Forever 21 is building a virtual retail experience on Roblox, “Forever 21 Shop City,” where players can own and manage their personal Forever 21 stores.

Players will be able to buy and sell branded merch, employ non-player characters (NPCs) and compete with other stores in the world. The potential for customization aims to emulate the real-life experience of managing a Forever 21 store, which in the real world typically caters to young women. Players can choose a store’s location, decide on interior assets, handle operational tasks like hiring employees and assisting customers, and curate merchandise as the brand releases it in real time.

The game uses Roblox’s “Tycoon” mode, which allows players to own a business and earn virtual cash to support it. Players who earn points can expand their stores with additional levels and architectural themes like Cottage Core and FutureScape. A flagship Forever 21 store will exist as the world’s hub, where players can visit to socialize with others, explore new design elements for their stores and restock their inventory.

See Ad Age’s 2021 Social Commerce Guide here.

Metaverse fashion consultant

Retailers across categories have been flocking to Roblox in order to test out the metaverse and provide new branded experiences to young audiences. Ralph Lauren last week unveiled a winter-themed Roblox experience that featured ice-skating and a digital clothing collection. Nike and Gucci have also designed recent campaigns on the platform.

To help promote “Forever 21 Shop City” in Roblox, the retailer has teamed with creators who have crafted exclusive items and designed stores for the experience. @Builder_Boy, who has over 48,000 followers, will be the world’s metaverse fashion consultant.

As with other branded activations, “Forever 21 Shop City” includes elements designed to expand the experience into a social event. Four themed districts—yellow carpet, entertainment, obstacle course and food court—encourage users to meet up with friends, role play and discover hidden items. Yellow carpet, for example, receives players as they enter the world, offering celebrity treatment where avatars can pose in front of paparazzi and share their styles with friends and on social media.

Finally, the brand is hosting a series called “Forever 21 Days”—timed drops of new themed content and activities meant to sustain interest in the experience over time. The days will occur on the 21st of each month, beginning with Dec. 21, which will feature holiday-themed updates.

While Roblox boasts almost 50 million daily active users, that metric declined last month compared to October’s numbers, leading to a 12% dip in shares yesterday as November metrics were released, per CNBC. The decline was in-part due to a wide-scale outage on the platform between Oct. 28 and Oct. 31.

See all of Ad Age's 2021 Marketers of the Year here.