The metaverse is probably the concept or word of the year when it comes to the world of technology and innovation. Since Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2021 that Facebook would be renamed Meta with the aim of investing in the metaverse, this concept of virtual reality that aims to break the barrier of the physical and digital world through augmented or virtual reality devices, has starred in the conversations and plans of many companies from different sectors, which are already discussing how to apply this technology to their businesses.
Precisely, one of these conversations is already taking place between those responsible for the logistics service and electronic commerce of the companies. The question in this regard is clear:
How should the metaverse idea be properly applied to eCommerce?
The answer may come from the American supermarket chain Walmart in 2017, which in that year produced a video in which it imagined what it would be like to shop for groceries from a virtual reality. In it, you could see how customers, using viewers, could take the products from the shelf with their hands and deposit them in a virtual cart, just as if they were in a physical establishment.
With the prominence that the metaverse has gained in recent months, this video has once again gained popularity as the clearest example of what it would be like to bring retail to this universe, although the reactions of end consumers were probably not what Walmart expected. . In fact, many users noted that this shopping experience was “inefficient and inconvenient” when compared to using a web store or an app.
What is the best way to apply metaverse technology in the eCommerce process?
The answer is not to bring it to the user, who will always want the simplest, fastest and most comfortable experience, but to take advantage of the metaverse in the internal logistics process of brands.
The key in this regard is to have solutions and tools with which to digitize the entire process of sending orders, from the management of available stock in the warehouse to the moment of transport and delivery of the products, passing through the experience of consumer online shopping. In this way, brands can obtain a 360º view of everything that happens in their eCommerce processes to guarantee perfection in the reception, handling, storage, stock control, delivery and returns of orders.
In short, the perfect application of metaverse technology within the eCommerce world should be to monitor all the steps of logistics traceability that occur in an online order. The monitoring of outputs, inputs and stock management is key to this, but why stop there? A digital tool that connects all this information together with a large amount of extra data such as the real-time status of transport routes or a database with customer addresses will make deliveries as efficient and satisfactory as possible for customers. consumers.
