Shortly after opening its own dedicated retail shop in New York, MakerBot announced it’s pursuing retail arrangements in France. They’ve partnered with le FabShop to resell all current MakerBot products, including their most recent device, the Replicator 2. Le FabShop, a French makerspace based in Brittany, does not have a physical retail store, but instead will sell MakerBot equipment through their online shop, le FabStore. Their intent is to resell MakerBots throughout France from their location some four hours west of Paris.
Prices seem to be slightly higher than buying directly from MakerBot, but shipping (at least to France) would obviously be somewhat cheaper.
Does this indicate a new strategy for MakerBot? It’s an extension; MakerBot has previously experimented with resellers in the NYC area, but this is a bit farther away. Local resellers are a relatively quick method for a manufacturer to extend its presence. We suspect we might see more resellers appearing in more countries soon, particularly if le FabShop is successful.
Via le FabShop (en français)
