lenses. Consumers could test lipsticks and shadows virtually and buy them directly in-app, resulting in a 17x ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

In 2023, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty launched an immersive Roblox pop-up store, promoted by Roblox-native creators like Leah Ashe and MeganPlays. These influencers guided fans through virtual try-ons and product experiences, resulting in over 15 million visits in under a month.

Branded Metaverse Collaborations

Influencers are co-creating limited edition virtual goods, NFTs, and in-world experiences.

In 2023, Gucci’s partnership with Roblox and select influencers led to over 20 million visits to its store in just two weeks.

Social Commerce Integration

Influencers play a key role in driving purchases from virtual stores directly through platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram, and YouTube.

According to Accenture, global social commerce sales reached $992 billion in 2023 and are expected to hit $2.9 trillion by 2026, and this should come as no surprise, with 49% of Gen Z consumers say they’ve purchased a product directly from a live shopping event hosted by an influencer.

Makeup artist Abby Roberts used TikTok Shop to drive traffic to a virtual Glossier showroom. As she showcased product textures in AR and posted real-time reviews, Glossier reported a 35% lift in conversions during the campaign.

Measuring Impact

Virtual environments provide rich behavioral data — tracking dwell time, product interaction and conversion points.

Brands that integrate influencer-led campaigns in virtual environments report a 31% average increase in ROI compared to traditional digital advertising. Influencer-generated content in virtual spaces drives 4x higher engagement than brand-only digital experiences.

Challenges to Consider

• Platform Fragmentation: With different metaverse platforms and tech standards, both brands and influencers need to adapt content across formats.
• Authenticity Risks: Consumers are increasingly wary of over-commercialized content. Transparency remains critical.
• Tech Accessibility: High-fidelity experiences still require strong internet connections and sometimes VR equipment, limiting reach to certain audiences.

The Future Outlook

As virtual stores become more mainstream, expect influencer roles to deepen through; from AI-driven digital influencers and avatars to real-time shoppable livestreams within AR/VR spaces, to decentralized affiliate programs tied to blockchain-enabled commerce, new technologies ensure that the collaboration between influencers and brands becomes an ever-so-organic experience.

With 62% of Gen Z and Millennials stating that they are open to shopping in virtual environments in the next 12 months, the influencer-virtual store dynamic is not just a trend — it’s a new standard. The global metaverse influencer market is projected to surpass $2.6 billion by 2027, driven largely by digital collaborations.

Conclusion

Influencers in virtual stores are not just promoting products — they’re fundamentally transforming how we shop online. By guiding, entertaining, and personalizing the digital retail experience, they’re bridging the gap between immersive technology and human connection. As virtual commerce continues to grow, forward-thinking brands would do well to view influencers as strategic partners, not just promotional channels.