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Lensrentals acquires BorrowLenses from Shutterfly

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Photo gear rental leader Lensrentals, the largest online photo, video, audio and lighting equipment rental and production resource company, has acquired the BorrowLenses brand and “select assets” from Shutterfly. Terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition brings expand the Memphis, Tenn., company’s inventory to more than 400,000 copies of more than 6,000 different lenses, cameras, drones, lighting, audio and other high quality production equipment and accessories, in every format, from every major manufacturer available in the market. Additionally, the used gear program known as Keeper will also receive a significant boost in inventory, the company said.

“As a big group of employee-owners, via our Employee Stock Ownership Plan, I think I speak for all employees when I say: we’re collectively delighted and genuinely grateful to strengthen the Lensrentals family with the addition of the BorrowLenses brand, alongside whom we’ve served customers for nearly two decades, while pushing each other to excel,” said Tyler Beckman, CEO of Lensrentals. “The acquisition will enable us to extend our high-quality rental and production experience to a growing customer base that demands the highest-quality technical equipment a creative needs to produce movies, video and audio, and photographic content, without the up-front expenses associated with buying gear outright and continued maintenance. We’re proud of our reputation as the most reliable video and photo gear rental experience online. We employ experienced team members with hands-on video and photo experience to provide the right counsel and ensure the gear that our customers use is not only the highest quality professional grade, but also curated for individual scenarios, down to the right cables and extra batteries for cold conditions. We look forward to welcoming all BorrowLenses customers to the Lensrentals experience.”

Shutterfly acquired BorrowLenses in 2013, another entry in the buying spree by former president and CEO Jeffrey Housenbold. During Housenbold’s tenure, the company scooped up brands like Tiny Prints, Wedding Paper Divas, and Groovebook, while trying to find additional photography-related businesses. At the time, Housenbold stated: “This acquisition gives Shutterfly a presence in the rapidly expanding sharing economy. We now have a greater ability to diversify our revenue streams, reduce fourth quarter seasonality and improve upsell and cross-sell opportunities among our family of brands.”

In a statement on its website, BorrowLenses ensured customers their orders would be fulfilled without interruption during the transition.

Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talked with Drew Cicala, co-owner of Lensrentals, for an episode of the Dead Pixels Society podcast back in 2021. Listen below: