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Kiddie Kandids's Overview

Total employees65
HeadquartersSt. Louis
Founded1974

Kiddie Kandids was a popular chain of children's portrait studios, primarily located within Sears and Babies 'R' Us retail stores across the United States and Canada. It specialized in capturing candid and traditional photographs of infants, toddlers, and young children. Acquired by CPI Corp. in 1998, Kiddie Kandids became a significant part of CPI's portrait studio operations. The company, along with its parent CPI Corp., faced financial difficulties in the early 2010s, leading to widespread studio closures and the eventual bankruptcy of CPI Corp. around March 2013, which marked the end of Kiddie Kandids' operations.

Where is Kiddie Kandids's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the central management and administrative hub for Kiddie Kandids operations under CPI Corp., overseeing studio management, marketing, finance, human resources, and overall strategy for the portrait studio chain.

Notable Features:

The headquarters was housed in a corporate office building within St. Louis's historic garment district. No specific architectural highlights unique to Kiddie Kandids' branding were noted, as it was the parent company's office.

Work Culture:

The work culture at the CPI Corp. headquarters, which managed Kiddie Kandids, would have likely been a corporate environment focused on retail operations, sales performance, customer service standards, and efficient management of a large, distributed network of studio employees. Emphasis would have been on brand consistency and profitability.

HQ Significance:

The St. Louis headquarters was crucial for the centralized command and control of the extensive Kiddie Kandids studio network across North America, enabling standardized practices, national marketing campaigns, and operational support.

Values Reflected in HQ: The centralized HQ likely reflected values of operational efficiency, brand management, financial oversight, and scalable business processes necessary for managing a widespread retail service chain.

Location:

Kiddie Kandids primarily operated portrait studios within retail stores across the United States. It also established a notable presence in Canada through partnerships, particularly with Sears Canada. Its operations were predominantly concentrated in North America, focusing on leveraging foot traffic in major retail chains.

Street Address:

1706 Washington Ave

City:

St. Louis

State/Province:

MO

Country:

USA

Kiddie Kandids's Global Presence

Nationwide, USA (e.g., in Sears, Babies 'R' Us stores)

Address: Located within host retail stores (e.g., Sears, Babies 'R' Us, Kmart at various times)

To offer convenient, accessible, and affordable professional children's photography services to shoppers in high-traffic retail environments across different U.S. regions.

Various cities, Canada (e.g., within Sears Canada stores)

Address: Located within host retail stores, primarily Sears Canada locations.

Expansion of the Kiddie Kandids photography service model into the Canadian market, leveraging established retail partnerships like Sears Canada.

Buying Intent Signals for Kiddie Kandids

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.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Executive Team of Kiddie Kandids

As of April 2025, Kiddie Kandids' leadership includes:

Paul H. Kamin - Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CPI Corp. (Parent company of Kiddie Kandids)
Robert L. Nowik - Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, CPI Corp. (Parent company of Kiddie Kandids)
Russell Issleib - Former President and Chief Operating Officer, CPI Corp. (Parent company of Kiddie Kandids during certain periods)

Investors of Kiddie Kandids

Kiddie Kandids has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Public shareholders (CPI Corp. was a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CPY before its delisting and bankruptcy)

Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months

Hire0
Exits0

Specific executive news for Kiddie Kandids as a distinct entity in its final 12 months of operation (roughly 2012-2013) is not readily available. Major personnel changes and leadership decisions during this period would have been part of the parent company, CPI Corp.'s financial restructuring efforts and eventual bankruptcy proceedings. The company ceased operations following CPI Corp.'s Chapter 11 filing in March 2013, making 'last 12 months' executive changes largely reflective of the parent company's crisis management.

Technology (Tech Stack) used by Kiddie Kandids

Discover the tools Kiddie Kandids uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Kiddie Kandids Email Formats and Examples

As Kiddie Kandids is defunct, active email formats do not exist. During its operation under CPI Corp., corporate communications and employee emails would have likely used CPI Corp.'s domain (e.g., cpicorp.com). Common corporate email formats at the time included variations of first name and last name.

[first_initial][last]@cpicorp.com (speculative, based on parent company's typical format)

Format

jsmith@cpicorp.com (speculative example for a CPI Corp. employee)

Example

0%

Success rate

News and media

ReutersMarch 19, 2013

Portrait studio operator CPI files for bankruptcy

CPI Corp, operator of some 3,000 photo studios in retailers like Sears and Wal-Mart (which included Kiddie Kandids branded studios), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing declining sales and an inability to secure new financing....more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via archives)November 7, 2012

CPI warns it may have to seek bankruptcy protection

CPI Corp. issued a warning about its potential need to file for bankruptcy if it couldn't improve its financial situation, highlighting the severe challenges faced by the portrait studio industry, including its Kiddie Kandids operations....more

PR Newswire (or similar business wire service)July 19, 1998

CPI Corp. Completes Acquisition of Kiddie Kandids Inc.

CPI Corp. announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Kiddie Kandids Inc., a national chain of children's portrait studios. The acquisition was intended to strengthen CPI's market position in the children's photography segment....more

Various consumer reports and local news (aggregated)Circa 2010-2013

Customers Report Abrupt Kiddie Kandids Studio Closures

During the period leading up to CPI Corp.'s bankruptcy, numerous customers reported sudden closures of Kiddie Kandids studios, often without notice, leaving them unable to retrieve photos or fulfill prepaid packages. This was a widespread issue reflecting the company's financial distress....more

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