Customers would browse through a small catalog, call a number and order the movie or movies of their choice. In addition to photo developing, Fotomat was one of the first companies to offer movies for rent on videocassette-a new concept then-starting in December 1979. Smaller competitors of Fotomat included Foto Hut, Fox Photo, and Kodak itself.

Many former Fotomat huts still exist, several having been converted into drive-thru coffee kiosks. Today, the Fotomat trademark is owned by DG, an advertising technology company and successor to Viewpoint Corporation. This site ceased operations September 1, 2009. After the introduction of digital cameras, overnight service eventually became obsolete and Fotomat switched to online digital imaging at where users could edit and store their images. The company's main product, overnight film development, was rendered noncompetitive by the late 1980s development of the minilab, which provided one-hour photo development and could be installed on-site without a large capital investment. Eventually, it was sold to Viewpoint Corporation in 2002. In the early 1980s, Fotomat Corporation was acquired by Konishiroku Photo Industry Ltd., also known as Konica Photo Imaging in 1986. This led to lawsuits between Fotomat and its franchisees over territories. Many people assumed Fotomat was owned by Kodak, because of the yellow roofs and font similar to Kodak packaging.įotomat had both company-owned stores and franchises. Fotomat sold Kodak and Fotomat brand film, as well as other photography-related products, and offered overnight photo finishing. Usually positioned in a large parking area such as a supermarket or strip mall, the Fotomat huts required a minimal amount of land and were able to accommodate cars driving up to drop off or pick up film. Fotomats were distinctive for their pyramid-shaped gold-colored roofs and signs with blue and red lettering. At its peak around 1980, there were over 4,000 Fotomats throughout the United States, primarily in suburban areas.

Fotomat became a public company in 1971 and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1977. Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California, in the 1960s, with the first kiosk opening in Point Loma, California, in 1965. Fotomat is an American retail chain of photo development drive-through kiosks located primarily in shopping center parking lots.

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