Convenience store’s recent moves into the metaverse mask industry-wide confusion about its value proposition.

Take, for example, 7-Eleven. Korea Seven, a franchise of the convenience retail giant in South Korea, is preparing to unveil a concept for a metaverse store in which avatars can eat and drink virtual versions of items the retailer sells in physical stores. The company will share this virtual store, created in collaboration with Caliverse, a metaverse subsidiary of parent company Lotte, in the coming days at CES 2023, The Korea Economic Daily reported on Monday (January 2).

The Korean branch of the convenience store made its first foray into the metaverse in February, according to MetaNews.com, with a virtual experience conducted in partnership with Haegin that…