30-04-2013: iMakr opened its first 3D printing store in central London
It was hailed as “the world’s largest 3D printer store
On April 30, 2013, the grand opening of the iMakr store took place in London. On the day of its launch, it was hailed as “the world’s largest 3D printer store.” Having had the opportunity to visit it in person two years later, I can say that if that really was the case, then the industry must have been very small at the time.
Nevertheless, the event drew crowds of tech enthusiasts, and the atmosphere was full of excitement and anticipation. The store, located on Clerkenwell Road in the Farringdon district, became the first venue to showcase the possibilities of 3D printing on such a wide scale.
The evening’s main attractions included 3D printers from well-known manufacturers such as 3D Systems (models Cube, CubeX, and CubeX Trio) and Solidoodle (Solidoodle 3 model). Sylvain Preumont, founder and CEO of iMakr, emphasized the importance of the collaboration with 3D Systems, calling them the global leader in 3D printing.
The opening was spread across two days – the first part took place on April 30, and the second on May 1. Guests included leading figures from the industry, such as Adrian Bowyer (creator of the RepRap project), Sam Cervantes (founder of Solidoodle), Mark Bloomfield (a well-known 3D designer), as well as representatives from companies such as i.Materialise, Cubify, LeapFrog, and Faberdashery.
Although the iMakr store was impressive with its range and its location in one of London’s creative districts, doubts about its long-term profitability were already being raised on opening day. While workshops and educational activities were an important part of the strategy, it was uncertain whether sales of hardware and software would prove profitable enough.
As I mentioned – in 2015 I was there in person. After entering, what catches the eye was the relatively small size of the showroom. I mean, it was quite spacious (especially for 3DP industry), but it was far from the showrooms of other technology brands.
There were only six models of 3D printers in the showroom (eight pieces in total). Additionally, filaments were spread out on cabinets and shelves. However, the most space was taken up by the prints, the number of which, the quality of workmanship, and above all the finishing, were really top-notch. In addition, many of them are really huge - they must have consisted of at least a few or a dozen elements.
Today, the store is no longer there. On its website, iMakr lists three other locations – in Brooklyn, New York, in Denmark, and in France. Unfortunately, Google Maps refuses to confirm this, and in the case of New York, it reports the store as “permanently closed.”
The company has, for quite some time, operated as an online distributor, offering a surprisingly broad and diverse product portfolio (from Phrozen, Peopoly, and Zortrax, to DWS, HBD, and even the EnvisionTEC bioprinter).
As with many companies of this type, the iMakr store remains a monument to a past era when consumer 3D printing was expected to become a big thing.
P.S.: All photos are my own and were taken during my visit to iMakr in June 2015. It was completely empty of customers when I was there...
Source: www.3dprintingindustry.com & www.centrumdruku3d.pl
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