Lowe’s helps builders in the metaverse
Lowe’s announced it will begin helping builders of the metaverse create new possibilities.
Rather than entering the metaverse, an integrated network of 3D virtual worlds, with a storefront to sell virtual goods, Lowe’s said it aims to equip builders free of charge with items from its real-world shelves to make their creations more beautiful, more useful and more inspiring.
To start, Lowe’s said it will make more than 500 3D product assets available for download for free via Lowe’s Open Builder, a new asset hub designed to be available to all creators, addressing key challenges of interoperability and accessibility.
“We’ve been at the forefront of building since the beginning, and the metaverse is in a pivotal stage of development. It’s only natural that we would be interested in working alongside and in service of the emerging community of builders creating this new world, with the democratization of possibility in mind,” said Marisa Thalberg, Lowe’s chief brand and marketing officer.
For added inspiration, Lowe’s will also release a limited NFT wearable collection for builders in Decentraland, a virtual destination for digital assets, to the first 1,000 participants starting to outfit their avatars in boots, hardhats, and other accessories. The NFTs will be accessible via a free airdrop to users who have linked a MetaMask cryptocurrency wallet.
“At the same time, we are also very clear on our reason for being – to make homes better for all by helping our customers to create real world value in their homes, in their jobs and in their communities. This will continue to be our North Star in the metaverse,” said Thalberg.
3D assets that will be available include such items as lighting, patio furniture, area rugs, kitchen and bath accessories, and décor accents and will be usable across metaverse and non-metaverse environments, such as gaming, augmented reality and creative design, said the retailer.
Assets could be leveraged by metaverse builders making virtual land, homes, goods and experiences for a myriad of decentralized communities, said Lowe’s.
“Over the past several years, we have infused new technologies into the planning and shopping experience and know our customers have benefitted greatly from being able to explore and test home improvement projects in the virtual world before taking the leap to implementation in their real-world homes or job sites,” said Seemantini Godbole, chief information officer of Lowe’s.
Custom, wearable NFTs will focus on the outfitting of metaverse builders, rewarding and incentivizing these critical pioneers to engage with Lowe's as they work to deliver positive, inclusive experiences for all of this in this new frontier.
“By entering the metaverse now, we can explore new opportunities to serve, enable and inspire our customers in a way no other home improvement retailer today is doing,” said Godbole.
Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Lowe’s Companies, Inc., is a home improvement company serving approximately 19 million customer transactions a week in the U.S. and Canada, with fiscal year 2021 sales of over $96 billion.