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Convention Coverage
Sparks Fly at Record-Setting RentDirect Nationwide Event
"Thank you for making this night the biggest event Nationwide has ever had," Nationwide Marketing Group Executive VP Robert Weisner told the audience. He continued by emphasizing Nationwide Marketing Group's commitment to aiding the independent dealer, and talked about the ways the group has brainstormed to help their dealers get more customers in the door during what Weisner characterized as "turbulent times"...more

Programming note: Continuous LIVE Video feed from the RentDirect show floor will be available beginning at 1:30pm EST (10:30 PST)  today with three viewing options:

- On the RTO Online homepage
- New-mini player embedded on every page so you can watch while you surf.
- Windows Media Player

RentDirect Vendor Profile
AMCASE; Pull it Together!
TV wall mount presentation is as easy as hanging art work, thanks to the original Amcase E-line system. Savvy RTO dealers can now combine home theatre systems, HDMI cables, home mounting hardware, and furniture groupings to build complete packages...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Gain Rental Agreements With Poulan Pro's RentDirect Program
For years, consumer lawn care equipment remained firmly entrenched as a retail-only category. Sure, you could rent some equipment from the local rental yard, but never from the same store where you’d go to rent a sofa...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Less Energy, More RTO Profit
Does your rental store consume more than $1200 per month in utilities? If so, then you are a candidate for a TEMSCO energy management system...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
MTD; Rental Purchase Yard Machines
MTD Consumer Products provides outdoor power equipment product to the rental channel under two brands – Yard Machines and MTD Gold...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Protecting Your Rent to Own Assets With The Proper Tools
With fuel prices continuing their upward journey, it’s even more important to make sure every delivery is made as economically as possible. Just a single damaged piece of merchandise can lead to hundreds of dollars in unnecessary expenses...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Does Your Rental-Purchase Store Measure Up?
Measuring Up specializes in executing monthly survey programs designed to reach your RTO customers by telephone, mail or via the internet...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Serta Brings Key Bedding Prince Points to Nationwide PrimeTime!
Rogers says Serta’s message this season is all about encouraging customers to ‘Dare to Compare’. Serta has introduced a pivotal price point within the $799 category offering a triple choice of firmness...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
K4 Products; Eco Friendly Bed-Bug Control
In the days of DDT, bed bugs were relegated to the realm of fairytales, nursery rhymes and parents advice. “…And don’t let the bed bugs bite!” became a quirky homily that most of us remember fondly...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Whirlpool and RentDirect; Building Blocks
The Whirlpool® Building Blocks program will take place in the West Dallas community of Greenleaf Village II this year. On average, the median household income in West Dallas is $25,790 and an estimated one out of every three families in the community lives below the federal poverty level...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
One in Five American Homes Have Sunbeam Product
More than 20 million American households, nearly one in every five homes, contain some product manufactured with the Sunbeam name...more
 

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Ge to Showcase Latest Appliance Designs at Nationwide PrimeTime!
GE Appliances will showcase its latest design successes at the Nationwide RentDirect show in Las Vegas, including new French Door Refrigerators and the latest colors and features in laundry pairs...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Rental Customers Demand Latest Appliance Trends
Make no mistake that rental customers today closely follow trends in the retail marketplace and demand more in performance and appearance from their home appliances...more

Plasma TV Myths Busted; Some Sets Rated to Last 100,000 Hours
Panasonic claimed today that its 1080p VIERA Plasma HDTV line is rated to last 100,000 hours before reaching half its original brightness. The company based its findings on the U.S. average daily viewing time of six and a half hours...more

easyhome Same Store Sales up 8.7%; Software Rollout Hurts Earnings
"The new point of sale system ultimately diverted operational focus from key areas of deliveries and cash collection, which we can measure and attribute to having a negative effect on easyhome's income." - David Ingram, President and Chief Executive Officer, easyhome...more

