Raspberry Pi Opens Its First Retail Store

By Nathaniel Mott
published

(Image credit: Raspberry Pi/Twitter)

Apple is getting some competition in the 'tech stores named after fruit' market. Raspberry Pi opened its first retail store today, planting its flag in Cambridge, England, where it plans to sell a variety of devices and peripherals.

Many people have already fallen in love with Raspberry Pi's diminutive computers. They're perfect for tinkering because they're relatively cheap, surprisingly powerful and small enough to be stored pretty much anywhere you could fit an Altoids tin.

But for people who haven't already become smitten with the Raspberry Pi, the point can be hard to grasp (we wouldn't be surprised if many people thought the brand was missing an "e" at the end). Maybe seeing a device in person could change that.

Enter the new store. The BBC reported that Raspberry Pi established the "experimental space" because it wanted to reach out to folks "curious" about the brand. At least for now this is a proof of concept, not a new chapter in Raspberry Pi's life.

The store will also have a new starter kit outfitted with a Raspberry Pi, keyboard and mouse to make it easier for people to start programming for the device. It's not clear what model of Raspberry Pi will come with this bundle or what it costs.

Raspberry Pi has also promised unique products that will only be available in the store, with images depicting mugs and what looks like a small pillow, but details about those products weren't provided either. You'll have to visit the store to see.

If you live near Cambridge and want to visit the Raspberry Pi store you can find the hours of operation, location and directions on its web page.

Nathaniel Mott
Nathaniel Mott
Freelance News & Features Writer

Nathaniel Mott is a freelance news and features writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering breaking news, security, and the silliest aspects of the tech industry.

5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hellwig
    So, mostly unrelated, but I wonder how a no-deal Brexit will affect the inexpensiveness of Raspberry Pi, seeing as it's not an entirely UK-sourced object. I don't know why them opening a retail store made me think of that.

    I am a little jealous. I haven't walked through a store offering electronic bits and pieces since Radioshack went out of business.
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    21752784 said:
    So, mostly unrelated, but I wonder how a no-deal Brexit will affect the inexpensiveness of Raspberry Pi, seeing as it's not an entirely UK-sourced object. I don't know why them opening a retail store made me think of that.

    Actually it was a UK-sourced technology but the British government in the way of the EEDA (East of England Development Agency) refused to back it up with investment like what happens with US companies. So R-Pi had to look elsewhere for additional funding, incentives, and most importantly, talent. A lot depends on the effect of the Pound vs. Euro and US Dollar. But let's just listen to what founder Eben Upton said about it when questioned about the effect of BREXIT - pay attention to what nation he says is their largest market:

    "I suspect a hard Brexit will mean very little for UK tech. If a company makes a compelling product, it will still find a market in Europe after Brexit, just as it finds a market in the US today. The US is our largest market, followed by the UK and Germany. Most of the technical standards affecting electronic products are harmonised between the US and the EU, and tariffs are low, so we expect to be able to export to Germany post-Brexit as easily as we export to the US today.

    We will need to simplify the immigration process for engineers, but that's already a problem for more than 80 per cent of engineers who aren't EU citizens. I have an Australian citizen working for me, and getting his visa last year was like pulling teeth. If you're Australian, or Chinese, or Indian - or, post-Brexit, French - and have a computer science or electrical engineering degree, you should be able to walk into a British Consulate and pick up a work permit. If the government uses the opportunity to rationalise immigration policy then we could end up in a better situation than we are in today.

    Overall, I'm positive: we have the engineering talent, we have the business talent and we have the finance to build global players. Even before 2016's currency movements dropped my manufacturing costs through the floor, it cost me a dollar less to build a Raspberry Pi in South Wales than it did in Shenzhen. The UK: the once and future king of global manufacturing."

    https://www.wired.co.uk/article/article-50-brexit-tech
    Reply
  • PapaCrazy
    I remember wandering around Micro Center when I was young, meeting various service representatives eager to help a curious young kid get deeper into computers. I hope this store will be a sanctuary for young nerds. Looking very hopeful.
    Reply
  • bacarr
    The Raspberry Pi store seems to be aping the Apple Store. But Apple sells expensive products.
    Reply
  • mcdoogan
    Really love this idea. Hopefully we see more of these around the world.
    Reply