Retail / news
Meta Lab to Open Six AI Glasses Stores, Nearly Doubling Retail Footprint
Meta Lab will add six standalone stores this fall, nearly doubling its retail footprint as it expands its push into AI wearables. The first location opened in Houston on Sept. 10.
The additional stores are planned for Atlanta; San Diego; Chicago; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Moynihan Station in New York City. Before last week, Meta Lab operated eight locations, including flagships in Los Angeles, New York City and Honolulu.
At the Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan, visitors browse racks of AI smart glasses, comparing transition and clear lenses and trying on different frames. The Starfire edition with Kylie Jenner is especially popular, and shoppers can flip open rechargeable cases. Upstairs, staff provide guided demos and a laser-engraving station offers New York-specific icons such as hot dog carts.
The expansion follows other physical retail investments. In June, Meta Lab began offering demos and fittings of AI glasses at Best Buy. It is now on track to operate 50 such shop-in-shops by the end of 2026.
Meta first launched smart glasses with EssilorLuxottica, the owner of Ray-Ban, in 2021, before rolling out a second generation in 2023. The company also addressed ongoing privacy concerns as it detailed the retail plans.