Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the opportunities in the food industry in the context of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. The metaverse expands offline experiences into a virtual space and provides users with the advantage of overcoming the limitations of physical space. Research design, data and methodology: With the development of various contents based on advanced technology, the metaverse is becoming popular among the MZ generation (comprising millennials and Gen Zs), who are skilled at navigating digital platforms. Moreover, the previously entertainment game focused service has expanded to the business field after COVID-19; activities on the metaverse are now making space for economic value creation. I examined the recent global trends in the context of NFTs and the metaverse as well as the existing cases in Korea. Results: Globally, gaming and performance platforms such as Roblox, Fortnite etc. are still concentrated in the entertainment industry. However, as shown by ZEPETO and ifland in Korea there are many opportunities in the retail and food industries. Conclusions: We analyzed the ecosystems of the retail and food and beverage sectors, where the metaverse will be useful in the future, and have suggested the implications of the opportunities provided by the metaverse.