In the lead-up to CES 2013 (which will commence on January ##), Polaroid has just announced that it plans to open first of their kind retail print stores where people can quickly stop in and turn their digital photographs into tangible memories via instant photo printing services.
Speaking on the announcement, Fotobar LLC founder and CEO Warren Struhl said that “There are currently around 1.5 billion pictures taken every single day . . . unfortunately, even the very best of those pictures rarely ever escape the camera phone . . . because turning those pictures into something tangible, creative and permanent is neither easy nor fun. Polaroid Fotobar stores are going to change all of that.”
The first Polaroid Fotobar star is set to open this February in Delray Beach, Florida. This store, in development for over a year, will be an approximately 2,000 square foot establishment that will go on to serve as the basis for all future Fotobar establishments, all designed with the goal of freeing “trapped photos.”
According to the press release, store customers will be able to select their favorite pictures on their camera phones and wirelessly transmit them to one of the store’s bar-top workstations for quick and hassle-free ordering within seconds. This platform also allows customers to locate their favorite photos and instantly upload them from popular social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Picasa and several others. Uploaded photos can be enhanced with a wide variety of digital retouching tools.
Once the images are uploaded, customers will be able to choose from a wide variety of materials, substrates and framing options for their pictures, all of which will be handcrafted and shipped worldwide to the consumer in just a few days. Images will be able to be framed, matted, and/or printed directly onto a variety of substrates including canvas, metal, acrylic, wood and bamboo. Each store will be operated by specifically-trained staff.
So, who said that printed pictures were dead?
Polaroid plans to open at least 10 stores in 2013. Ion addition to the Florida store, other planned locations include New York City, Las Vegas, and Boston. No word on if Cleveland will get a store yet, though.
For more info:
Full press release
Like this?
Hit the 'subscribe' button for automatic email updates when I write something new!
Why not check out my other columns?
National Space News Examiner
National Photography Examiner
Cleveland Astronomy Examiner
Want even more? Check out my personal website:
Bodzash Photography & Astronomy
Comments