14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printing stores are still few, a handful for the whole world, but it seems that one opens every other month. The latest such shop belongs to Cubeek 3D (and is called the same thing) and is located in France.
To be more specific, the 3D printing store will be opened at 33 Rue du Docteur Roux in the 15th arrondissement of Paris.
In Cubeek 3D's own words, the shop will create "a close link with the consumer and making 3D printing more accessible."
This is one of the big problems that 3D printing will need to overcome in order to truly become a world-changing technology: accessibility.
3D printers are all well and good, but most are expensive, and it's not like the common man is likely to need one anyway.
So the best thing is to treat the whole thing using the same plan as the one followed by copy centers: make a public service / store where people can place commissions.
It might not help sell actual 3D printers much, but it will definitely make business for makers of filament and whatever other type of 3D printing materials are employed.
Also, consumer commissions aren't the only thing on Cubeek's mind. Indeed, France's first shop specializing in the 3D printer sales and service is making deals and procuring contracts with businesses.
Small businesses are likely to show interest in 3D printing technology, they feel, especially after low-cost printers start flowing in and attract "professionals" and 3D model designers that would like a palpable prototype of their works.
Cubeek 3D will have printers from Bq, David Laser, FormFutura, Leapfrog, PP3DP, 3D Systems and Beeverycreative, among others.
Naturally, commissions for various prints, even scans and models of the customers themselves, will be among the things made there. Not sure if full-size human models will be included though. Scanners can fit well enough, since they need to be tall, not wide. But printers large enough to make the human sculptures, or parts large enough to put them together, might be out of reach, at least at first.
The Cubeek 3D printing store will be opened on April 4, which is next Friday, just less than a week from now. Not a bad way to start the month of April, all told, though we do wonder how good business will be in the first few days. Co-founder and General Director of the firm, Matthieu Bruckert, and Stéphane Dupoux, President of Cubeek, will have to pull out all the stops at their grand opening.