Meta, the social media giant led by Mark Zuckerberg, is preparing to open its first physical store in London as part of a push to drive sales of its virtual and augmented reality devices.
Property sources said the company is exploring Oxford Street as the likely location for a permanent flagship space where shoppers can try out products such as the Meta Quest headset and Ray-Ban smart glasses. The move would mark Meta’s first bricks-and-mortar presence in the UK.
Meta has already hired property agents to scout potential sites. Meanwhile, Meta Labs, a subsidiary of the group, has registered a trademark in Britain covering the sale and demonstration of “virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality hardware and software.”
Since its founding in 2004, Meta has been best known for its software platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. But in recent years it has poured billions into hardware through its Reality Labs division, seeking to compete with Apple, Microsoft and Asian tech giants like Samsung.
Meta has already trialled pop-up shops in the US under the Meta Labs brand, including collaborations with Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica. Its smart glasses have seen sales triple in the past year as more consumers experience the technology firsthand.
Despite mixed results for its early “metaverse” platforms, Meta continues to invest heavily in augmented reality. Last year it unveiled advanced AR glasses capable of projecting computer screens and video games into a wearer’s field of view.
Zuckerberg recently argued that AI-enabled glasses would become essential tools: “In the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI, or some way to interact with AI, I think you’re probably [going to] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people.”
Meta’s planned London store mirrors strategies by its biggest rivals. Apple operates a global network of retail stores, while Microsoft once had a flagship site on Oxford Street before closing it.
Opening a permanent location where consumers can try on VR headsets and smart glasses is seen as crucial to persuading mainstream users to adopt emerging technologies.
Meta declined to comment on the store plans.
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Meta plans first London AI store to showcase VR headsets and smart glasses