Supermarket Asda is trialling a 3D printing service that allows shoppers to scan and replicate anything ceramic in-store.
Prices start at £40 for an 8in figurine which can be printed and picked up in-store the following week.
The service, which launches on 15 October in the company‘s York store, can scale models to whatever size the customer wants. It has been in development for the past 18 months under the supervision of American parent company Wallmart.
“Evolving well beyond simply filling frames with photographs of friends and family, 3D printed ‘mini me‘ figures will add a whole new dimension to shoppers‘ mantelpieces and the lifelike models are also expected to be popular as personalised wedding cake toppers,” it wrote in a press release.
Asda‘s York store already uses new ‘Rapid Scan‘ technology which allows customers to scan 100 items a minute through checkout.
“Since the 3D printing trend travelled over the Atlantic to the UK, it has fast become the latest craze among designers and technology experts,” said Asda. “This truly is innovation without limits and Asda hopes to be the first retailer to offer this service nationwide.”