easyhome to Acquire Insta-Rent for $10 Million
Insta-Rent has 44 kiosks located in the Brick stores, as well as 6 stand-alone stores. The purchase is expected to close by the end of September 2008...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
RTO Application Data Verification from DataTrue
DataTrue’s all-in-one information and banking verification system helps rental dealers verify a customer application in less than 30 seconds...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
RTO Pro Software
RTO Pro is a complete Windows-based Point of Sale software solution for RTO, Retail, Check Cashing and the Cash Advance industries...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Rental Information Systems; The Name Says it All For RTO Dealers
Not only does the Windows environment make understanding the functionality simple, it also makes it easy to integrate store level and back office data into other Microsoft applications...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
The Ideal RTO POS Software Solution
A point-of-sale software solution is only as good as the employees running it. So doesn’t it make sense to choose one that gives your employees the most user-friendly experience?...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
EHP Direct South Specializes in “On Time Delivery”
RentDirect’s fulfillment partner for Electrolux Home Appliances cites 245,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space as an advantage to making deliveries “On Time” and at the right time...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
RTO Furniture Care by Guardsman
Guardsman, a business unit of the Valspar Corporation, helps RentDirect members extend the life of their furniture inventory and protect their merchandise investment...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Dimplex Electric Fireplaces Lead Hot RTO Category
For many RTO customers, a traditional fireplace just wasn’t an option until Dimplex pioneered the realistic, comfortable, convenient electric fireplace...more

RentDirect Vendor Profile
Chase Paymentech Offers RentDirect Members Card Based Payment Services
Chase Paymentech has stepped forward with a solution for RentDirect members - a card-based recurring payment program that can help keep customers’ payments from going past due...more

Steel Named Samsung's North America Senior VP Marketing
Samsung announced the appointment of David Steel as senior vice president of North American Headquarters (NAHQ) marketing...more

RTO Industry Veteran's Daughter Wins Emmy Award
Elizabeth Klein, daughter of long-time, rental-purchase industry furniture rep Dick Klein, was awarded an Emmy at the recent Midwest Regional Emmy Awards Ceremony...more

Gas Expected to Average $3.82 in 2009
The recent fall in crude oil prices has pulled down the retail prices for both gasoline and diesel fuel according to the U.S. Department of Energy. However, gas prices and heating oil are expected to remain 30% above 2007 levels through 2009...more

ALMO Expo Supports Independent Rent-to-Own Dealers
Despite their status as the largest distributor of major appliances and electronics throughout the U.S., Biterman says ALMO works hard to maintain strong relationships with even the smallest of dealers...more

Report: Consumer Electronics Spending Expectations Index
he Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced the launch of the CEA-CNET Consumer Sentiment Indexes...more

Smaller Screen Sizes Drive 25% Increase in LCD-TV Sales
The report revealed that the increase was supported by a variety of screen sizes with less emphasis on 1080p models...more
 

Survey: Retail Buyers Commanding Six-Figure Salaries
According to a survey conducted by retail executive search firm Career Management, nearly 60% of buyers with 10 or more years of buying experience earn more than $100,000 per year...more

RentDirect Covering Cost of First 200 Legislative Conference Registrants
RentDirect will be covering the cost of a room for two nights at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for the first 200 members who register for the NRC Legislative Conference...more

BriteLite Prepares to Debut DJ Kit at RentDirect PrimeTime!
BriteLite will officially make its debut at the upcoming Nationwide PrimeTime! Show in Las Vegas next week (August 17-20), where it anticipates interest on a national scale...more

Ken Butler Named COO of Aaron Rents
Mr. Butler started his career with Aaron Rents in 1974 as a Store Manager. He advanced to Regional Manager, first in the Washington/Baltimore Region and then in the Western Region, as the Company was then organized...more

Rent to own Industry Legislative Conference Set for April 09
The three day NRC conference is set for April 21-23, 2009 at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C. and will include informative sessions on the legislative process, updates from Rent to own industry lobbyists and appointments with legislative officials...more

A Mission to Finance the RTO Industry
The mission of Textron Financial Corporation (TFC) is simple. Textron Financial vows to consistently provide the highest level of quality financial services to manufacturers, distributors and dealers...more

More Than a Number
RTO Funding was created with a single goal in mind; to create a financing program which is timely, efficient, fairly priced and available to the entire RTO industry...more

Keeping Your RTO Cash Flow Positive; Lynnray Financial
Vice President of Lynnray Financial Bill Lassiter knows the rental business. He knows it so well he understands that what you don’t have on the showroom floor is every bit as important as what you do have...more

Rent to Own Inventory Financing Solutions
The core benefit of a consumer rental agreement (small weekly payments for a big-ticket item) poses a unique financial challenge for dealers...more

Adding Tax Prep to RTO Offerings Increases Revenue, Traffic
There probably isn’t a rental dealer who hasn’t at least considered adding tax prep to his or her slate of in-store offerings...more

