Meta Plans to Expand Retail Stores Amid Rising Smart Glasses Competition

Sure thing, here’s a reimagined version in a more human style:

—

So, Meta’s been playing this retail game for a while, and it looks like they’re finally ready to jump in with both feet. Or maybe they’re just testing the waters again? Business Insider spilled the beans that Meta wants to open more stores—like actual ones, not just those pop-up deals they flirted with last year.

Apparently, there’s some secret company chat that says they’re hiring retail folks. Sounds like they want to do the whole Apple store thing, but who knows if that’s true—seems nobody’s really talking about it yet inside Meta. So, early days, right?

Oh, remember that LA pop-up they did last year? It was all the buzz for a bit. Since 2016, they’ve done these pop-up stores on and off, maybe more than you’d think, plus teamed up with Best Buy to showcase their XR headsets. Honestly, I had no clue they did so many.

They’ve got this one legit Meta Store hanging out in Burlingame, California since 2022. Yeah, it’s right by their Reality Labs campus. You can go there and play with a Quest 3 or try on those Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Speaking of which, these Ray-Ban things might be the real push behind this whole store idea. I mean, they sold over a million pairs last year! Zuckerberg seemed pretty pumped about that—called it a “great start.” Classic Zuck.

And check this, EssilorLuxottica, the fancy eyewear folks partnered with Meta, plan to churn out 10 million pairs a year by 2026. That’s wild. These glasses pack all sorts of tech—cameras, Meta AI, speakers, the whole kit. And they come in all these styles, which I guess could change, but that’s up in the air, I think.

There was also a rumor from Bloomberg in April. They claimed Meta’s brewing new smart glasses, maybe even some sporty Oakley ones with displays. And it’s not just Meta diving into this glasses game. Google’s showing off their own pairs at the big Google I/O event. They’ve teamed up with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, so expect some new Android XR Glasses soon.

Oh, and guess what? Apple’s poking its head in, too. Rumor has it they’re working on smart glasses with chips similar to what you’d find in an Apple Watch. Low-energy stuff, lots of camera control—sounds pretty Apple, right?

Anyway, lots going on. Who knows where it’ll all lead.