Meta is preparing to open its first physical store in London, with Oxford Street emerging as the likely location, as the social media giant looks to drive sales of its virtual and augmented reality products.
The store, which would be Meta’s first bricks-and-mortar presence in the UK, is intended to give shoppers a hands-on experience with products such as the Meta Quest headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Property sources told the Telegraph the firm has already hired agents to scout potential sites, while its subsidiary, Meta Labs, has registered a UK trademark covering the sale and demonstration of “virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality hardware and software.”
Since its founding in 2004, Meta has been best known for its software platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. More recently, the company has invested billions into its Reality Labs division, competing with Apple, Microsoft and Asian tech companies in the hardware space.
-
Related Story
-
Meta has trialled pop-up stores in the US under the Meta Labs brand, including collaborations with Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, with smart glasses sales reportedly tripling in the past year as more consumers try the technology.
Despite the mixed reception of its early metaverse platforms, the business continues to expand its augmented reality offerings. Last year it unveiled advanced AR glasses capable of projecting digital objects, including computer screens and games, into a wearer’s field of vision.
Mark Zuckerberg has previously said AI-enabled glasses will become essential tools.
“In the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI, or some way to interact with AI, I think you’re probably [going to] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people,” he told investors.
Meta’s planned London store mirrors strategies by its biggest rivals: Apple operates a global network of retail stores, while Microsoft previously had a flagship site on Oxford Street.
Meta declined to comment on the store plans.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
