Walmart enters the metaverse with Roblox experiences aimed at younger shoppers - CNBC

The retail giant's first foray into the virtual world will feature a blimp that drops toys, a music festival with hot artists, a bunch of different games, and a store of virtual merchandise, or "verch," which matches what customers may find in Walmart's stores and on its website.

The two experiences are called Walmart Land and Walmart's Universe of Play.

Roblox will serve as a testing ground for Walmart as it considers moves in the metaverse and beyond, said William White, Walmart's chief marketing officer.

White said the company is looking to learn from the partnership?

Walmart could make money from it in the future, however, by charging a brand for inclusion or trying to turn people's virtual experiences into real-world store visits or online purchases, White said.

Universe of Play has games that feature items from Walmart's top toy list for the holiday season — like Razor scooters and Paw Patrol and Jurassic World characters — a potential nudge to get Roblox users to ask for them.

It has historically drawn more young kids and teens, but the company has said it is attracting users across a wider age range.

In a year-in-review blog post, Roblox called out the success of brand experiences, including top destinations for users who are 17 or older?