Meta Plans to Expand Retail Locations Amid Growing Smart Glasses Competition

Ever noticed how Meta’s been kinda flirting with shops for years? I mean, they’ve had this one lonely store, but now—according to some Business Insider buzz—they’re finally thinking about spreading their retail wings. Like, really going for it.

So, inside scoop says Meta’s on the hunt for more retail peeps. And yeah, they’re thinking about opening some actual stores. Not those pop-up things they’ve been dabbling with since last year. But seriously, is this the real deal or just another experiment? Even the insider info isn’t totally common knowledge yet. Feels like we’re just at the start line.

Last year’s Los Angeles pop-up got some headlines, but honestly, Meta’s been throwing up these temporary spots for a while. Plus, they’ve got this thing going with Best Buy where you can try out their XR headsets. Have you ever put one of those on? Kinda cool, but I digress.

Oh, and I stumbled upon a picture from inside their LA store. Looked kinda slick, I guess. Anyway, there’s just one permanent store so far, chilling in Burlingame, California. Plopped next to their Reality Labs campus since 2022. Here, shoppers can mess around with all sorts of gear like Quest stuff and those fancy Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

Speaking of which, those Ray-Ban Meta Glasses seem to be the main push behind this retail leap. Made in cahoots with EssilorLuxottica—don’t ask me to pronounce that—Meta’s already moved a million pairs in 2024 alone. Zuckerberg called it a “great start.” Yeah, understatement much, Mark?

Francesco Milleri, the EssilorLuxottica head honcho, apparently plans to pump out 10 million units by the end of 2026. Like, what even? Those glasses, by the way, aren’t just a pretty face. They’ve got cameras, a Meta AI helper, and speakers that don’t even sit in your ears. Got plenty of styles too, but who knows what’s coming next.

Bloomberg leaked some juicy bits in April. Rumor has it, Meta’s tinkering with some fresh glasses, maybe even sporty Oakleys with displays. Meanwhile, Google and Apple are diving headfirst into the smart glasses game too. Google’s teaming up with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. Apple’s busy engineering some high-tech specs with chips similar to Apple Watches, aimed at squeezing out some extra juice and multitasking like a pro.

The smart glasses race is heating up, folks. But like, who’ll win this eyewear showdown? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.