Dive Brief:
- Roblox has named Shopify its first commerce integration partner, seeking to tie transactions closer to gaming, according to a press release.
- Through the deal, Shopify will pilot its Checkout solution within Roblox. The goal is to allow creators, developers and brands that use Shopify to sell physical items directly within Roblox without having to leave the gaming platform.
- While the capability is initially available as a pilot, a larger launch is slated for early 2025. The effort is a sign of how companies are attempting to wed commerce with immersive experiences to reach tech-savvy shoppers like Gen Z.
Dive Insight:
Shopify has been named Roblox’s first commerce integration partner, allowing the e-commerce company to deploy its Checkout functionality within the gaming platform and bring a smoother shopping experience to its virtual worlds. The tie-up offers opportunities for creators and brands that use Shopify to connect with Roblox’s global audience of nearly 80 million daily active users, the majority of whom are Gen Z.
Through the deal, creators and brands on Shopify will be able to sell physical items, from clothing to accessories and collectibles, directly within Roblox games without players needing to leave the platform. Along with shoring up Roblox’s appeal with merchants, the pact intends to support entrepreneurial creators on the gaming service.
To promote the news, Shopify released an explainer video featuring Harley Finkelstein, the company’s president, as a digital Roblox avatar.
Commerce conducted through Roblox continues to attract marketers that see gaming as a bridge to young audiences. In July, E.l.f. Beauty announced it was testing real-world commerce capabilities within its existing E.l.f. Up! Roblox experience as part of an initiative powered by Walmart. Last month, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group launched a Roblox experience promoting “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” that included of a virtual Fandango box office where users could purchase real-world movie tickets.
The latest move from Shopify follows some business wins. The company saw revenue increase 21% year over year to $2 billion in Q2, according to its latest earnings report. Despite what was described as a “mixed consumer spend environment,” gross merchandise volume, or the total dollar value of orders facilitated through the Shopify platform, grew by 22% to a total of $67.2 billion.
Shopify has sought a broader footprint on other digital platforms recently. In August, it expanded its partnership with YouTube to allow Shopify merchants to have access to thousands of creators that can showcase their products via an affiliate program. In June, Target announced a partnership with Shopify as part of its efforts to build out a third-party marketplace.
