Meta Plans To Launch Physical Stores With Firsthand Experiences Of Its World
Image ID 233344789 © via Scaliger | Dreamstime.com
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is considering opening brick-and-mortar stores to showcase its gadgets, according to a report by The New York Times. As of now, the company’s devices such as the Oculus Quest, Portal, and Ray-Ban smart glasses could be the first items on display.
Per internal documents spotted by the Times, the brand hopes to spark “curiosity” and “closeness” with consumers via the store, providing them with a space in which they can have a “judgment-free journey” while experiencing the devices first-hand.
Insiders deduced that should Meta go ahead with physical storefronts, its first shop would be located in Burlingame, California, where there already is a Reality Labs office. The company eventually plans to expand its reach all over the globe, with stores in different continents and countries.
It is worth noting that these stores might not come to fruition, The plans were drawn up a year ago, long before the Meta rebrand, and could change or even be pulled down entirely.
At the time, as per Engadget, it had been discussed that the physical shops would be named ‘Facebook Store’, though with the recent rebrand, it’ll most likely be renamed.
The site posited that the stores would most likely be experiential, allowing consumers to try on the brand’s range of gadgets, rather than just regular retail stores.
Designs seen by The Times were described as modern and minimalistic, fitting into the simple aesthetic the company and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, are known for.
However, it appears we won’t be getting our hands on any brand-new devices any time soon, as insiders say it could take up to a decade before a new product hits the shelves.
“We are, at best guess, at least five to 10 years out from a fully fleshed-out Meta product or service,” cautioned Tim Derdenger, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.
[via Engadget and The New York Times, cover image via Scaliger | Dreamstime.com]
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