Meta Plans to Expand Retail Locations Amid Rising Smart Glasses Competition

Alright, let’s dive in. I mean, Meta’s been dancing around retail for ages, right? But now, rumor has it—no, scratch that—Business Insider says they’re finally getting serious. They might be plotting to open more stores, not just those quick pop-up things they tried last year.

So, anyway, this insider scoop? Apparently, Meta’s hiring retail staff. They want to be more like Apple, with fancy stores and whatnot. But shhh—it’s all hush-hush for now. Seems like they’re just testing the waters.

Now, if you’re like me, you remember last year’s buzz about a pop-up in LA. Since 2016, though, Meta’s been flirting with these pop-ups and teaming up with Best Buy for demo spaces. They’ve got this permanent store in Burlingame—just chilling by their Reality Labs. You can try the Quest 3 there, or those Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which, by the way, are a hit.

Oh, speaking of Ray-Ban, Meta sold a million pairs in 2024 alone. Zuckerberg was super hyped, called it a “great start.” Then there’s EssilorLuxottica—they’re the folks behind the glasses—aiming to ramp up production to, like, 10 million by 2026. Crazy numbers, right?

These glasses have cameras, AI, and speakers. Different styles too, but I reckon they’ll switch it up soon. And word on the street from Bloomberg? More smart glasses coming, maybe even sporty ones from Oakley.

Not just Meta playing this game, though. Google’s showing off smart glasses, teaming with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. And Apple’s not sitting this out either. They’re cooking up some glasses chips, trying to blend style with tech.

So, there it is—a wild ride in the tech world’s race to design the next must-have eyewear. Or maybe not. Who really knows where it’ll lead?