By Katie Deighton

Topshop is continuing its experiments in virtual reality with the unveiling of a new experience at its flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, where consumers will be able to race down a giant looping water slide in immersive 360.

Splash at Topshop will be located in the flagship’s store windows as part of the brand’s ‘interactive pool scene’, which has been designed to mark the start of the summer season. Shoppers who take on the VR activation with Oculus will start their journey on a giant inflatable before being plunged into an uncanny Oxford Street via the mind-boggling blue slide – Topshop-themed surprises are promised along the way.

A branded Snapchat lens will go live until 27 May to support the live campaign. Users can expect to be immersed into a summer-themed aquatic world via the social platform.

Topshop will also be pumping the scent of sunscreen throughout the London store and hosting a number of summer-themed pop-ups, such as soft-serve ice cream vendor Milk Train.

The free experience has been developed in partnership with Your Studio, with the VR being designed in collaboration with Fat Unicorn. It will be open to the public from 25 May until 4 June.

It’s not the first time the Topshop has dipped its toe into VR. In 2014 the retailer broadcast its AW London Fashion Week show live in immersive 360 to shoppers at its Oxford Street store, while models were walking the runway down the road at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.

Sheena Sauvaire, global marketing and communications director at Topshop, said: “Topshop Oxford Street has one of the most prominent store fronts in the world and we are excited to offer our consumers the opportunity to be part of it with an exhilarating VR experience. As VR technology continues to advance our desire was to blend it with retail theatre to create an immersive and shareable experience for our consumers, as a fun way to celebrate the start of summer.”