{"id":4042,"date":"2013-10-21T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2013-10-21T14:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/\/\/?p=4042"},"modified":"2017-07-11T14:43:05","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T14:43:05","slug":"picturing-3d-printing-retail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/get3dsmart.com\/Stagingsite\/2013\/10\/21\/picturing-3d-printing-retail\/","title":{"rendered":"Picturing 3D Printing at Retail"},"content":{"rendered":"

The other day I was discussing 3D printing with a friend. The news about Tesco had just come out, and I was telling her that the biggest grocery chain in Great Britain had just gone on record, saying it would offer 3D printing service in-store. She asked why a grocery store would offer 3D printing. I asked if she wondered if people said that when grocery stores installed photo labs. Then it hit me. I\u2019ve spent a lot of time comparing 2D and 3D printing, but maybe the better comparison is photo printing.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve compared 3D printing to photo printing <\/span>before<\/span>, but our conversation had me thinking about it all over again. Almost every grocery store and pharmacy has a photo center. They\u2019re digital, and they\u2019re highly automated. Software allows people to upload files from a variety of sources, store them, and print them either with full service by an operator, or self-service at a kiosk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Could their experience with photo printing put grocery stores and pharmacies in the best position to offer 3D imaging and printing services in-store? Walmart\u2019s UK subsidiary, Asda recently became the <\/span>first UK supermarket<\/span><\/a> to test a 3D scanning and printing service. They\u2019re scanning people in-store and selling 3D printed figurines which are produced off site and direct shipped to them upon completion. The figurines are mini me\u2019s, the selfies of 3D printing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Full service isn\u2019t the only option. Consider the DreamVendor. Its a 3D printing kiosk and a <\/span>model<\/span><\/a> for how self-serve 3d printing could develop at retail. \u201c<\/span>Think of it as a vending machine with an infinite inventory\u201d, says the team at Virginia Tech. You simply insert an SD card that contains 3D printer code (generated from your CAD model) into the machine; the DreamVendor then prints your 3D part and dispenses it into a bin when it\u2019s finished.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tesco, a British multinational grocery and general merchandiser, is the second-largest retailer in the world. They recently announced plans to offer 3D printing in-store. \u00a0<\/span>In a recent V3 <\/span>interview<\/span><\/a>, Tesco IT chief Mike MacNamara said he thinks, \u201cit will help Tesco as a company, I don\u2019t think it will be a bad thing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a great thing for customers, we\u2019ll have 3D printing in our stores.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

3D imaging and printing have been forecasted $15 billion plus businesses by 2020. Right now approximately 70% of 3D printed things are used as prototypes. By 2020, 80% (of a $15 billion market) will be consumed as final product. \u00a0Where better to produce those products than a place the consumer frequently shops? Tesco\u2019s MacNamara said \u201cover the next few years you will see 3D printing in shops, because for the missing hose from the vacuum printer, you can print them in the time that someone enters the store, does a bit of shopping and leaves the store. So I can definitely see that being part of the retail offering in the none too distant future.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re on the same page. I had written a week earlier that home improvement retailers should offer the service, even mentioning accessories for vacuums. Why couldn\u2019t grocery stores and pharmacies compete for those sales? You have to make a special trip to the hardware store but you\u2019re always going to the grocery store. Picking up dinner, why not 3D print a new <\/span>toothbrush<\/span><\/a> while you\u2019re there. Need a prescription? While you\u2019re there, print some household goods. You can even watch them being made. Not sure any of <\/span>these<\/span><\/a> \u201ccould put Target out of business,\u201d but they will sell and people will watch in amazement as their products are made.<\/span><\/p>\n

Really? There\u2019s no way 3D printing will drive that much engagement, right? Last night I was at Dewey\u2019s Pizza here in Cincinnati. They have a big window where you can see into the kitchen. They have a bunch of chairs underneath so kids can see in. There was a line to watch. Imagine what will happen their pizzas (or nearly anything else) are 3D printed.<\/span><\/p>\n