EssilorLuxottica stock jumped 11% in Thursday trading after Meta reported that preorders for the new Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses doubled initial forecasts. Retail partners in North America and Europe say the updated frames, which now support Meta AI’s contextual voice search, are driving premium shelf space usually reserved for flagship sunglasses.
Meta confirmed that production in its Milan and Shenzhen assembly facilities is running at maximum capacity through the end of the year. Supply chain executives told The AMA Hub that the company pulled forward component orders for Qualcomm’s XR2+ Gen 2 chipsets to avoid last season’s shortages.
Retailers rush to secure inventory
Best Buy, JD.com, and Amazon have each launched early holiday bundles pairing the glasses with charging cases and Meta AI assistant credits. Analysts expect Meta’s wearables revenue to grow 28% quarter-over-quarter, narrowing losses in the company’s Reality Labs segment.
Luxury retail buyers say Ray-Ban’s classic frames are giving Meta a mainstream advantage. “It’s easier to convince shoppers to try smart glasses when they already trust the brand on their face,” said Julia Nguyen, a buyer at optical chain EyesUp.
Developers eye new AR use cases
Meta will roll out a developer toolkit in November that allows merchants to push glanceable notifications and guided shopping overlays to the glasses. Fashion labels are testing backstage workflow apps, while logistics firms are exploring hands-free pick-and-pack instructions.
Meta’s next challenge is scaling supply without losing Ray-Ban’s premium positioning. If the company can keep shelves stocked through Lunar New Year, analysts say the glasses could surpass 4 million units sold within 12 months.