[CES 2023] Korea Seven works with VR content developer Caliverse to showcase metaverse convenience store at CES

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : January 2, 2023, 11:22 Updated : January 2, 2023, 23:52

[Courtesy of Korea Seven]

SEOUL -- At the Consumer Electronics Show, a global tech event to be held on January 5 in Las Vegas, the South Korean operator of global convenience store franchise 7-Eleven will disclose a real-world-like metaverse store where users can experience various food items using avatars. In the virtual world created by VR content developer Caliverse, digital humans will show different responses and facial expressions depending on the taste of snacks and drinks.
 
The metaverse is a virtual world where anyone can engage in social, cultural, and economic activities by creating personalized characters called "avatars." The virtual world can be accessed using smartphones, PCs, or virtual reality (VR) headsets. According to global market research firm Emergen Research, the global metaverse market will grow from $47.7 billion in 2020 to $828.95 billion in 2028.
 
Korea Seven said in a statement that the company has worked with Caliverse and Lotte Data Communication, an information technology service provider affiliated with South Korea's Lotte Group, to showcase the metaverse store. Avatars will grimace when eating extremely spicy or bitter snacks. The characters' hair color will change when drinking beverages.
 
Food items purchased at the virtual store can be used for other purposes in many different activities. Ice creams can be used as light sticks to enjoy entertainment performances at a concert hall. "The metaverse store that incorporated the most advanced technology will provide unique experiences that our consumers have never explored before," Korea Seven's digital transformation team manager Lee Yun-ho said in a statement on January 2.
 
The adoption of metaverse platforms has gained momentum among South Korean convenience store operators to actualize different activities in the virtual world. In November 2022, Korea Seven launched a virtual store where visitors can enjoy entertainment performances on Ifland, a metaverse platform created by SK Telecom, a top mobile carrier. Food products such as ramen noodles and beers were recreated into chairs so that users could sit and consume content. 

The operator of South Korea's top convenience store chain CU is currently operating an online convenience store on ZEPETO, a popular smartphone metaverse app, to invite customers to a virtual clone of a CU store located in one of Seoul's riverside parks. Visitors to the metaverse store can shop and rest on benches to enjoy the night scenery.
 
Caliverse produces VR content that enables two-way communication with users. Based on deep interactive technology that responds to touch, gaze, and voice, the company has produced VR dramas, concerts, and promotional videos. Caliverse's metaverse platform that enables visitors to enjoy a virtual home appliance store was unveiled at CES 2022. Digital humans could wear different clothing and rotate 360 degrees for close inspection in any direction.
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