The first Pi keep has opened its doors in Cambridge and, if the first weekend of trading is something to go by using, has done instead nicely.
Raspberry Pi Foundation supremo Eben Upton told The Register that the location has been selected because the slinger of diminutive computers reckoned the region has the right demographics of techies and those now not necessarily technical, however curious enough to take the outfit’s wares for a spin, and perhaps drop the cost of a decent takeaway on a starter kit.
He also admitted “because it’s our home town” before adding: “If we can make the store work everywhere, it is going to be in Cambridge.”
The save itself is placed in Cambridge’s Grand Arcade Shopping Centre, alongside department keep John Lewis and eye-wateringly high-priced cable save Apple.
Visitors spent the weekend taking part in a few arms-on time playing with the tiny machines and surfing the cabinets of reachable starter packs and, of the route, Pi merchandise.
CEO Upton located: “The shop affords capacity customers with a danger to learn about Raspberry Pi, whilst at the same time giving us a chance to examine extra approximately their wishes.”
As for whether or not this might come to be being a quick-lived test or a long-time period mission, Upton informed El Reg that the primary 3 days of revenue from the opening was properly north of £10k, which he reckoned become a “stable start”. He brought that the gang could want greater time to get experience for the general fashion.
Neighbouring Apple would possibly factor out that it could exceed the Pi crew’s takings by just moving ten or so iPhones. Of path, one could be tough pressed to discover tons in an Apple shop that could come near the fee proposition within the doorways of the Pi shop.
The pass to retail is an thrilling one – the Pi Foundation lacks an internet retail presence and relies on the likes of RS Components to sell in bulk, while The Pi Hut targets the makers of the arena.
Upton advised us: “If there were already a store in Cambridge doing that suitable a job of promoting the product and offering the emblem I do not assume we might have finished this. As it changed into, nobody’s achieved bodily retail for Raspberry Pi outside North America, so it fell to us.”