Meta is planning a significant expansion of its physical retail presence, in an effort to bolster sales of its wearable devices, according to latest reports. The company, increasingly focusing on hardware such as the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the Meta Quest virtual reality headsets, sees retail outlets as vital avenues to allow potential customers firsthand experience before making purchases.
This strategic move is aimed at enhancing consumer engagement with Meta’s hardware lineup, potentially driving wider adoption through interactive in-store demonstrations. Establishing additional brick-and-mortar locations could also position Meta more competitively against rivals like Apple, which is expected to increasingly push into augmented and virtual reality markets despite the high price point of devices like the Vision Pro headset.
Meta already operates a physical retail store in California, a location distinctively tangible rather than virtual, underscoring its commitment to creating accessible spaces for consumers to interact directly with its products. Earlier this year, the company further solidified its retail ambitions by recruiting the former CEO of luxury consignment platform The RealReal as Vice President of its retail business, suggesting Meta aims to bring experienced leadership to oversee and expand its physical retail strategy.
