Oh boy, where to even start with Meta and their latest shimmy into the retail world? I mean, they’ve teased us with the whole store thing for what feels like ages. But now, a little birdie (okay, Business Insider) spills that they’re finally diving deeper into the storefront scene. Like, they’re thinking beyond those one-off pop-up shops from last year. And yes, it kinda feels like they’re nodding towards Apple’s sleek retail model. Or maybe they’re just winging it? Who knows.
So, once upon a time in Los Angeles—no, not in a fairy tale—Meta did a pop-up thing. People talked. Press happened. But let’s not forget, since like 2016, they’ve been dabbling with these temporary spots and have even roped in Best Buy for demo areas. It’s almost like they’ve been tiptoeing around the idea, you know?
Oh, and get this: they’ve got this shiny Meta Store in Burlingame, right next to their Reality Labs playground. You can mess around with the Quest 3 or those Ray-Ban Meta glasses—which are super cool, btw. The glasses thing is their big retail push, I think. They’re teaming with EssilorLuxottica, the fancy eyewear folks.
And guess what? They sold a million pairs of those Ray-Ban Meta Glasses last year. Mark Zuckerberg said it was “a great start”—though I wonder what counts as just “okay” for him. And the plan? Up the ante to 10 million by 2026. Francesco Milleri over at EssilorLuxottica is hyped about it too.
These glasses? Cameras, AI assistants, speakers. They’ve got styles—though, I imagine, they’ll keep us guessing with new looks soon. And as if the drama weren’t enough, Bloomberg says more smart glasses are brewing in Meta’s lab, with whispers of Oakley getting in on the action.
But wait, there’s more! Google’s strutting into this scene too. They’ve teamed with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster for some snazzy Android XR Glasses. And don’t count Apple out—they’re brewing something with those low-energy chips from Apple Watches for some slick specs.
Anyway, retail or no retail, Meta seems all in. Or, well, mostly. Until the next twist—stay tuned!
