Bloomingdale’s marks milestone with virtual store
Bloomingdale’s is celebrating its 150th anniversary with some cutting-edge technology.
The upscale department store retailer is introducing a new virtual store, designed by virtual reality (VR) technology developer Emperia, to recognize being in business for 150 years. The virtual store will feature exclusive collections from brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, David Yurman, MCM, Byredo, and Baccarat.
Bloomingdale’s will introduce the virtual store during New York Fashion Week. It features a video of the evolution of the brand from Bloomingdales’ initial establishment to the present; in addition to games, surprises and a Bloomingdale's unique collection, designed exclusively for its anniversary celebrations.
Emperia has created a SaaS platform that enables creative control for retailers and brands to update merchandise and change store decor to make maintaining a virtual space seamless and completely aligned with retailers’ physical store operations.
“We are honored that Bloomingdale's chose to partner with Emperia during a time where the company is marking its 150-year celebration, highlighting its historic achievements and contributions to the fashion world through their unique retail approach,” said Olga Dogadkina, co-founder & CEO of Emperia. “highlighting their continued mark on the fashion industry, they keep pushing the limits of innovation, serving as an example of how to use cutting-edge technology that creates a highly- engaging, memorable online shopping experience.”
Bloomingdale’s goes all out for 150th anniversary
Bloomingdale's virtual store is one aspect of a months-long blowout to mark its 150th anniversary. The retailer is launching a celebration starting in September that will be “like no other,” the company said. It will include exclusive product collaborations, pop-ups, “original” shopping experience activations, and special events for its customers, colleagues, partners and communities.
[Read more: Bloomingdale’s to mark milestone anniversary with celebration ‘like no other’]
The campaign will continue into the 2022 holiday season, with special programming at select stores, including the 59th Street flagship in Manhattan and North Michigan Avenue location in Chicago. Bloomingdale's locations at South Coast Plaza and Valley Fair malls in California, and at Chestnut Hill in Massachusetts, will also participate. So will its new small-store concept, Bloomie’s, in Fairfax, Va.
Bloomingdale's is also developing dedicated 150th Anniversary branding that will be featured throughout the campaign and integrated into special consumer experiences including limited-edition anniversary merchandise collections, a dedicated 150th Anniversary campaign digital experience, and more.
“This significant milestone represents a unique moment in Bloomingdale's rich history to not only celebrate our heritage, but to also look ahead to our next chapter," stated Tony Spring, CEO, Bloomingdale's.
Bloomingdale's is a nationwide, full-line, upscale department store. A division of Macy's, Inc., it currently operates 33 Bloomingdale's stores and 21 Bloomingdale's, The Outlet Stores, in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, along with one Bloomie's location in Virginia. In addition, Bloomingdale’s has an international presence with a location in Dubai. Founded in 1872, the retailer is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.