Snapfish

{{Short description|Web-based photo sharing and printing service}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Snapfish

| logo = Snapfish.png

| logo_size = 225px

| type = Subsidiary

| foundation = {{start date and age|1999}}

| location = San Jose, California

| key_people =

| industry = Photography products, Printing

| products = Photo sharing, Photo products

| owner =

| parent = Shutterfly

| subsid =

| revenue =

| homepage = {{url|www.snapfish.com}}

}}

Snapfish{{Cite web |title=SC TO-T/A (Amendment No. 3) |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1117733/000119312518323215/d648585dsctota.htm |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=www.sec.gov}} is a web-based photo sharing and photo printing service owned by Shutterfly headquartered in San Jose, California. It was launched in 1999 by Rajil Kapoor, Bala Parthasarathy, Suneet Wadhwa, and Shripati Acharya.

History

Snapfish was launched in 1999 by business partners Rajil Kapoor, Bala Parthasarathy,{{cite web|title=Bala Parthasarathy, Co-Founder of Snapfish, Joins Canvera's Board|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9198705.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028010754/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9198705.htm|archive-date=October 28, 2012|url-status=dead|date=February 16, 2012}} Suneet Wadhwa, and Shripati Acharya.{{cn|date=March 2024}} Ben Nelson joined soon thereafter as corporate development operations lead, to become CFO and later president and CEO.{{cite news |last1=Boyle |first1=Amy |title=From technology company to retailer: The making of Snapfish |url=https://www.essentialretail.com/comments/5923fc29e2c3b-from-technology-company-to-retailer-the-making-of-snapfish/ |access-date=26 August 2020 |work=Essential Retail |date=23 May 2017}}

On October 30, 2001, the service was acquired by Beltsville, Maryland-based digital imaging services company District Photo for an undisclosed amount.{{cite news |title=District Photo snaps up Snapfish |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2001/10/29/daily19.html |work=Washington Business Journal |date=October 30, 2001}}

In 2004, Snapfish opened a physical retail concept store in Alexandria, Virginia, but later closed it.{{Why|date=January 2025}}{{cite web|title=Snapfish Opens Premier Concept Store Brings Online Photo Services to Retail|url=http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/release8242004|publisher=HP}}

The next year, Snapfish was bought by Hewlett-Packard{{cite web|title=HP To Acquire Leading Online Photo Service Snapfish|url=http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2005/050321e.html|publisher=HP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218022125/http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2005/050321e.html|archive-date=February 18, 2013|url-status=dead|location=PALO ALTO, Calif.|date=March 21, 2005}} for $300 million while Nelson was CEO,{{cite web|last=Gould|first=Jay|title=Early Role Models Inspired Raj Kapoor to Co-Found Snapfish Before Selling it for $300 Million|url=http://foundville.com/2011/12/08/raj-kapoor-snapfish-interview/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104114129/http://foundville.com/2011/12/08/raj-kapoor-snapfish-interview/|archive-date=January 4, 2013|url-status=usurped|date=Dec 8, 2011|quote=We ended up getting a $300 million offer for cash and a long-term relationship with District Photo.}} even though the service's revenue at the time was less than $100 million.

Nelson continued to run the company as an HP subsidiary. During this time, Snapfish partnered with Walgreens, Costco, and Walmart.{{Cite web |last=Ewalt |first=David M. |title=Snapfish, Walgreen In Digital Picture Deal |url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/08/29/snapfish-walgreen-deal-cx_de_0829snapfish.html |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=Forbes |language=en}}

In August 2013, Snapfish announced on their local websites (and through a mailing to members) that they were shutting down the service in Belgium, India, the Netherlands and Spain.{{cite web|url=http://www.nextbigwhat.com/snapfish-shutdown-in-india-belgium-netherlands-and-spain-297/|title=Exclusive: HP Shuts Photosharing & Printing Service Snapfish in India & 3 Other Countries|date=August 2, 2013}} In April 2015, HP reached an agreement to sell Snapfish back to District Photo. Under the terms of the sale, HP allowed the company to continue to use its printing services.{{cite news|last1=Robinson|first1=Tony|title=Hewlett-Packard to Sell Snapfish Operation to District Photo|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-21/hewlett-packard-to-sell-snapfish-unit-to-district-photo|access-date=August 31, 2015|work=Bloomberg Business|date=April 21, 2015}}

