Polaroid Fotobar Stores will Showcase Photos from Digital Sources

Polaroid, one of the most renowned names in the photography business, announced announced at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it plans to open around 10 Polaroid Fotobar stores this year, based on photos from Facebook and other online and digital sources. The first store will be located in Delray Beach in Florida and is likely to open its doors in February.

Customers can utilize the company’s patent-pending proprietary technology to upload photos from Facebook, Instagram, Picasa, and other social sites, or select photos from their digital devices and wirelessly transmit them to workstations. After photos are uploaded or transmitted, customers can make use of features like contrast, red-eye correction, brightness, and filters, as well as choose materials, substrates, and framing options. Pictures can also be framed, matted, and/or printed directly onto substrates including canvas, metal, acrylic, wood, and bamboo. Products will then be handcrafted and dispatched from the manufacturing facility within a time period of 72 hours.

If customers face difficulties, “Phototenders” will be present in the stores to help them in navigating through the process. There will be “The Studio” in the Delray Beach store which is a multipurpose room for photo classes, private parties, and portrait photos. Polaroid President and CEO Scott W. Hardy is extremely optimistic about these stores and feels that customers will respond positively.

Fotobar Founder and CEO Warren Struhl stated that this venture is to bring forth some brilliant photographs that are taken every day (around 1.5 million pictures are clicked per day!), but often remain in camera phones. Polaroid Fotobar is creating a golden chance for those works of art to see the light of the day.