Meta (ex-Facebook) wants to offer something concrete to the future users of its virtual world, in order to preview its metaverse. The company is opening a physical store that could be a real eye-opener for its visitors.
Physical shopping at Meta: a step away from the virtual
Meta announced in an April 25, 2022 post that it will open a retail store in Burlingame, California on May 9, 2022. Specifically, this retail outlet will be located on the company’s campus.
It will allow future users of Meta’s metaverse to get a hands-on preview of what this virtual world has to offer. The Meta Store also showcases products that allow access to the metaverse:
“The Meta Store will help people make the connection to how our products can be the gateway to the Metaverse in the future.”
The Meta Store: an experiment for the future of marketing?
Indeed, the store features interactive demonstrations of Meta’s products, such as virtual reality headsets, video communication displays, and smart glasses:
“Through interactive demos, you’ll be able to make video calls with salespeople through Meta Portal, learn how Ray-Ban Stories can help you stay present in the world around you, and explore the magic of VR with an immersive demo of Meta Quest 2, the first of its kind.”
The walls of the Meta Store will feature a curved LED screen. It shows what users see in virtual reality headsets.
Meta Store is also a market research tool for the company. Store manager Martin Gilliard said the belly point will give the company:
“more opportunities to experiment and keep the customer experience at the heart of our development.”
The knowledge gained will help Meta define its “future retail strategy”.
The Meta Store is thus an educational center for both the future users of the metaverse and the company – one learning from the other, in both directions. The virtual world of Meta seems to have a good foundation. Its adoption, however, may be hindered by the high price that its users will have to pay for it.