SEADRA; Driving Rent to Own
Scan the merchandise at a typical rental industry trade show, and you’ll see furniture, appliances, electronics, computers and, wait – automobiles?...more

Budget PrePay
Founded in 1996, Budget PrePay, Inc. provides low-cost prepaid home phone services throughout 41 states...more

ColorTyme Taps PR Pro Hancook for Brand Initiatives
ColorTyme, Inc. has hired Mary Ann ("M.A.") Hancook to head up its corporate communications and public relations initiatives for the ColorTyme and RimTyme brands, the company said today...more

RTO Professional Training Series Topic #10
Running Routes With a Cell Phone
If your employee is punching in a telephone number or raising their cell phone to their ear while driving, you might be liable. A growing number of states in the USA and several foreign countries are making it a crime to use a cell phone while driving...more

Toshiba Offers RentDirect Members Variety of REGZA Price Points
Toshiba has two sets it considers top-of-the-line: the XV540 series (available in 40-, 46- and 52-inches) which incorporates Toshiba’s ClearFrame technology, is great for sports and action lovers...more

Mitsubishi; A New Dimension in DLP Entertainment
Mitsubishi’s incomparable commitment to excellence is evident in recent television introductions that include a complete 3D solution for the home entertainment market...more

Durabook Notebooks Feature Lower Cost of Ownership
Total cost of ownership is a term typically used to describe the amount of payments a customer must make to acquire ownership of a rental store product...more

Have You Got Rent-to-Own Games?
Video games now offer the consumer an array of features such as HD DVD, Blu-Ray DVD, and hard drives to down load any type of content from music files to photos...more

BriteLite; RTO DJ Equipment With Big Sound
Rent-to-Own stores have been renting speakers for years – and typically bigger is always better. Imagine if you could take those big speakers, add some specialized components, and rent an all-in-one package...more

Ideal Launches Microsoft Windows Based RTO Point-of-Sale Software
The result is a product that Ideal says "leads the industry and changes the way future software will be developed for rent-to-own and retail."...more

TruckSkin to Display at APRO, Nationwide, Brandsouce Shows
TruckSkin, the leading supplier of mobile vinyl graphics for the rent-to-own channel, will be exhibiting at the APRO, Nationwide Primetime! and BrandSource shows...more

Legends Furniture and RentDirect
The most popular furniture in Legends line up includes their home entertainment furniture, home office furniture and juvenile bedroom collections...more

Rent-to-Own Innovation Experts; Innovex
Innovex has been a valued partner to the RTO industry for the past nine years, and encourages dealers to stop by their booth at the RentDirect show for more information...more

Coaster Furniture; A Perfect RTO Fit
The items in the ‘Best of RTO' line up are those we have selected not only because they are attractive and stylish, but also because they provide exceptional durability, and they are priced practically for rental dealers...more

Recliners with Nine Lives
Catnapper provides unique motion furniture to rental dealers in several categories – rocker recliners, Leather Touch recliners, Heat and Massage recliners, the patented Pow'r Lounger recliners, motion sofas, motion leather sofas and sectionals...more

Now Is the Time for Sports Lifestyle Furniture
Start now and enjoy the growing success that others have had with our RTO industry-proven, bench made quality, officially licensed sports furniture...more

Ashley Furniture's Integrated Supply Chain
Ashley Furniture Industries is hardly your typical furniture company. As the nation’s top-selling furniture brand, Ashley continues to dominate the industry and differentiate its offerings by working with customers as a complete business partner...more

easyhome Sets August 14 Webcast
easyhome, Canada's largest rent to own company, will webcast it's management conference call to discuss results for the second quarter of 2008...more

D&H Distributing Highlights Innovations at APRO
The major consumer electronics and computer products distributor D&H Distributing would like to invite RTO dealers and store owners to visit booth #109 at the APRO Show in Saint Louis, MO August 11 – 14. D&H representatives will be waiting to help educate RTO market customers about new opportunities...more

Marlin, Robinson Open Murfreesboro Premier Wheel Workz
Eric Marlin and Mitch Robinson, longtime rental-purchase veterans, branched out into the wheel and tire rental industry by opening their Premier Wheel Workz dealership in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Friday, August 1...more

Dunning Brings RTO to Country's Largest Isuzu Dealer
In her new role at Nalley as Sales Professional, Dunning is enjoying the opportunity to represent the largest Isuzu dealer in the country and also to have access to Hino, International and Peterbilt brands...more

