Meta (Facebook) is Reportedly Planning to Launch Retail Stories to Sell VR, AR and Other Digital Connection Tools
According to The New York Times, “Meta has discussed opening retail stores that will eventually span the world, said people with knowledge of the project and company documents viewed by The New York Times. The stores would be used to introduce people to devices made by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and, eventually, augmented reality glasses, they said.”
The big idea is that to guide users towards Meta’s vision of the ‘metaverse’, an immersive digital world of endless possibilities, Meta will have to get more of these tools into more homes. Subsequently, physical stores may be a better way to establish direct-to-consumer supply chains, while also enabling new showcase opportunities to generate more sales.
Currently, you can purchase Facebook’s products in retail stores, but they’re stacking the shelves alongside many other competing devices and options. If Facebook wanted to invest more into direct marketing, and highlighting its next-level plans, it would be best to do so via its own, dedicated promotion and product displays, which it could directly control within its own stores, built specifically around its offerings.
Meta’s VR headsets seem to be the most obvious focus, with the company’s fully enabled metaverse vision aligned around wholly interactive VR worlds. If Meta can build the central platform that would facilitate such connection, it will be well-placed to play a central role in the next stage of digital connection.
Meta is has begun seeing a strong demand for its standalone VR units and has plans for more advanced versions of the device. While it now also has its Portal video calling device, which has also seen a spike in sales amid the pandemic, and its Ray Ban Stories smart glasses collaboration.
Meta is also reportedly working on a new smart watch and could also be looking to develop new beacons for retail stores, to provide more direct sales insight to counter data losses as a result of Apple’s ATT update.
Be on the lookout for a Meta store at your local mall, to get connected to the ‘Metaverse’
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