A look inside one of the stores from PopSugar's new Retail Therapy Facebook game. Photo: Courtesy of PopSugar
Fashion fiend/gamer hybrids, beware: PopSugar just launched a new Facebook game that's about to take up a lot of your time.
The game, dubbed Retail Therapy, allows players to create their own stylish avatar; dress said avatar in goods by Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Banana Republic, and Topshop; open and decorate their own virtual high-end boutiques; and play, shop, and work with their friends' avatars who are doing the same.
"The idea is that you are running your own fashion boutique, so you start out with not a lot of money, stuff, or shoppers, and your goal is to build a thriving boutique with the best brands," explains PopSugar editor and creative director Molly Goodson.
"As you level up, more and more fabulous items are unlocked for your character to wear and for you to sell in your boutique. You create a virtual neighborhood with your Facebook friends, too, working in each other's stores, buying things from one another's boutiques, checking out the [stores'] redesigns. We're constantly adding more incentives to visit your friends' boutiques."
Well, it certainly sounds more chic than FarmVille.
PopSugar decided to create Retail Therapy after seeing the immense popularity of Facebook games and noticing a lack of shopping-focused options. The company then partnered with brands like those previously mentioned, plus Barneys, Juicy Couture, and Gap, to make the virtual-shopping experience more exciting.
Two of the brands -- DVF and Topshop -- even have their own stores within the game, where avatars can scoop up clothing and style themselves. And, to be all matchy-matchy, players can buy any of the garments in real-life by clicking a link that redirects to the designers' e-commerce sites.
Meanwhile, says Goodson, "Stay tuned for our first awesome giveaway starting in a couple of weeks! You should definitely be expecting to see chances to win items from some awesome brands like the ones in the game. Plus, we'll have weekly contests for the best store or the best character."
To start building your virtual Retail Therapy world and to get more details, head over to playretailtherapy.com. StyleList readers can use this promo code to get double the amount of coins at the start of the game!
In related news, check out how DKNY is using Facebook to communicate with its fans.