Smart Glasses in Retail: How Tech Can Get It Right

By Triva Watlington | Product Manager, TrendGlobe

Smart glasses are reshaping retail—here’s how companies can lead the future of wearable commerce.

From Everyday Eyewear to Everyday Interface

As someone who wears glasses every day, I’ve long imagined a future where my frames do more than improve my vision. What if they could help me navigate a store, scan a product, or find the best sustainable fashion match—without lifting a finger?

That vision is no longer science fiction. Tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are racing to make smart glasses a functional, fashionable part of daily life. But to win over mainstream consumers, especially in sectors like retail, they’ll need to get more than the tech right—they’ll need to get the experience right.

What’s Happening in Smart Glasses Right Now?

Let’s look at the innovation curve:

• Apple has launched the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset, with Zeiss prescription lens inserts—a clear sign that accessibility and daily wear are being considered for future iterations of smart eyewear.

• Meta and Ray-Ban recently introduced smart glasses with AI image recognition, voice search, and live streaming—bringing hands-free functionality into everyday frames.

• Snap and Xreal (formerly Nreal) are also investing in augmented reality glasses, targeting creators and lifestyle users.

According to a 2023 report from Grand View Research, the smart glasses market is expected to reach $12.76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2023 to 2030.

Source: Grand View Research – Smart Glasses Market Report

So clearly, the investment is there—but consumer adoption still lags behind.

What’s Slowing Down Smart Glasses Adoption?

Despite the hype, there are four core friction points for consumers:

1. Design and Comfort: Consumers don’t want bulky, futuristic goggles. They want eyewear that looks and feels familiar.

2. Privacy and Trust: Cameras and microphones raise surveillance concerns—especially in public spaces.

3. Value and Use Cases: People need a reason to wear them every day. What problem do they solve?

4. Cost and Accessibility: High price points (e.g., $3,499 for Vision Pro) make them impractical for most users.

Until smart glasses solve real problems in real moments—and look good doing it—they’ll remain a niche product.

Retail Is the Opportunity No One’s Talking About

Here’s where I believe smart glasses can thrive in retail e-commerce and omnichannel shopping.

Imagine this:

• You walk into a store and your glasses show which items are on sale in your size.

• You scan a QR code by looking at it—instantly pulling up reviews, sustainability ratings, and styling tips.

• At home, you virtually try on clothes using AR overlays, with real-time feedback on fit, color, and regional trends.

This is exactly what I’m building toward with TrendGlobe—a platform that blends AI-powered fashion personalization with localization and sustainability data. Smart glasses could take this to a whole new level, enabling:

• Hands-free digital showrooming

• AR-assisted styling based on local climate and trends

• In-store navigation for product discovery

• Real-time inventory visibility and checkout guidance

The future of shopping will be seen—not just tapped.

What Tech Companies Need to Get Right

For smart glasses to break through in retail, tech companies should prioritize:

1. Real-Life Utility: Focus on use cases like shopping, navigation, accessibility—not just productivity or gaming.

2. Design Partnerships: Collaborate with brands like Warby Parker or Ray-Ban to make them desirable, stylish, and prescription-ready.

3. Seamless Ecosystem Integration: Let users move between phone, watch, and glasses without friction.

4. Privacy Controls: Offer transparency features—lights, gestures, voice prompts—that give users control.

5. Scalable Pricing Models: Offer entry-level and premium tiers or integrate into Apple One bundles and upgrades.

Looking Ahead

Smart glasses won’t replace smartphones overnight—but they can enhance how we interact with the world, especially when paired with the commerce platforms we already use.

If designed with care, they can help us shop smarter, live hands-free, and express ourselves more meaningfully.

And for wearers like me, they can finally make everyday eyewear as intelligent as it is essential.

Explore the future of AI-powered fashion personalization at TrendGlobe

Learn more about Apple’s work in wearable tech via Apple Vision Pro

Triva Watlington | Product Manager, AI-Powered Retail Innovation Connect on LinkedIn