May 29 2025 – A recent post from Business Insider revealed that Meta is gearing up to take on Apple’s retail strategy. The tech giant is actively planning a significant retail expansion, aiming to open more physical stores and hire retail staff.
Currently, Meta only operates one “Meta Store” within its campus in Burlingame, California. This store, which opened its doors in 2022, serves as a showcase and experience center for products like the Meta Quest VR headset and Ray – Ban Meta smart glasses.
In stark contrast, Apple boasts a global retail network of over 500 stores. Meta’s retail footprint is still in its infancy. Last year, the company experimented with a pop – up store called “Meta Lab” in Los Angeles. This temporary outlet was dedicated to selling smart glasses, allowing Meta to gauge market response.
Although the exact number of new stores and the timeline for their opening remain unclear, the competition between Meta and Apple has intensified across various fronts, including advertising policies, user privacy protection, and government regulations. The success of both companies in smart glasses and AI investments has set the stage for a direct hardware showdown. For Meta, establishing physical stores is seen as a crucial move to enhance its brand presence.
However, Business Insider also highlighted that replicating Apple’s successful retail model is no easy feat. Microsoft, for instance, invested heavily in “Microsoft Stores” but eventually closed nearly all of them, retaining only a few revamped locations. Whether Meta’s retail plan will succeed remains to be seen and will ultimately be determined by the market.
