Meta, the social media company formerly known as Facebook, is discussing the opening of retail stores that would eventually extend worldwide, according to company documents reviewed by The New York Times. The stores are intended to introduce people to devices created by the company’s Reality Labs division, such as virtual reality headsets and augmented reality glasses. These devices are gateways to the metaverse, the future digital world where people seamlessly transition from virtual versions to enhanced reality. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and CEO, renamed the company to Meta last week and has set a vision to pursue the metaverse as the next social platform.
The stores aim to demonstrate that virtual reality and augmented reality can be enjoyable experiences. They are intended to make the world more open and connected, according to the company's documents examined by the newspaper. They also aim to evoke feelings such as curiosity, closeness, and a sense of welcome while users experience the headsets.
Discussions about physical stores preceded the rebranding of Facebook by several months, with serious work beginning on the initiative last year. However, the project is still in development and may not proceed. If Meta decides to move forward, these stores would be the first for a tech giant that has largely existed in the digital sphere. Over 3.5 billion people use its apps, such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
The documents themselves reveal that Meta envisions the stores featuring a modern, sleek design with precise branding. The company considered many possible names, such as Facebook Hub, Facebook Commons, Facebook Innovations, Facebook Reality Store, and From Facebook, ultimately settling on Facebook Store. However, this is likely to change following the company’s rebranding.
If Meta implements this plan, its first retail store would be located in Burlingame, California, where the Reality Labs office is situated. To build the metaverse, Meta aims first to establish stores.
Zuckerberg has discussed the metaverse while the company grapples with regulatory and societal challenges. Frances Haugen, a former employee, collected thousands of pages of internal documents and recently shared them with legislators and the media. She claimed that Facebook had not done enough to protect the community from the harms it causes. The platform's disclosures have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators.
There is also skepticism surrounding the metaverse. While the Meta Reality Labs division achieved modest success in the past with Oculus Quest 2, virtual reality remains a niche market for enthusiasts and hobbyists. The devices are often expensive and can be challenging to use. Some users have reported that the headsets make them feel nauseous.
It's noted that tech companies opening stores is not a new concept. Gateway, a personal computer manufacturer, had its stores in the 1990s. Apple has retail stores so people can test devices and get answers to their questions. Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have done the same. Meta has experimented with some physical retail efforts in recent years, opening pop-up kiosks in airports and a pop-up store in the Soho area of Manhattan to showcase its Oculus products.
