Social media giant Meta plans to open its first physical store in London to boost interest in its virtual reality (VR) headsets and smart glasses.
Although the search is thought to be at a very early stage, the Facebook owner is exploring options for a physical location to permanently showcase such products, with London’s Oxford Street the most likely destination, property sources told The Telegraph.
Meta Labs, one of its subsidiaries, has also recently registered a trademark that will allow it to sell and demonstrate “virtual reality, mixed reality and augmented reality hardware and software” to shoppers in Britain.
The move is designed to help Meta boost take-up of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered accessories, such as its Meta Quest headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Meta has been opening pop-up stores in the US under its Meta Labs brand, including Ray-Ban pop-ups in Los Angeles. The company’s smart glasses, produced in conjunction with Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, have seen sales triple in the past year as more users get to experience the technology.
Last year, Meta unveiled an advanced pair of augmented reality glasses that can project digital objects such as computer screens and video games into a wearer’s field of view.
Meta’s boss Mark Zuckerberg recently said that AI-enabled glasses “will be so ubiquitous in the future that people without them will struggle to keep up.
“In the future, if you don’t have glasses that have AI, or some way to interact with AI, I think you’re probably [going to] be at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people,” he told investors.
Meta has yet to comment on a possible London store opening.
Calvin Klein opened on Tuesday a new global flagship in New York City, marking the brand’s return to its hometown.
Calvin Klein opens new flagship store in SoHo, New York. – Calvin Klein
Located at 530 Broadway in SoHo, the over 3,000-square-foot store draws inspiration from New York’s signature loft apartments, characterized by open wood ceilings, cast columns and concrete flooring, paired with neutral tones and stainless steel fixtures.
Meanwhile, the store’s exterior is finished in the brand’s charcoal tone, with large windows displaying a seasonal visual concept created in partnership with Perron Studios.
The store features curated spaces with denim and underwear at the center of the assortment, alongside men’s and women’s apparel and accessories. Beginning in spring 2026, the location will offer select styles from Calvin Klein Collection during designated periods. To mark the opening, the SoHo flagship is releasing a limited capsule collection of tees, sweatshirts, hats and totes featuring custom Calvin Klein SoHo branding.
“We are proud to return to one of the world’s most fashionable cities – and the birthplace of our iconic brand – with an elevated retail expression,” said David Savman, global brand president, Calvin Klein.
“This new global flagship, located just steps from our landmark Houston Street billboard, is a tribute to Calvin Klein’s New York heritage. It represents both the evolution of our retail experience and a tangible expression of the world of Calvin Klein. Calvin Klein embodies a distinctive, global way of living that meets culture, and this store is the latest step on our journey of taking our brand to the next level.”
The store follows recent flagship openings in Paris and Tokyo and reflects the company’s strategy to create premium lifestyle destinations built around its minimalist design DNA.
“New York is central to the DNA of the Calvin Klein brand,” added Stefan Larsson, CEO, PVH Corp.
“This homecoming is a key milestone as we build Calvin Klein into one of the most desirable lifestyle brands in the world. Step by step, we’re deepening brand relevance, driving consumer engagement and strengthening brand positioning across North America and globally.”
The Italian competition authority said on Tuesday it had opened two investigations into Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Japan’s Citizen Watch.
Reuters
The probes involve an alleged infringement of European rules on the fixing of retail prices displayed online by the groups’ authorised distributors.
The two companies may be limiting price competition among their retailers through a vertical agreement, by imposing retail prices on their distributors and adopting “retaliatory commercial measures” against those that fail to comply, the antitrust authority said in a statement.
The agency’s officials carried out inspections at the Italian offices of Swatch and Citizen on December 3.
Swatch and Citizen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
British retail tycoon Mike Ashley has pledged around 670 million pounds ($890.6 million) worth of shares in his sportswear and fashion retailer Frasers Group Plc as collateral for a loan from HSBC, according to filing on Tuesday.
Reuters
Ashley’s holding company, MASH Beta Limited, which holds the majority of Frasers’ issued share capital, pledged about 103.6 million ordinary shares.
Frasers’ shares were down about 1.3% at 646.5 pence as of Tuesday’s last close.
This move comes after the company’s heavy investments in newer geographies and taking or increasing shareholding in recent months across companies, from fashion groups to electrical retailers. Mike Ashley holds roughly a 73% stake in Frasers, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The company whose portfolio includes Sports Direct, House of Fraser and Flannels, reaffirmed its full-year profit forecast earlier this month.