Meta Reportedly Plans to Expand Retail Outlets Amid Intensifying Smart Glasses Market Competition

Alright, so here’s my take on what’s going on with Meta and their whole retail adventure. You know, the one where they’re like, “Let’s jump into physical stores because, why not?”

First off, someone at Business Insider (props to them) got their hands on some internal notes. Apparently, Meta’s finally ready to get serious about brick-and-mortar stores. I mean, they’ve flirted with this idea before. Who remembers those random pop-up stores? I swear, they were all over the place last year.

And no surprises here, they might be taking a page out of Apple’s playbook. It’s not like everyone hasn’t tried to mimic Apple’s sleek vibe before. But hey, let’s not dive too deep into conspiracy alley. The info isn’t super wide-known among staff yet, so it’s kind of like a whisper in the tech corridors for now.

Remember Meta’s LA pop-up last year? Got a decent buzz. Since 2016, they’ve been doing pop-up magic and partnering with places like Best Buy so folks can try out their XR headsets. I don’t know about you, but Best Buy demos are my tech playground.

They have one permanent spot in Burlingame, California. Yup, right next to their Reality Labs jungle. Tried out a Quest 3 or those Ray-Ban Meta glasses there? It’s like tech Disneyland, minus the rides and Mickey Mouse.

Speaking of Ray-Ban, they’re a big deal for Meta. They sold over a million pairs last year. Zuckerberg called it a “great start.” I mean, what else would he say? “Oh wow, we tanked.” Nope, not gonna happen.

Francesco Milleri, the big boss over at EssilorLuxottica, mentioned they wanna amp production up to 10 million pairs by 2026. That number gives me a headache, honestly. And these Ray-Ban Meta things—they’re not just sunglasses; they have cameras and a Meta AI assistant. Imagine that! Makes my basic shades seem like they belong in the Stone Age.

Someone at Bloomberg said they’re also cooking up more smart glasses. Maybe with a built-in display, who knows? Oakley might even jump in with sportier designs. Because, apparently, there’s a big enough market for that.

Not to be outdone, Google’s also showing off their smarty-pants glasses. Announced them at Google I/O with names like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. And, wait for it, Apple’s rumored to be in the game too. They’re reportedly working on a smart glasses chip. Sounds fancy, right? Power-efficient and all that jazz.

Anyway, that’s the lowdown. Let’s see where this chaotic mess of glasses and retail dreams leads us. Popcorn, anyone?