Roblox has paved the way for a new standard of beauty marketing. An average of 97.8 million users a day visit the platform to play, discover, and create, providing endless opportunities for beauty brands to connect with its predominantly Gen Z user base, of which 57% report discovering new brands while immersing themselves in gaming.
From e.l.f to Sol de Janeiro, Fenty to Fine’ry, it's rare to find a name that hasn’t experimented in the space. Beauty consumers can connect with brands by playing in themed worlds and mini games, with some committing to spending real money on exclusive branded digital merchandise to decorate their avatars. While hugely profitable for the platform and its creators, historically, there has been no direct pathway from Roblox to real-world products. Until now.
In a groundbreaking move that blurs the lines between virtual and physical retail, Roblox announced a partnership with Shopify this week, enabling creators and brands to sell physical merchandise directly within Roblox experiences. Currently available to US users ages 13 and up, the program is expected to expand globally in the near future.
The integration of e-commerce into Roblox marks a significant shift in the platform's capabilities, opening doors for beauty brands to further engage with dedicated consumers. The move follows Roblox’s Digital Expression Report, which found that 50% of Gen Z users are very or extremely likely to consider buying a real-world product after trying a digital version.
The Shopify partnership turns Roblox into a closed-loop marketing and commerce channel, where discovery, interaction, and purchase can now seamlessly integrate for a user-friendly digital retail experience. The service will also benefit newer or more niche brands, offering a cost-effective, yet innovative way to sell DTC, avoiding needing a physical store.
Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is an early adopter of real-world commerce on Roblox. The brand's third installment of the Fenty Beauty Experience—Gloss Bomb Lab, a world dedicated to its namesake lip products—allows users to explore and create new lip SKUs while completing mini games to win digital items and collectibles.
Gloss Bomb Lab leads players to unlock and shop stocked shelves of physical Fenty Beauty items, including a new and exclusive-to-Roblox Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in shade Grape Splash, made possible by the new Shopify partnership.
"Fenty Beauty isn't just talking about the future of retail. They're building it. With Shopify. Online, offline, in-person at Shopify NY, and now as the first brand [officially] selling physical products on Roblox—all powered by Shopify,” Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, said in a Fenty Beauty press release.
Before Roblox’s official partnership with Shopify, e.l.f. Cosmetics was the first beauty brand to integrate real-world purchases within its Roblox worlds. The brand partnered with Walmart as part of its e.l.f UP! virtual space, where players could customize their avatars with digital e.l.f. products, and shop real-world products from an in-game kiosk. Purchases were facilitated through Walmart’s APIs, and players were gifted a virtual version of their purchase, too. This initiative not only showcased the potential of blending real-world commerce with virtual gaming, it also set a precedent for future e-commerce integrations within Roblox.
As part of the Roblox x Shopify partnership, creators, brands, and IP holders can connect product purchases to retail destinations, with the ability to unblock digital items through the Approved Merchandiser Program (AMP). To avoid counterfeits being sold, an AMP badge will be featured on physical items as a marker of authenticity. Products carrying the badge will include a code for a unique digital item relevant to the IP that they can use on Roblox.
The ability to shop through Roblox puts more than just purchases at the forefront of consumers' minds—it inspires brand loyalty, cultural influence, and a place in the next era of experiential retail. As said by Finkelstein, “The next generation of consumers won't distinguish between digital and physical shopping experiences. Neither should brands. This is commerce without boundaries, and it’s happening now."
