The Whakatāne Events Promotions Initiative Community (EPIC) recently launched a virtual mall featuring local and regional businesses and the new initiative was designed to help boost business while respecting social distancing regulations. According to EPIC board chairman Warren Short, after the first hour of launch, the platform recorded more than 300 visits and the first sale was purchased within two hours.
The platforms allow customers to shop by store or product and connect shops that have existing e-commerce websites to the platform — while retaining their unique domain names. Businesses must pay a one-time fee to register with the virtual mall and all the proceeds go directly to the store owners using their own fulfillment processes.
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What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Virtual Shopping
- The rise of virtual shopping malls presents opportunities for businesses to expand their online presence and offer a new shopping experience to consumers.
- Local Business Promotion
- Virtual malls offer a platform to support local and regional businesses, promoting sales while respecting social distancing regulations.
- Ecommerce Integration
- Connecting existing ecommerce websites to virtual shopping malls offers opportunities to reach new customers while maintaining their unique brand identity.
Sectors Adopting This
- Retail
- Virtual shopping malls provide retailers a new opportunity to reach consumers without the limitations of physical space.
- Technology
- Developing and improving virtual shopping platforms opens possibilities for new technologies in retail.
- Marketing
- With the rise of virtual shopping, marketing techniques may need to adapt to reach audiences that primarily shop online.
