3D print retail operations continue to experiment with different approaches: now a retail chain opens a store-within-a-store.
German-based iGo3D, a small but growing chain of 3D print retail storefronts, has partnered with Hornbach, a very large chain of DIY equipment stores. Hornbach apparently operates some 140 stores in nine different European countries.
One of those stores is located in Biel, Switzerland, where iGo3D has been permitted to set up a small store-within-a-store, in a manner similar to what Apple has done in larger chains. It provides a way for general consumers to access the product without having to travel longer distances to a specialty store.
The display, shown at top, presents an explanation of 3D printing along with live, operating 3D printers. In this case they’re printing with a pair of Ultimakers, but you can also see filament supplies, 3Doodler and the Sense handheld 3D scanner.
We believe this to be an important move for iGo3D, because if it proves successful, the company presumably would be able to set up 139 additional displays in other stores within the Hornbach universe. That could translate into an enormous number of sales and bring a great many new people into the world of 3D printing.
Via iGo3D (in German)
