Polaroid plans experimental Fotobar stores that will let you print your photos

Polaroid hasn’t been shy to try various tactics as it attempts to compete in the age of digital photography, but it always seems to come back to the idea it’s best known for. It’s latest effort is a bit more of a roundabout way to get some tangible photos in your hands, though: a series of “experimental” Photobar stores where you can go and have your digital photos professionally printed. The first of those will open in Delray Beach, Florida in February, with a total of at least ten stores promised for 2013, including locations in New York, Las Vegas and Boston — each staffed with so-called Photenders to help you get the best results, and equipped with a “patent-pending proprietary technology” that’ll let you wirelessly transfer photos from your phone to a workstation. What’s more, the stores won’t just be producing glossy photos, but what Polaroid describes as handcrafted pieces using canvas, metal, acrylic, wood or bamboo — those will be shipped to the customer within 72 hours, and are apparently of the same variety that can currently be ordered on Polaroid’s Photobar website. You’ll still need to get your Polaroid film elsewhere, though.