Fotomat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fotomat was a once widespread retail chain of photo development drive-thru kiosks located in shopping center parking lots. Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California in the 1960s, (the first kiosk was opened in Point Loma, California in 1965), and became a public company in 1971 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1977. At its peak around 1980 there were over 4,000 Fotomats throughout the United States, primarily in suburban areas. Fotomats were distinctive for their pyramid shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with red-lettering. They sold Kodak-brand film and other photography related products and promised one-day photo finishing. They hired young women to work in the small buildings and called them "Fotomates."
In addition to photo developing, Fotomat also offered rentals of movies on videocassette starting in the early 1980s, a new concept then. Walt Disney Home Entertainment's first releases of their films to the videocassette medium were as rentals available from Fotomat in 1980.
Fotomat had both company-owned stores and franchises. This led to lawsuits between Fotomat and its franchisees over territories.
In the early 1980s, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konischiroku Photo Industry Ltd., which sold it to Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. It was later sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002.
The company's main product, one-day development, was made obsolete by one-hour photo development. Fotomat's main product has since become the online digital photo software site Fotomat.com.
It is parodied as Fotohut in That '70s Show.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Former locations
California
- Sacramento (Foothill Farms)
Colorado
- Denver
Connecticut
- Hartford
- Waterbury
- Bristol
- Stamford Elm St. and Shippan Ave.
- Greenwich Greenwich Ave. (A storefront rather than the traditional kiosk.)
District of Columbia
Delaware
Florida
- Merritt Island
- Cocoa Beach
- Rockledge
- Titusville
- Palm Bay
- Melbourne (2)
- Satellite Beach
- Winter Park
- Tampa
- Clearwater
- St. Petersburg
- St. Pete Beach
Georgia
- Riverdale
Iowa
- Council Bluffs (X2)
Maryland
- Brooklyn Park
- Baltimore City
- Towson
- Belair
- Columbia
- Dundalk
- Glen Burnie
- Pikesville
- Owings Mills (Area Office and Kiosk)
- Parkville
- Essex
- Reisterstown
Massachusetts
- Auburn (a kiosk is still located in the Auburn Plaza in front of TJ Maxx)
- Fitchburg (Kmart/Twin City Plaza parking lot)
- Newburyport (Port Plaza parking lot)
- Tewksbury (A kiosk use to be in the Oakdale Mall Parking lot until late 80's)
- Wilmington
- Worcester (In a shopping plaza in the Grafton Hill neighborhood)
- W. Peabody Hannaford Plaza (At that time King's Plaza)
Michigan
- Riverview (a rarity as this one was actually located IN a strip mall)
Nebraska
- Lincoln
New Hampshire
- Rochester (in the old Rochester (Rich's) mall)
- Salem (in the Rockingham Park Mall plaza (Bradlee's, etc)
- Hooksett (in the shopping plaza where Kmart is located near Merchant's Auto)
New Jersey
- Madison
- Parsippany, next to RS/Strass Auto Parts store. (a kiosk is still standing)
- Teaneck
- Fort Lee
- Fairlawn
- Bergenfield
- Paramus, in the Fashion Center Parking Lot
- Paramus, in the Bergen Mall Parking Lot
New York
- Williston Park
- Oyster Bay (Pine Hollow Shopping Center
Ohio
- Akron
- Canton
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Grove City
- Hudson
- Middleburg Hts.
- Toledo (a kiosk is still standing in front of a Best Buy there)
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
- Bensalem Street Road Still Standing slighty modifed is check cashing agency now
- Penndel Penndel Shop Ctr
- Bristol Durham Rd & Vet Hwy (Currently a Wa-Wa)
- Levitown Levittown Parkway (Old Levittown Shop Ctr/Shoparama)
- Southampton(Bucks County) Second Street Pike(Near Angelo's Restaurant)- now gone
Wisconsin
- Milwaukee
Texas
- Dallas, Western Park Shopping Center
- Garland, on Centerville, near I-635
