Target and Shapeways Team Up to Offer Affordable 3D Printed Keepsake Collection For The Holidays

Just in time for the holidays! Target is breaking into the 3D printing market, carving out a place in the Shapeways marketplace. As we all know, the gifts most loved are the ones to which we give our own personal touch. So, start rocking out to Bing Crosby, and sink into your comfy couch for some easy online creating and shopping.

Combining the magic of 3D printing with the genius of holiday marketing, Target and Shapeways are teaming up to make holiday shopping more convenient — and more technologically advanced. Many people may not have ever considered giving a 3D printed gift before, simply because they did not have the exposure, access, or affordability. This year, plenty of friends and loved ones will be ‘wowed’ and talking about the technology of 3D printing with many gifts that arrived via Target and Shapeways.

Working with the Shapeways forum in offering a 3D printed collection for savvy holiday shoppers, Target will offer an introduction in 3D design and 3D printing to the public in the form of smaller keepsake items like pendants, rings, charms, and ornaments. Over 150 items are available with many items priced under $10. Items are easily and affordably shipped, and it goes without saying these days that we all enjoy the perk of shopping online and avoiding bustling, elbowing crowds.

In the spirit of 3D printing and giving, the partnership with Shapeways should attract the attention of customers who want to have the opportunity to design their own products and show their stuff to loved ones unwrapping gifts this year. Both Shapeways and Target afford the customer the opportunity to dip their feet into the waters of 3D design, and at the very least, many more in the mainstream will become curious. It’s a boon to Shapeways most certainly — and Target gains a new market.

Over 150 gifts will be available for customizing, with choices in:

• Colors
• Materials
• Engraving

Employing ShapeJS, Target is allowing fledgling or experienced 3D designers and printing enthusiasts to enjoy the satisfaction of putting their own mark on the gifts they produce from the Shapeways website.

While Target may be a lower-priced department store, they have a penchant for streamlined, cool design, which is a perfect combination for gaining market share from the 3D printing enthusiasts who frequent Shapeways, as well as introducing the Target crowd to the vast 3D printing world of Shapeways.

With the amount of advertising and accessibility Target offers, shoppers will see that they can purchase novelty items with both ease and amusement, while also opening their minds to previously unheard-of technology. While Target stands to do well in the proposition, Shapeways will be gaining the spotlight as well, with their marketplace featuring a plethora of projects, ideas, and elegant gifts. Introducing the mainstream public to Shapeways and 3D printing is a gift in itself.

Tell us what you think about this partnership between these two companies in the Target and Shapeways Team Up forum at 3DPB.com.