"For years, Meta has built its businesses online. Now, it's also expanding to brick-and-mortar - including a new two-story location in NYC that I visited this week. As it continues to launch new gadgets, including its popular Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses and VR headsets, Meta is accelerating its in-person pop-ups. In 2022, Meta opened its store in Burlingame, California, near the company's Reality Labs campus."
"Pop-ups expanded to Los Angeles in 2024 and Las Vegas in October 2025. The recently opened pop-up in New York is smack in the middle of 5th Avenue's shopping hub. In-person retail could send new customers to Reality Labs products. Meta's AI glasses and VR headsets have been available at major retailers for some time, but the Meta Labs pop-ups are the company's first stand-alone glasses stores. Are these pop-ups the future of Meta's retail presence? I visited the New York location to find out."
Meta is expanding from online-only business into brick-and-mortar retail with standalone pop-up stores and a new two-story NYC location on 5th Avenue. The spaces are artfully designed with demos showcasing Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses and VR headsets across multiple use cases. Pop-ups have opened previously in Burlingame (2022), Los Angeles (2024), and Las Vegas (October 2025), signaling an accelerated retail push. These stores aim to introduce new customers to Reality Labs products beyond major retailers by offering hands-on demonstrations. Staff presence in the New York pop-up outnumbered customers during a weekday mid-morning, indicating variable foot traffic.
Read at Business Insider
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