During a website conversion in 2016, the service experienced a data loss. Photos prior to January 2014 were unable to be migrated to the new website system. Snapfish said that although some photo albums were recovered, others would remain empty. Typically Snapfish had three versions of images: high resolution, low resolution, and printable images. Both the high and low resolution images were lost and the backup files for the printable images were not recoverable.{{cite news|last1=Knowles|first1=Jason|title=Back up your photos with more than just an online storage site|url=http://abc7chicago.com/business/back-up-your-photos-with-more-than-just-an-online-storage-site/1664533/|access-date=October 5, 2017|publisher=ABC News Chicago|date=December 19, 2016}}

Jasbir Patel was named president and CEO in January 2017. On September 28, 2018, it was announced that Snapfish would acquire CafePress for more than $25 million.{{cite news |title=Snapfish to Expand Product Offerings with CafePress Acquisition |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/09/28/1586509/0/en/Snapfish-to-Expand-Product-Offerings-with-CafePress-Acquisition.html |work=GlobeNewswire News Room |date=28 September 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Menapace |first1=Brendan |title=CafePress Acquired by Snapfish in $25 Million Deal |url=https://magazine.promomarketing.com/article/cafepress-will-be-sold-after-troubled-2018/ |work=Promo Marketing |language=en}} The acquisition was completed on November 9, 2018.{{cite news |title=Snapfish, LLC Successfully Completes Cash Tender Offer for Shares of CafePress Inc. |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/11/09/1648996/0/en/Snapfish-LLC-Successfully-Completes-Cash-Tender-Offer-for-Shares-of-CafePress-Inc.html |work=GlobeNewswire News Room |date=9 November 2018}}

On June 10, 2019, Apollo Global Management announced that it would acquire both Snapfish and its rival Shutterfly in separate deals valued at around $3 billion in total. The two companies would be merged into a single entity, with Snapfish parent company District Photo as a minority stakeholder.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/10/shutterfly-strikes-take-private-deal-with-apollo-global-valuing-company-at-2point7-billion.html|title=Shutterfly strikes take-private deal with Apollo Global, valuing company at $2.7 billion|last=Newburger|first=Emma|date=2019-06-10|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=2019-06-27}} The merger of Shutterfly and Snapfish was completed on January 8, 2020.{{cite news |title=Affiliates of Certain Funds Managed By Affiliates Of Apollo Global Management, Inc. Announce The Closing Of The Previously Announced Transaction With Snapfish And Shutterfly |url=https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/01/08/1968065/0/en/Affiliates-of-Certain-Funds-Managed-By-Affiliates-Of-Apollo-Global-Management-Inc-Announce-The-Closing-Of-The-Previously-Announced-Transaction-With-Snapfish-And-Shutterfly.html |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=GlobeNewswire News Room |date=8 January 2020}}

On May 4, 2020, it was announced that Snapfish will no longer be providing the platform for Boots Photo in the UK and Ireland from May 13, 2020.{{cite web |url=https://bootsphoto.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047381513-Boots-Photo |title=Boots Help |website=bootsphoto.zendesk.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805103650/https://bootsphoto.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047381513-Boots-Photo |archive-date=2020-08-05}} On September 1, 2020, it was announced that PlanetArt, a subsidiary of a French diversified global technology group,{{cite web|url=https://www.claranova.com/en/about/|title=About-Claranova|website=Claranova}} had acquired CafePress from Snapfish/Shutterfly.{{cite news |title=PlanetArt Acquires CafePress from Shutterfly |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200901005940/en/PlanetArt-Acquires-CafePress-from-Shutterfly |access-date=13 October 2020 |work=Businesswire |date=1 September 2020 |language=en}}