A wider store presence brings desktop 3D printing closer to new buyers. 3DPTimes examines Creality’s retail strategy, the historical data behind its online channels and the service economics that will determine lasting value.
Retail reach raises a service question
Creality’s expansion into mainstream U.S. retail puts consumer 3D printing in front of people who may never have searched for a printer. A November 2 report by Zhitong Finance, carried by Sina Finance, describes the company’s presence in Costco, Best Buy and Michaels.
The report cites approximately 850 Michaels locations and 150 Costco locations, alongside more than 10,000 K2 Combo orders through Costco over five months. Those reported orders describe channel activity; they do not establish net installations, customer retention or repeat purchasing.
For 3DPTimes, the strategic question is what happens after the customer takes the box home. A printer creates continuing needs for printable designs, suitable filament, replacement components and troubleshooting. A useful retail network must connect product discovery with a successful first print and accessible support.
Different stores need different demonstrations
A warehouse-club display can introduce the category to an unfamiliar audience. A specialist electronics dealer can help compare machines. A craft retailer can show a practical project alongside relevant materials. These are different opportunities to explain what a desktop printer can do.
The most effective demonstration should make the complete workflow understandable: choose a model, prepare it in a slicer, load the material, print and finish the object. Showing a finished model alone leaves questions about the time, workspace and skills required.
Retailers and manufacturers also need clear responsibilities for returns, warranty diagnosis and replacement parts. A large store count creates many points of contact; consistent training and support determine whether those contacts become a useful local service network.
What the historical channel figures actually show
Creality’s May 20, 2026 prospectus reports that online sales contributed 48.5% of 2025 revenue, compared with 35.7% in 2023. Offline sales represented 51.5% in 2025 and were predominantly sales to distributors. These categories describe the company’s sales channels, rather than a direct count of consumer purchases in physical shops.
Within 2025 online revenue, DTC stores generated approximately RMB630.0 million, or 41.5%, and Amazon approximately RMB583.8 million, or 38.5%. DTC was already larger than Amazon in 2023 and 2024. Its share of online revenue declined from 55.2% in 2023 to 41.5% in 2025, even as its absolute revenue increased.
This is a more nuanced picture than a first-time DTC crossover: both owned stores and marketplaces can expand within a growing online business. The useful management question is which channel acquires, serves and retains customers efficiently.
Measure the economics of a continuing customer relationship
The prospectus identifies a 0.2% sales-based backend-system fee for DTC stores, plus a fixed subscription, and Amazon commissions generally ranging from 12% to 15%. Those fee lines cover different service arrangements. A meaningful comparison also needs advertising, payment processing, delivery, warehousing, returns and customer support.
For physical retail, the equivalent test includes store sell-through, inventory turnover and the cost of maintaining a competent support network. Distributor orders and shelf space are useful indicators of reach, while repeat consumables purchasing and sustained machine use would help demonstrate an ongoing customer relationship.
3DPTimes sees the broader opportunity in reducing the distance between curiosity and a completed project. Creality’s mix of retail partners, dealers and online stores gives it several ways to reach buyers. The quality and cost of the experience across those channels will determine how much lasting value that reach creates.
Sources and reporting dates
Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd., prospectus published May 20, 2026; historical sales and fee disclosures, printed pages 156–161:
https://www.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0520/2026052000024_c.pdf
Zhitong Finance, retail-channel report carried by Sina Finance, November 2, 2026:
https://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/hkstock/hkstocknews/2026-11-02/doc-inixhwzc2400366.shtml
Original analysis: 3DPTimes. Prepared November 3, 2026. Financial figures refer to the historical reporting periods identified above; this article does not announce a new retail agreement.
