Meta Plans to Expand Retail Locations Amid Growing Smart Glasses Competition

Oof, Meta getting all retail on us now, huh? So here’s the deal. They’ve been dipping their toes in the whole store thing for a while, but now it sounds like they’re ready to dive in headfirst—finally. According to some insider chat from Business Insider, they’re hiring folks for retail gigs and thinking about setting up more places, not just those little temporary spots they’ve been doing. You know, those pop-up things? Yeah, more than that.

Apple-style retail? Maybe. But it’s not like everyone’s in the loop on this at Meta. Like, keep it on the down-low, right? All hush-hush for now.

So, last year in LA, Meta threw together one of those pop-ups, which got folks talking. They’ve done quite a few since 2016, teaming up with stores like Best Buy to show off their XR headsets. But hold up—beyond these temp spots, there’s this lone Meta Store hanging out in Burlingame, California. Opened in 2022, right next to their Reality Labs HQ. There, you can try out stuff like the Quest 3 and Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Pretty neat, huh?

Kinda seems like Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are the big cheese here. Built with EssilorLuxottica—yep, those folks. In 2024 alone, they sold like a million of those babies. I mean, Zuckerberg even called it a “great start.” Flying off the shelves!

EssilorLuxottica’s big boss mentioned plans to pump up production to 10 million units a year by, what was it, 2026? These glasses have, like, cameras, speakers, Meta AI stuff—quite the tech cocktail. They come in various styles, and it sounds like there’s more to come.

Oh, and before I forget—Bloomberg dropped some hints in April about new smart glasses potentially on the horizon. Some might have displays, others might be sportier, think Oakley, which EssilorLuxottica also owns.

Other players are jumping in, too. Google’s got its smart glasses action with partners like Warby Parker. Even Apple is reportedly working on some smart specs with a special chip from their low-energy processor line—something about being energy-efficient for handling camera stuff.

It’s turning into quite the spectacle—pun totally intended. Who knew glasses would become the next tech battleground? But here we are. Keep your eyes peeled (if that’s your thing).