Meta Plans to Expand Retail Locations Amid Growing Smart Glasses Competition

You know, Meta’s kinda been like that friend who talks about opening a coffee shop for years but never does. But now, seems like they’re finally biting the bullet—sorta. So, I stumbled upon this Business Insider scoop. Apparently, Meta’s eyeing more than just its lonely store-front, thinking of hiring some retail folks, popping up some more spots. Maybe inspired by Apple’s whole retail scene? Or maybe not. Honestly, it’s all hush-hush internally, so your guess is as good as mine!

Anyway—no, wait—what was I saying? Oh yeah, Meta’s been dabbling with pop-ups since, like, back in 2016? You might’ve caught one in LA last year. They partnered with places like Best Buy too, showing off those snazzy XR headsets. But here’s the fun part—okay, not “fun” per se, but interesting enough—there’s a single darn Meta Store in California. Yeah, in Burlingame. Right near their Reality Labs. You can mess around with Quest 3, some Ray-Ban smart glasses… the usual techie stuff.

Speaking of Ray-Ban, there’s talk (and by “talk,” I mean a Business Insider whisper) that these shades are the big motivator for Meta’s retail splurge. Sold over a million in 2024 alone—Zuckerberg even called it a “great start.” Not my words, his. And EssilorLuxottica’s CEO? That guy wants to crank up production to 10 million a year by 2026. Ambitious much?

These glasses—total sci-fi vibes—they’ve got cameras, AI, speakers, the whole shebang. You’ve probably seen them in various styles. I mean, who doesn’t want a pair of smart glasses? Oh, right, not everyone—I get it. But apparently, they’re evolving and stuff.

Now, Bloomberg whispers a lot too—they’re hinting at Meta launching new smart specs, maybe some with displays, some sporty Oakley ones too. It’s like spy gear meets fashion. And Google’s jumping in as well, teaming up with Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, fancy folks. They teased their own smart glasses at Google I/O. Apple’s not sitting out either, with their own chips for smart specs. Like, are regular glasses just gonna be extinct soon? That’s the real question.

Anyway, the whole space is heating up, and I can’t help but wonder… Are we ready to wear our tech like this 24/7? I dunno. But hey, it’s happening whether we’re ready or not.