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A look inside the opening of Meta's first physical store

Meta Store
Posted at 11:14 AM, May 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-09 14:14:26-04

BURLINGAME, Calif. (AP) — Facebook parent Meta has opened its first physical store — in Burlingame, California — to showcase its hardware products like virtual and augmented reality goggles and glasses.

The store, which is open to the public as of Monday, is made for people who want to test out products like Ray-Ban Stories, Meta's AR glasses and sunglasses, along with the Portal video calling gadget and Oculus virtual reality headsets.

Meta Store
A man experiences the Quest 2 virtual headset during a preview of the Meta Store in Burlingame, Calif., Wednesday, May 4, 2022.

Shoppers still have to order the glasses from Ray-Ban but can buy the other products at the store.

“It’s a very concrete step from moving away from social media and ads that mislead people and elections and spying and data and all those things to a very physical representation of clean, classy, well-designed, cool hardware that makes you go, ah,” said Omar Akhtar, research director at Altimeter, a technology investment firm.

Meta Store
A woman examines the Meta Portal Go during a preview of the Meta Store in Burlingame, Calif., Wednesday, May 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Akhtar said he “didn’t believe in virtual reality” until he sat and tried on the Oculus headset for the first time — and believes this will be the same for others who are able to put on the goggles and try it out.

Apple pioneered physical retail stores in Silicon Valley and Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, is likely hoping it’ll replicate at least some of that success.

Meta Store
Meta experience expert Askia Luna demonstrates the Ray Ban Stories smart glasses during a preview of the Meta Store in Burlingame, Calif., Wednesday, May 4, 2022.