Dive Brief:

• The Home Depot launched a Virtual Kids Workshop experience in Roblox’s Redcliff City on Thursday, according to a press release.
• The virtual experience is based on the home improvement chain’s in-person Kids Workshops, which are designed as hands-on learning experiences for children. In the Roblox space, gamers are encouraged to collect materials in order to build their own projects.
• In order to create synergy between the virtual and real-life workshops, unique codes that can be redeemed in Redcliff City will be made available during the in-person workshop on the first Saturday of each month starting March 4. The codes are made available at 9 a.m. and will be distributed while supplies last.

Dive Insight:

Home Depot’s in-store Kids Workshops have been around for years as a way to engage families and drive excitement about do-it-yourself home projects in children. Replicating the store experience in the metaverse gives Home Depot an opportunity to introduce the brand to the young gamers active on Roblox. The largest age group on the platform as of 2022 was 9 to 12 year-olds, making up 26% of the user base. Putting a child-centric experience on the platform may help to raise awareness of the in-store program, helping to drive traffic to physical locations. 

Players who visit Home Depot’s virtual storefront will be greeted by a salesperson wearing the chain’s recognizable orange apron and presented with three project options: a birdhouse, a mini flower garden and a small car. After choosing, players go on a scavenger hunt through the store’s aisles to collect the materials needed to assemble their items in the Kids Workshop space. After completion, the projects are able to leave the store and can be used in Redcliff City, one of the virtual environments on Roblox. 

Roblox has become a go-to for many brands looking to reach young consumers. Marketers such as the NFL, Forever 21 and even Gucci have set up shop on the platform in the hopes of reaching its users. These developments arrive as forecasts suggest that members of Gen Alpha and Gen Z, known as “Zalphas,” will see their spending power grow at a rate of three times faster than previous generations by 2030. These consumers are technologically savvy, having been exposed to the internet and technology their entire lives.

The move onto Roblox shows the retailer expanding its digital presence. In 2022, the home improvement chain tested product drop alerts on Twitter. Home Depot also launched a media network in effort to make it easier for other brands to reach its customers through ads. Competitor Lowe’s has already made progress in the virtual space, such as by releasing a limited-edition NFT collection in June.

Home Depot recently reported lackluster quarterly revenue and sales and expects consumer spending to be flat this year as discretionary spending moves away from goods and into experiences like travel.