Retailers must plan around the holiday season. In fact, for some retailers that season is the “make or break” portion of the year’s revenue. Like any good retailer, MakerBot is doing the same by offering their 3D printers at a number of New York City shops, including AC Gears, Wired, GizModo Gallery and the New Museum Store. But hold on a moment – MakerBot isn’t a retailer; they are a manufacturer.
Does this imply a strategic shift? Probably not, we think. MakerBot previously experimented with retail operations by offering kits for sale at their Brooklyn Botcave last year at this time. This latest move just extends that concept. None of the retailers mentioned are large chains, which would be difficult to supply given MakerBot’s limited manufacturing capabilities. However, steps are meant to take you somewhere and we suspect we’ll see a lot more of this from MakerBot in the future. Where will we find the Thing-O-Matic for sale during Christmas season 2012?
Via MakerBot
