Report: Select Sears, Walmart portrait studios close abruptly

(MyFoxBoston.com) – A company that owns portrait studios in both Sears and Walmart stores is reportedly shutting down its U.S. operations.

After struggling to stay afloat, St. Louis-based CPI Corp. and its subsidiaries, which operated 2,700 studios in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico as of November, closed their doors in the U.S. on April 3, reports Cincinnati.com.

The news of the closings came about very abruptly.

Sears Portrait posted a message on their website saying, "After many years of providing family portrait photography, we are sad to announce our Sears Portrait Studios are now closed. We appreciate your patronage and allowing us to capture your precious memories."

The message instructed current and future customers to purchase their photos at searsphoto.com by April 18, 2013 or to pick up recent sessions at local studios, if possible.

A buyer is being sought for the company's Canada locations, the website reports.

FOX 25 became aware of the possible closings after being contacted by a viewer who said she made an appointment as recently as Tuesday at the Sears Portrait Studio in Braintree for this Saturday, but has yet to receive a notification of the studio's closing.

Cox Media Group