Consumer 3D printing continues to go mainstream. Despite, or perhaps because of, disappointing Q1 results, Stratasys has expanded its MakerBot distribution significantly and, now, 3D Systems is following suit. First 3D Systems signed a distribution agreement with Caroline Wholesale, a North Carolina-based distribution company, and, today, the company announced that it would be selling its Sense 3D scanner and Cube 3D printer available for purchase at 100 Best Buy Stores across the US.
The stores will feature in-store displays of the Sense consumer 3D scanner and the third generation Cube 3D Printer, which is listed as a sub-$1000 device with 70 micron layer thickness and dual extruders, as well as wi-fi and Bluethooth connectivity and a permanently leveled printbed. Peter Theran, Vice President of Global Consumer Products at 3DS, said of the deal, “We want to make it possible for anyone to experience 3D printing and scanning. By bringing 3D printing to retail stores, we can grow our audience and give consumers an opportunity to interact with 3D printing technology that they otherwise may not have.”
And, via Carolina Wholesale Group, subsidiaries Carolina Wholesale and Arlington Industries will now act as national distributors of the Cube and CubePro 3D printers, seeing the products in CWG’s California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia distribution centers. The company will also market 3DS products, hosting dealer events in the near future. Larry Huneycutt, President of Carolina Wholesale Group, said of the arrangement, “Carolina Wholesale Group has a broad network of office products and imaging resellers that provide a unique fit for 3D Systems products in their portfolio of offerings. We recognize the future is now with 3D printing and believe the rapid innovation of this technology will demand a strong need for a distribution partner such as Arlington and Carolina Wholesale.”
If you take a look at the majority of 3D printing stocks at the moment, you’ll see some pretty devastating drops. With the disappointments seen in both 3DS and Stratasys consumer divisions over the past year or so, it’s not much of a surprise that the companies are rushing to get their products out of the warehouse and onto shelves to make up for losses in a market flooded with consumer 3D printers.
