Meta plans to open physical storefronts and hire retail employees in an effort to boost sales of its devices, according to a report.
The company has been leading an ongoing project to expand its retail footprint, which currently includes just one store on its California campus, according to an internal communication obtained by Business Insider. The project is not widely known internally yet.
Meta declined to comment.
The internal communication did not include details on how many stores Meta might open or when they might open.
Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company opened Meta Store, its sole retail location, in Burlingame, California in 2022.
It marketed the store as a space to “discover” Meta products through interactive demos, much like Apple’s retail locations, which allow users to test out iPhones and laptops in person.
At the Meta Store, customers could try out Meta Portal, a video-calling device which is no longer sold; Ray-Ban Stories, better known as Meta’s smart glasses; and Meta Quest, its virtual reality headset.
Meta also opened a pop-up store in Los Angeles last year called Meta Lab that allowed customers to try out its smart glasses before making a purchase.
According to Meta’s website, the pop-up store is closed but will “be back.”
A larger retail footprint could help the company boost sales of its devices, a key focus among its executives.
Meta sold more than 1 million pairs of smart glasses last year, which Zuckerberg called a “great start” but admitted it’s “not going to move the needle and the business in a core way.”
Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, wrote last year that the company is on a mission to “drive sales, retention, and engagement,” with plans to launch more AI-powered wearable devices this year.
While Apple’s retail stores are an essential part of its sales strategy, other tech companies are only just beginning to expand their footprint.
Amazon, for example, has opened Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores across fewer than 10 states selling prepared foods, snacks and groceries.
Some of these stores feature its Just Walk Out technology, which allows customers to exit the store using a payment method instead of having to scan their items in a checkout line.
Amazon has already started to shutter some of these grocery storefronts and has shut down several unsuccessful retail ventures in the past.
In 2023, it closed its two Amazon Style retail stores. The year before, it shuttered dozens of Amazon-owned bookstores.
