The company formerly known as Facebook was discussing opening retail stores before it was renamed Meta, according to the New York Times. Apparently, discussions about opening physical stores began last year, although nothing has been finalized and the project could end up falling through. However, if Meta does open physical stores, they would be more like experience stores that introduce people to devices developed by its Reality Labs division than retail stores.
Dor also: The name Meta is already in use and Zuckerberg will pay dearly
See also: Leaked image of Facebook's smart watch (now Meta)
Those devices include the Oculus Quest (soon to be Meta Quest) virtual reality headset and Portal gadgets, which were designed primarily for video calling. The stores could also feature augmented reality smart glasses called Stories that Facebook developed in partnership with Ray-Ban. According to documents seen by the Times, Meta’s goal is to spark “curiosity” and “closeness” to its stores, as well as to offer customers a welcoming atmosphere where they can take an engaging “journey.”
The same documents show that Meta envisions stores with a modern, minimalist aesthetic and a distinct brand positioning. The company considered several possible names, including Facebook Hub, Facebook Commons, Facebook Innovations, Facebook Reality Store, and From Facebook. It ultimately settled on Facebook Store, but that will likely change now that the company has been renamed.
See also: Microsoft expands the “enterprise metaverse” with Mesh for Teams
If Meta moves forward with this plan, its first retail/experience store would be located in Burlingame, California, where Reality Labs has an office. The Times says the project could eventually roll out to other countries.
Information source: engadget.com
