Fb’s first retail retailer is scheduled to open on Would possibly 9.
Fb
Fb‘s guardian corporate, Meta, does not simply need to promote its digital truth headsets, video chat units and sensible glasses on-line. It needs folks to take a look at out the goods in a shop.
Meta mentioned Monday that it is opening its first retail retailer on Would possibly 9. The 1,550-square-foot area will likely be situated at the social community’s campus in Burlingame, California, the place staff are specializing in the metaverse — digital worlds the place folks will have the ability to paintings, play and socialize. The outlet underscores how severe the tech massive is getting about developing shopper {hardware}, taking up corporations reminiscent of Google and Apple that still have bodily retail outlets. Nonetheless, merchandise reminiscent of VR headsets and sensible glasses that assist you to input those digital areas have not turn into mainstream but.
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Meta is hoping that as more people try out technology, they’ll understand why CEO Mark Zuckerberg thinks the metaverse is the successor to the mobile internet.
“Once people experience the technology, they can gain a better appreciation for it. If we did our job right, people should leave and tell their friends, ‘You’ve got to go check out the Meta Store,'” Martin Gilliard, head of the Meta Store, said in a statement.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on a virtual reality headset in the Meta Store.
The store will feature products such as Meta’s first pair of smart glasses with Ray-Ban, which let you snap photos and 30-second videos. People will also be able to check out Facebook’s line of video chat devices called Portal that became more popular during the coronavirus pandemic. You’ll also be able to try out the company’s latest VR headset, the Quest 2, and people will be able to play games such as Beat Saber, Golf Plus, Real VR Fishing and Supernatural on the device. A wall-to-wall curved LED screen will display what you’re seeing in virtual reality.
Visitors to the store will be able to purchase the Quest 2 VR headset and accessories, along with the Portal video chat devices. They’ll also be able to try out the Ray-Ban Stories specs, but they’ll still have to order those directly from Ray-Ban.com. Meta said it’s rolling out a shop tab on meta.com that will showcase all its hardware products in one place.
The Meta Store will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s located at 322 Airport Blvd.
Facebook had tried demonstrating its VR headsets in Best Buy stores, but it’s never had its own physical store. In 2017, the company closed hundreds of demo stations for its Oculus Rift VR headsets in Best Buy stores in the US, citing “seasonal changes.”
Since then, Facebook has created more hype around the metaverse by renaming itself Meta. Facebook has grappled with various privacy scandals, which could’ve made people hesitant about purchasing a consumer product created by the company under its former name.
Meta hasn’t said how many people use its VR headsets, Portal devices or smart glasses. Meta’s Reality Labs division, the unit behind these products, lost more than $10 billion in 2021 as the company invested in more futuristic technology such as augmented reality glasses. AR lets people overlay digital images onto their view of the physical world.
Other tech giants have opened physical stores. In 2021, Google opened its first store in New York to sell products such as the company’s Pixel phones and Nest speakers. Snap, which owns ephemeral-messaging app Snapchat, had temporary pop-up shops in New York and Los Angeles to showcase its video-recording sunglasses called Spectacles. E-commerce giant Amazon said it’s focusing on growing its brick-and-mortar business with grocery stores and apparel. In March, Amazon said it was shutting down 68 stores across the US and UK including ones that sold books, electronics and toys.
