Shopify and Roblox are teaming up to pilot Shopify's checkout within Roblox's virtual worlds, marking the first platform commerce partnership for Roblox. Through the integration, brands on Shopify can sell physical items to customers using real currency without ever leaving the Roblox platform.
For example, a Roblox player can interact with a t-shirt display on an in-game mannequin and then purchase the real life version of the shirt along with a digital replica for their character using Shopify checkout. After purchasing, the customer receives an order confirmation e-mail from the Shopify store, which takes over the sale. The customer then receives a virtual version of the item immediately, and the real / physical item is sent in the mail.
An avatar version of Shopify President Harley Finkelstein said in a video, “This will open up a massive audience of 80 million daily active, highly engaged, Roblox users, and potential customers, for creators and brands.”
Shopify wrote in its announcement, “This is another example of how Shopify is shaping the future of immersive commerce and shopping. When entrepreneurs have more spaces to connect with fans, they have more opportunities to succeed. That is what we power at Shopify.”
Shopping on Roblox is currently only available to users in the U.S. aged 13 and up, and all payments are done via fiat currency rather than virtual currency. For now, the integration with Shopify is in a pilot phase, with a broader rollout planned for 2025.
If this sounds familiar, I reported a similar integration between Walmart and Roblox earlier this year in May.
At the time, Roblox VP of Economy Enrico D’Angelo hinted at future commerce plans with other marketplaces and platforms, saying, “We are excited to start testing real-world commerce as a key step towards enabling it in the future for our community of creators and brand. Shopping for virtual items is already an important element of how people engage and express themselves on Roblox daily, so our goal is to gather feedback, test the technology, and learn what resonates with Gen Z customers the most when it comes to shopping for physical items.”