Polaroid is set to open a series of experimental retail stores called Fotobars that let people come in and print digital photos stored on their phones.
Aiming to turn the task of taking a digital photo and turning it into a cherished piece of art both easy and enjoyable, Polaroid hopes to open at least 10 Fotobars in 2013, the first being a 2,000 square foot store in Delray Beach, Florida, in February.
Further sites in New York and Boston have been earmarked for development over the coming year.
Visitors to the store will be able to wirelessly transmit their digital photos from their mobile devices to one of the store’s bar-top workstations, where prints can be ordered or where enhancements and edits, such as removing red eye, can be made.
The workstations will also give users access to social media sites including Facebook, Instagram and Picasa so that they can search for and find images to convert that are not on their handset or tablet.
Once the images have been selected, customers will be able to choose different frames and surfaces, such as canvas or metal, on which the images can be printed.
Polaroid claims that the finished pieces will be handcrafted centrally and will be shipped to the customer within 72 hours.
The physical stores will build on the company’s online store, where consumers can upload their images and order their artwork via the web.
