First NFT real-world stores are setting a phygital trend
NFT shopping becomes a real-world experience in Dubai, with physical stores opened in the international business hub.
Located in Dubai, the business and crypto center of the Middle East and North Africa region, Fastex’s ftNFT shop became the world’s first physical NFT store, offering a seamless interaction between the real world and the digital universe. In a short time, it garnered wide acclaim for its unique concept, friendly staff and exceptional customer service.
On the heels of the first phydigital shop’s successful launch, Fastex announced the opening of another physical ftNFT shop in the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world. Designed as a one-of-a-kind physical NFT shop, the cozy atmosphere of the ftNFT store transforms purchasing an NFT into a social experience in the real world for customers.
Visitors to the shop will be able to enjoy a guided tour across the vast library of NFTs available in the ftNFT marketplace, choose one for themselves and take home their favorite digital art piece. In-store activities such as a DJ cabin, a 3D-scanner-supported “avatar booth,” and the accompanying physical pendants of digital NFT collections all elevate the shopping experience to direct interaction with the digital world.
The ftNFT shop also helps artists easily add their NFTs to the ftNFT marketplace. For anyone who wants to present their first NFT to the world, the in-store 3D NFT scanner provides a quick way to create a digital counterpart of any physical appearance.
Fastex plans an opening ceremony for its ftNFT shop at Dubai Mall on March 1617, 2023, where visitors will be able to come and explore the rich NFT catalog firsthand. Aside from launching the first NFT stores in the real world, Fastex provides a complete Web3 ecosystem with a range of services, including digital asset exchange, payment gateway, staking and decentralized finance.
As the foundation for nonfungible tokens (NFTs) has been laid in the digital universe, buying or selling NFTs was always thought to be an online practice.
However, online shopping lacks some key aspects of the overall buying or selling experience that’s craved by customers. Numerous reports show people still prefer to shop at physical stores and need an on-site expert nearby when in-depth information is needed about a specific item. Another reason for the social nature of NFT is that NFTs serve as status symbols for their owners: according to a recent study, 74% of respondents buy NFTs for the status they confer.
ftNFT, the first NFT retail stores to open in Dubai, fill this gap and bring the necessary social aspect directly to the customer. With such unique locations set to welcome tens of millions of foot traffic annually, Dubai has the potential to become home to the next step of NFT evolution.