Consumer Spending Continues to Pull Back
Consumer spending was virtually flat in July, rising one-tenth of a point to 86.1, as a rise in economic confidence among consumers during the last week of July... more

One in Ten U.S. Counties Majority Minority
Nearly one in 10 U.S. counties are "majority-minority", meaning the county had a population with more than 50 percent minority residents according to new Census Bureau county population estimates released today...more

Survey: One in Four Seniors Unaware of Digital TV Transition
A survey of 450 seniors by Retirement Living TV (RLTV) determined nearly one in four seniors (23 percent) remain unaware of the February 2009 transition from analog to digital television (DTV)...more

High Touch Honored for Wellness Program
"We are very proud to be honored with the Working Well Award as a confirmation that we are taking good care of the people that take care of our customers every day." - Matt Hampton, Director of Finance, High Touch...more

First Ever Interview With Rent-A-Wheel; Largest RTO Wheel Company in U.S.
Since 1997, former U. S. Marine Corps buddies John Bowlin and Don Sabino have quietly grown Rent A Wheel from a single store in East LA into the nation's largest independently owned RTO custom wheel and tire chain...more

Skins Game
Utilizing company delivery vehicles as a marketing medium is not necessarily a new concept. After all, that's why companies put their names on vehicles to begin with. But thanks to the technologically advanced process used by TruckSkin, delivery trucks have never looked so good or performed so well...more

Inflationary Measures
Imagine the potential for revenue growth if rental dealers could turn just a portion of the traffic driving by into new customers. According to Practical Promotions President Terry Cahill, that is what his company's products are designed to accomplish...more

Your Partner for Promotional and Branded Merchandise
Employee uniforms have begun to expand beyond the prevalent but predictable denim shirt/khaki pant combo and into a wider range of shirt and pant styles...more

Inform Print & Promotions Offers Rent to Own Store in a Box
Much has changed since Chet Pensak's first rental trade show back in 1979. As owner of InForm Print & Promotions his business has grown with the rental industry as products and services changed along the way...more

The Idea Resource
Banner understands that the RTO customer is different from the regular retail customer. Their company is completely focused on helping you drive business and communicate what makes you unique in your marketplace...more

A Plum Deal
AME is constantly looking for ways to help RentDirect members gain new customers in a way that's more efficient and effective than each dealer could have accomplished on their own...more

Keep on Truckin
It's pretty simple math. A company purchasing one truck will never get the same price as a company purchasing several dozen in a single year. That is why smart independent dealers call someone like Wes Grizzle, Sales Specialist for Adobe Commercial Trucks, formerly Kelly Commercial Trucks...more

George Johnson Resigns as Advance America Chairman; Webster Replaces
Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. announced today that William M. "Billy" Webster IV has been elected by the Company's Board of Directors as its Chairman...more

TARA Convention Changes Format; Registration Open
Registration is now open for the Texas Association of Rental Agencies (TARA) 25th Annual Convention & Southwest Buying Show, October 11-13, 2008, at the Sheraton Grand DFW in Dallas. TARA members and exhibitors can now register online...more

Association's Mattress Council Meets in Vegas
Over 30 top industry executives representing mattress retailers, manufacturers and suppliers met last week during the inaugural meeting of ISPA's new Mattress Retailer Council...more

Is Your Product Welton-ized?
Welton USA offers a broad selection of products, including a full line of imported bedrooms, dining rooms, occasional tables, home theater furniture, specialty furniture and computer desks...more

Nunn Better
Manufacturers have taken notice of Nunn Co.’s loyal following among dealers in their region. Nunn supplies Hitachi and Mitsubishi products to its customers and has recently added Samsung to its lineup...more

DSI Warehouse Direct
Not only is DSI the nation’s largest distributor of electronics and appliances, but they also employ a dedicated RTO team made up of employees who have spent decades in the field working for rental stores themselves...more

ALMO – Warehouse Direct
ALMO is RentDirect members' source for appliance goods from suppliers like Frigidaire, Electrolux, Sunbeam and consumer electronics from names such as RCA, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung and Sharp...more

Panasonic Studying What it Means to Live in HD
Panasonic is looking for more families to participate in its Living in HD program, a study of real American families experiencing what it means to "live in High Definition."...more
 

Cash Canada Acquires 18 EZ Cash Advance Stores
The acquired locations are in Alberta and BC and will continue to operate under the EZ Cash Advance banner...more

