I love the old AT&T “You Will” commercials in the mid 90’s that painted an inspiring vision of a technological future (I don’t think anybody wants to talk into a watch now that we have bluetooth headsets but how can you say no to a gadget??).

If you were to make a similar series today you would have to include virtual worlds and eCommerce, represented (I may as well write the script while I am at it) by a consumer navigating easily through an online shopping experience with easy category navigation (looking for apparel? head this way), interacting with trusted friends and family about recommendations and specials, taking advantage of tailored ad-hoc promotions and one-click checkouts.

Virtual world leader Second Life may not become that home run but thanks to the Amazon AWS team it’s making interesting strides in that direction. That team has just launched a virtual marketplace in Second Life and is looking for exhibitors. A two-week experiment, it’s first come, first serve and you’re limited to a 15 x 6 ft space. But it’s free (haven’t you all been clamoring for a no-fee Amazon?).

Why should you care? Even if you’re hopefully too busy growing your online business using ChannelAdvisor Complete, more and more affluent consumers are spending their leisure time and real dollars in these virtual worlds with virtual friends. Retailers and manufacturers are quickly discovering this space — important to keep an eye on this budding channel.

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