Meta Aims to Share Brick-and-Mortar Success Stories With Wearables Retailers

Meta aims to share what it learns at its Meta Lab stores with the retailers of its artificial intelligence (AI)- and virtual reality (VR)-enabled wearables, Retail TouchPoints reported Monday (March 30).

The company operates five Meta Lab stores and uses them to enable visitors to experience the company’s AI smart glasses and VR headsets, according to the report.

“We can see what’s drawing people in, and if the layout is confusing, we’ll fix it,” Nicola Mendelsohn, head of global business group at Meta, said last week at Shoptalk, per the report. “We want to bring people together not just to browse but to participate.”

Meta Lab stores are currently operating in Honolulu, Hawaii; Burlingame, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; and New York City, according to a Meta web page dedicated to the stores. The site said each location offers immersive demos and interactive exhibits.

It was reported March 18 that Meta signed a 10-year lease on a location on Fifth Avenue in New York City, with Matt Jacobson, vice president and creative director of wearables at Meta, saying the firm was “proud to make a long-term commitment to Fifth Avenue, the heart of U.S. retail.”

Meta opened a Meta Lab pop-location in New York City in November before announcing this permanent location, it said in a Nov. 14 update to a blog post.

When announcing the 10-year lease in a March 18 update to the same post, Jacobson said these locations are designed for hands-on discovery and help visitors see how technology can fit into their everyday lives.

“Our people-first approach to experiential retail is rooted in culture, creativity and self-expression — and it’s driving meaningful sales and awareness of our AI wearables,” Jacobson said. “Placing our flagship store alongside the brands that help define culture, will distinguish Meta Lab from traditional consumer electronics retail.”

Meta announced in January that it pushed back the worldwide launch of its smartglasses due to “unprecedented demand and inventory” that led to waitlists that extended well into 2026.

“We’ll continue to focus on fulfilling orders in the U.S. while we re-evaluate our approach to international availability,” the company said at the time.