Circuit City enters Second Life

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Consumer electronics retailer Circuit City said Friday it is opening up a virtual store in the three-dimensional online world of Second Life.

The retailer said the virtual store will carry 3-D versions of products available in real Circuit City stores that customers will be able to browse. They'll also be able to place orders for real items to be delivered to their home.

Retailers like Circuit City are exploring the three-dimensional virtual world of Second Life.

"These immersive environments provide an interactive forum for testing and feedback as we focus on the next generation of customer service," said Bill McCorey, chief information officer at Circuit City.

Second Life is an online virtual world that users access through their computer. After downloading free software and creating an avatar - a digital representation of themselves in the world - users can create objects in the world.

For instance, in Second Life customers can recreate their living rooms in the digital world - making it easier for them to decide what size TV to buy or where to place it, Circuit City said.

Circuit City (Charts) developed the store in partnership with IBM (Charts), which is launching a complex in Second Life next week.

Circuit City joins the growing list of companies which have established a presence in Second Life. Automakers like GM (Charts), Toyota (Charts) and Nissan (Charts) have all set up virtual dealerships in the booming online community.

How real money works in Second Life