It’s a Three-Dimensional World

For retail brands looking to stand out in a sea of similar stores, 3D printing is a new frontier. It is a chance to take creativity to an entirely new place, transforming the experience a retail customer will have when he or she walks through the doors. The technology to create these conversation pieces is still in the early stages, but it is gaining speed as more printers and brand owners alike learn just what 3D printers are capable of.

“It is cutting edge,” says Tom Lawson, director of operations at EclipseCorp, based in Gahanna, Ohio. “And there are very few suppliers of grand-format 3D printing. We’re finding that we have retailers who see it and love it, and we can see the wheels turning as they start to look at samples and renderings because the opportunities are limitless. Smart retailers are making their stores an experience. They want to have something that piques your interest and allows you to interact. We see 3D as the next step in that ability to answer their requests.”

Helping brands stand out is really the ultimate reason wide-format printers are starting to look to 3D printing. In an increasingly competitive market, it is a way for printers to stand out as well, bringing something to the table that others can’t match. And because printers are now talking about pieces designed to be at the center of a display, rather than just background graphics, 3D printing allows them to become more valued and valuable partners, instead of just vendors.

“Whether it is a huge brand or a local one, they are looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the market,” says Kevin Sykes, president for North America at Massivit 3D. “The biggest opportunity I see to offer, especially with 3D, is to offer fresh ideas that will garner attention. Create something that the customer of those companies won’t see every day. That allows them to set themselves apart when calling on that same customer — they have elevated themselves.”

Bigger, Faster, Cheaper

The ability to create large, impressive displays that make retail customers stop and take notice isn’t new. Many brands have created pieces for their locations in the past, but the process was time-consuming and someone needed to sculpt and make each piece by hand. This kind of artistry also didn’t come cheap; 3D printing might not be inexpensive, but compared to analog methods, it brings the ability to be creative on a grand scale to a much wider audience.

“One-off pieces have a tendency to be at a price point geared more toward guys with a deeper budget,” Lawson notes, “but we’re going to see that shift as the technology gets more advanced and material costs get lower. It will be more affordable for all levels of retail.”

The payoff, however, is a big one. Lawson notes that his company is finding that a 3D piece in a retail environment has as much as four to five times the stopping power of other types of print. People, he says, are stopping to look at the piece, take pictures with it and post it on social media with hashtags. They make people want to spend time in the location and engage with the brand both on and offline.

Sykes has found the same thing, noting, “It is absolutely helping connect with the consumer. They can interact with the brands through these 3D elements, whether it’s as simple as taking a selfie, or the way it’s designed so they can touch and feel or some kind of interactive element.”

The impact of a 3D-printed piece goes beyond something to take selfies with, however. The more innovative brands and printers are starting to look for ways to build interactive elements into the piece itself. Sykes notes that things, such as games customers can play as part of the design is an interesting example, giving brands yet another way to connect with the consumer and create a meaningful relationship with them.

Making it Small

Big brands aren’t the only customers for 3D printing in the retail space, however. Another small, but growing, segment are the “makers” — small groups or even individuals who are looking to push 3D printing in ways even the manufacturers might not have considered. For the most part, this group is using smaller, homemade variations of 3D printers, which are far more cost-effective for the types of projects they are creating. But there is some opportunity for wide-format printers with the capabilities already in house.

“Retail 3D printing is really just starting to be seen in the marketplace in limited applications,” says Josh Hope, senior manager of 3D Printing & Engineering Projects at Mimaki USA. “The maker community was early to adopt 3D printing and has driven a lot of the FDM-based printer development and sales. At the upper end of the maker community is the ‘maker to market’ group, which looks to develop actual products to market and sell. This group tends to look for access to higher-end 3D printers, which drives the need for service bureau output. As the 3D printing technologies continue to develop (higher strength, more flexibility, more color, faster, etc.), the maker groups are looking for access to these new machines and technologies.”

He went on to point out that in this space, it is all about open access, rather than proprietary designs. This community tends to want to share projects and ideas and build on what others have come up with. Hope notes that for wide-format printers looking to cultivate this particular segment of the retail market, the best way to win the business is to engage with it.

EclipseCorp created this “Game of Thrones” inspired Burger King french fry installation for an event. Image courtesy of EclipseCorp & Massivit 3D.

“Sharing current projects via social media, having events where people can come in and see the technology working, and even get some hands-on experience with the printers is a great way to build a strong relationship with customers,” Hope says.

Building a Business

Whether it’s cultivating massive brands with hundreds of locations around the world, local startups with a single retail space or makers who have ideas but are still looking to break into retail, the fact remains that 3D printing is the proverbial next frontier. It is going to change the way printers, brands and consumers all think about the elements that go into a retail space, creating enticing reasons to walk through the door.

Wide-format print providers need to start embracing 3D technology sooner rather than later as it can prove to be a very strong differentiator for their business. “By investing in the technology, or establishing a relationship with someone who has it, they can begin to have those conversations with customers,” Sykes says. “They can start addressing that need, and see what the difference is; the level of conversation they can have with the customers. It gives them a better opportunity to service those needs.”

Lawson compares it to when digital signage first started hitting the market and traditional printers had to find a way to compete with a sign that could be updated on the fly, with graphics changing as needed. Printers had to find ways to show their value, and he says 3D printing is another aspect of that. Finding ways to bring 3D elements to 2D printing is going to allow printers to bring pieces and retail environments to life. “I think it’s getting designers educated,” he says, “and getting the visual team to think in a different way.”

But, Lawson notes, the hard work of essentially building a brand new business from the ground up can pay big dividends for shops willing to take the plunge.

“Our 3D printer came in February, so we’re still new to the market,” Lawson says, “but we have done tremendous R&D. Our client base is heavy retail, with companies like Elle brands and Victoria Secret. We met with our customers, they toured with us, we’ve done some renderings, and then done some spec work.” This has resulted in projects like a throne of French fries for a Burger King trade show.

The possibilities of what 3D printing can do for printers and retail brands alike is still in its infancy, which makes for an exciting time to jump in, as those who adopt today will be the leaders of tomorrow, shaping the way the entire industry approaches the technology.

“Having come from most of my experience being at sheetfed commercial houses to grand-format digital, the 3D is unlike any style of printed media I’ve ever dealt with,” Lawson says. “I think the technology is so new, and we’re so on the cutting edge of it. It’s hard to imagine what the next step is going to look like, but I think 3D will far surpass what we end up doing in traditional print media.”