Scott Pospisil Appointed Executive Director of TARA
The Texas Association of Rental Agencies (TARA) announced the hiring of Austin based Association Management Professionals (AMP) to run the daily business operations of the largest state rent-to-own association in the nation...more

Western Capital Acquires Utah, Arizona Payday Loan Operations
Minnesota based Western Capital Resources has purchased four payday loan and check cashing operations and an on-line lending website from STEN Corporation...more

IRG Capital Acquires Foundering Norwalk Furniture
Meanwhile, the company has fully resumed operations throughout the 106-year-old custom furniture manufacturing and retail business. The prospective new owners request that terms of the sale remain confidential...more
 

RTO Legislative Coalition Draws Increased RentDirect Attendance
Less than two weeks remain before hundreds of rental dealers and vendors convene on the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas for RentDirect Nationwide's semiannual PrimeTime! Buying Show...more

UK Rent to Own Company Launches Records Dumping Inquiry
Improper disposal of records containing customer details is not limited to the U.S. UK Rent to Own company Buy-As-You-View has launched an internal investigation into the recent roadside dumping of files...more

ACLU Urges Passage of Equal Pay Amendment
"African American women make 64 cents and Latina women earn 52 cents for every dollar made by a white man." - Caroline Fredrickson, Washington Legislative Office Director, ACLU...more

Amscot Launches Campaign to Support Local Education Foundations
"We are big believers in doing what we can to build up our community, and we think our customers want to do their part as well." - Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO, Amscot Financial...more

Sony August Promo Supports Operation Smile
Through a retail promotion running this month, Sony will make a $100,000 donation that will be used to provide free reconstructive surgeries for children suffering from cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities...more

U.S. Employee Confidence Survey Mixed
However, contrary to the June survey which showed that both personal confidence indicators were on the decline, the July data demonstrates a positive upswing...more

Canadian Companies Cautiously Optimistic Over Precedent Setting Payday Loan Rate Cap
The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board this week issued an order setting the maximum cost of borrowing that may be charged for a payday loan at $31 per $100...more

Senator Lieberman: Rent to Own "Sad Reality"
"The sad reality is that in many low-income neighborhoods, the primary source for financial services is storefront check cashers, rent-to-own shops, money transfer operators, and payday lenders charging predatory interest rates," Lieberman said...more

Aaron's Founder Loudermilk's Learn And Earn Program Judged Success
Learn and Earn began as an idea of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and is funded by Charlie Loudermilk, founder of Aaron Rents...more

Roy Firestone to Keynote RentDirect Nationwide Buying Show
Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG), parent company of RentDirect, the rent-to-own industry's largest buying group, announced that celebrated broadcaster Roy Firestone will keynote the PrimeTime! buying show Kickoff on Sunday, August 17, at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas...more

RTO Professional Training Series Topic #9
It's a Woman's World: How Women Can Thrive in RTO
By RTO Online Guest Contributor Anne Houlihan
Fifty years ago, the term "women in business" referred to secretaries, low-paid office workers, and retail store clerks. Today, more and more women are taking on leadership positions as entrepreneurs, business owners, in politics and government positions, as corporate leaders, and in the non-profit sector...more

Rent-A-Center Outfits Toledo Latino Resource Center
Rent-A-Center's (NASDAQ: RCII) sixth Random Acts of Caring gift in its statewide Ohio community initiative will brighten the lives of clients and staff at Adelante, The Latino Resource Center in Toledo...more

Rent-A-Center Revenue, Earnings Down on Fewer Stores
"Our operating team executed well in the second quarter in spite of the difficult economic conditions." - Mark E. Speese, Chairman and CEO, Rent-A-Center...more

Dwight Dumler to Head Rent-A-Center Government Affairs
Dwight Dumler, formerly Rent-A-Center's vice president and assistant general counsel, has been promoted to senior vice president of government affairs, a new position...more

Interview With Tim Hector; National Rent-to-Own
National Rent to Own operates 33 locations from Peoria, Illinois to central Missouri. Tim Hector, National's Purchasing and Marketing Manager told RTO Online that the Bridgeton, Missouri based company is the only independent operator left in St. Louis...more
 

California, New York Worst Business Climate in Nation
72.3% of respondents viewed California as unfavorable for business. New York was named second most frequently with 42.4%, followed by Michigan (16.8%), New Jersey (13.6%) and Massachusetts (12.0%)...more

PLS Check Cashers Cuts Fees by 55 Percent
PLS claims the new fee structure is "the lowest in the retail financial services industry." PLS Financial Services operates 300 location in nine states...more

