Meta’s been kinda dipping its toes in retail for, like, forever, but now it seems they’re finally serious about it. At least, that’s what some insider info from Business Insider is saying. Apparently, they’re hiring retail folks and thinking about more stores. Beyond just those pop-up things they did last year. Yeah, those were like… blink and you’ll miss them.
Okay, so maybe they’re eyeing Apple’s playbook here. Or maybe not. Who really knows? This juicy tidbit isn’t exactly common knowledge inside Meta yet — or so they say. Sounds like it’s still in beta mode, sorta.
Remember that LA pop-up they had last year? Got quite the buzz. But since 2016, Meta’s been playing around with these pop-up stores, like, all over the place. Plus, teaming up with Best Buy so people could try out their XR headsets. The whole nine yards!
Oh, and speaking of permanent fixtures — they’ve got this lone Meta Store lounging in Burlingame, California. Plopped down next to their Reality Labs campus back in 2022. People can try out the Quest 3 and 3S, and the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses there. Wonder if the demo is free? Hope so.
But here’s the kicker — they really want to push those Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. The eyewear team-up with EssilorLuxottica is, like, the cool kid on the block now. Sold a whopping million in 2024. Mark Zuckerberg called it a “great start.” Good vibes, right?
EssilorLuxottica’s CEO, Mr. Francesco Milleri, said they’re gonna crank up production. 10 million units a year by 2026. Holy moly!
These glasses, man, they’re packing cameras for pics and vids, an AI assistant from Meta, and off-ear speakers. Tons of styles too. But probably more to come. Fashion alert, anyone?
Rumor from Bloomberg in April? Meta’s plotting more smart glasses. Like, ones with displays and sporty Oakley vibes. Watch this space!
And while we’re on the glasses topic, Google’s whipping out its own smart specs. Announced at Google I/O they’re pairing up with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster for the Android XR Glasses line. Things are getting interesting.
And get this — Apple’s throwing their hat in the ring. Rumor has it they’ve got a chip for smart glasses, inspired by their Apple Watch tech. It’s all about energy-saving and running multiple cameras. Sounds like a sci-fi movie, doesn’t it?
