CPI Corp. (Consumer Programs Incorporated) was a leading operator of portrait studios, primarily located within major retail chains such as Sears and Walmart across the United States and Canada. Founded in 1947, the company provided photography services to millions of families for decades. It operated under various brands, including Sears Portrait Studio, Walmart Portrait Studio, Kiddie Kandids, and PictureMe. Facing financial difficulties, CPI Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2013, subsequently leading to the sale of its Canadian assets to Lifetouch and the wind-down of its U.S. operations.
The St. Louis headquarters served as the central hub for all corporate functions, including administration, operations management for its vast network of studios, marketing, finance, and strategic planning.
Located in a commercial district, the headquarters likely comprised standard corporate office spaces, meeting rooms, and administrative facilities necessary to manage a large, distributed workforce and retail presence.
The work culture at CPI Corp.'s headquarters would have likely been focused on supporting a large retail service operation, emphasizing operational efficiency, customer service standards, marketing campaign execution, and financial oversight for its numerous studio locations.
This headquarters was significant as the command center for one of North America's largest portrait studio operators, coordinating activities across hundreds of locations and managing partnerships with major retailers.
CPI Corp.'s operations were primarily concentrated in North America, with an extensive network of portrait studios across the United States and Canada. Its 'global' reach was defined by its presence in these two countries, supporting retail photography services, marketing initiatives, and studio operations management for its brands.
1706 Washington Ave
St. Louis
Missouri
USA
Address: N/A (Primarily operated studios within host retail stores like Sears, Walmart, and Toys 'R' Us)
To offer accessible and affordable portrait photography services to families and individuals in local communities, leveraging the high foot traffic of their retail partners.
Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.
As of April 2025, CPI Corp.' leadership includes:
CPI Corp. has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
CPI Corp. ceased independent operations following its bankruptcy filing in 2013 and subsequent asset sales. As the company is no longer active, there have been no executive new hires or exits in the last 12 months or in recent years for CPI Corp. itself.
Discover the tools CPI Corp. uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.
As CPI Corp. is no longer an operational entity, its email domain (cpi-corp.com) is defunct. Historically, companies of its structure and era commonly used formats such as first initial followed by last name, or first name separated by a dot from the last name.
Likely [first_initial][last]@cpi-corp.com or [first].[last]@cpi-corp.com (historical)
Format
jsmith@cpi-corp.com (hypothetical example, domain is defunct)
Example
0%
Success rate
St. Louis Post-Dispatch • March 20, 2013
CPI Corp., the St. Louis-based operator of portrait studios in Sears and Walmart stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company cited declining sales and the costs of new digital studios....more
Reuters • May 17, 2013
CPI Corp announced that Lifetouch Inc. would acquire substantially all the assets of its Canadian portrait studio business. This sale was part of CPI's restructuring efforts under bankruptcy protection....more
MarketWatch • January 31, 2013
CPI Corp. announced it had received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) that the exchange had determined to commence proceedings to delist the company's common stock due to its low selling price....more
See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.
View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.
Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.
Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.
Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.
Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.
Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.
Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.
Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.
Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.
Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.
Thousands of companies, including CPI Corp., are just a search away.