Lacoste has announced the launch of its first-ever virtual store, which includes a seasonal collection as well as a VIP room for members of the Lacoste Web3 community.

The virtual shopping experience -- created with Emperia, a virtual reality (VR) retail and fashion developer -- aims to showcase brand creativity while strengthening a sense of community among loyal shoppers, the company says.

Customers enter the metaverse through a crocodile’s mouth, then find themselves in a green showroom that features five seasonal products shoppable in a 360-degree view.

Encouraging the Lacoste customer base to experience its products in a new way, the second room includes a gamified feature that invites customers to interact with Christmas-focused products.

The third room included in the company’s virtual store is token-gated, exclusive to VIP customers in Lacoste’s Web3 community, also known as UNDW3, who own a Lacoste NFT.

Throughout December, VIP customers can collect random “loot” boxes in the token-gated room. Every day, five users will be selected at random to win a prize.

The French company believes that customers will be encouraged to keep coming back for new surprises, while feeling a sense of exclusivity and community within the VIP room, which was created via luxury fashion NFT provider Arianee and its token-gated technology.

“Lacoste is bridging the gap between holiday shopping and gamification with this unique virtual experience,” says Olga Dogadkina, co-founder and CEO of Emperia. “Tapping into a wide variety of demographics with the various rooms and product ranges enables Lacoste to attract a wide-range of demographics.”