Meta could be planning physical stores to showcase VR devices
According to sources close to The New York Times, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has discussed opening physical stores. Meta would use these retail stores to showcase its Oculus VR headsets alongside Portal devices, Rayban Stories Smart Glasses, and any future AR devices.
Reportedly, Mark Zuckerberg believes that physical stores would reduce the barriers to entry by letting people experience VR and AR, with the Oculus Quest 2 starting at US$299 (~€258). The sources suggest that discussions about physical stores have been ongoing since last year, with many details still to be ironed out if Meta decides to progress the idea at all.
The Times has seen documents that state that the goal for these stores is to make the world "more open and connected" by giving people a sense of "curiosity, closeness", experiencing a "judgment free journey" through the headsets. The documents describe the planned appearance of these physical stores as modern and minimalist and suggest that the name 'Facebook Store' was the company's favourite to date.
Meta has previously had some retail pop-up stores at airports and in New York, showcasing its Oculus devices. Apparently, the new rumored flagship store could be in Burlingame, California, which is also the location of a Meta Oculus campus.
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