UPDATE Ohio Extends Loan to Embattled Furniture Maker Norwalk
On July 18, Comerica, the Norwalk's principal banker, demanded the company retire its $11 million revolving debt. Unable to comply, Norwalk immediately idled more than 840 production and office employees across Ohio, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee...more

Barney Frank, Maxine Waters Urge Voluntary Halt to Foreclosures
"I would hope that no one would be foreclosed upon between now and October 1st who would have qualified for this program had the effective date been immediate." - Barney Frank, Chairman, House Financial Services Committee...more

E-Complish Offers RTO Outbound Phone Payment Solution
E-Complish is bringing new options to Rent-to-Own (RTO) dealers who want to offer their customers simpler and more customized payment solutions...more

Plasma Shipments Flat in Q2
After strong plasma display panel (PDP) shipment growth in Q1'08, units increased 1% Q/Q to 3.5 million units in Q2'08, relatively soft growth due to weaker demand in North America and China...more

Wrangler Brand Launches Wall-Art Line
The popular Wrangler brand will launch its first ever wall art collection at the Las Vegas Furniture Market on July 28, 2008...more

Hollywood's Influence on Consumer Buying Habits
Hollywood Celebrities still capture the attention of American consumers. But who are the celebrities that consumers are most aware of? Who are the ones that elicit a high degree of trust? Do these associations translate into sales?...more
 

LG Names Peter Reiner Senior VP Marketing for North America
Reiner will be responsible for the coordination of LG's brand positioning and marketing activities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico for consumer electronics, digital appliances and mobile phones...more

RTO Videocast Interview with American Rental's David P. David
American Rental operates 54 stores in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia - 51 American Rental stores and 3 RNR (formerly Rent-N-Roll) custom wheel stores...more

Dick Durbin Proposes Federal Cap on Payday Loans
Similar laws at the state level have made it impossible for companies to operate profitably - effectively banning short term lending and forcing consumers into inflexible products offered by credit unions or banks...more

BriteLite to Showcase DJ Kit at RTO Industry Shows in August
BriteLite will be among those introducing new products to the RTO industry at the upcoming RentDirect Nationwide PrimeTime! buying show in Las Vegas (August 17-20)...more

Whirlpool Earnings Off 27 Percent on Lower U.S. Demand
Whirlpool North America second-quarter sales of $2.9 billion declined 4 percent from the prior year. U.S. industry unit shipments of major appliances declined approximately 8 percent....more

Aaron Rents Reports Same Store Sales Up 4.1%
During the first six months of 2008 Aaron's continued to open new stores, bought and sold numerous stores in transactions with franchisees and closed a total of 29 Company-operated and seven franchised stores...more

George Mason University Blasts Center for Responsible Lending
STATS released the results of a study today that sheds new light on press coverage of the industry and the real motivations behind the Credit Union lobby and CRL's fight against payday lending...more

Internet Strategy Critical to Driving Rentals and Sales
Rent-to-own companies have been relative latecomers in realizing the importance of the net for driving new customer acquisition...more

Ashley Furniture to Host Rent-to-Own Reception at Vegas Furniture Market
Ashley Furniture Industries will host a reception for rent-to-own dealers attending the upcoming Las Vegas Furniture market. Market dates are July 28-August 1, 2008...more

Association Releases Cost of Providing Payday Loans
The Deloitte & Touche survey shows the average cost of providing a payday loan in BC is $25.21 per $100 loaned...more

Indicators Suggest Weak Economy Through End of Year
"It wouldn't take much to push the economy so that it's even weaker in the second half of 2008." - Ken Goldstein, Labor Economist, The Conference Board...more

Gas Prices Force Dramatic Drop in Discretionary Spending
With gas prices passing the $4 per gallon mark, consumers are altering their driving and spending habits at dramatic levels." - Todd Hale, Senior VP, Consumer & Shopper Insights, The Nielsen Company...more

College Students to Spend Less on Furniture, Electronics
While back-to-school spending by parents is expected to be surprisingly strong, spending on college merchandise will wane this year. Back-to-College spending, which has helped buoy retail sales for the past five years, will drop seven percent...more

American Family; Interview With American Rental's Cari Barnes
American Rental hasn't become the Midwest's largest chain by manufacturing qualified rent-to-own professionals through some magical formula. It nurtures an American family that attracts people that can succeed anywhere...more

States Extend Sales Tax Holidays to Appliances
Vermont extended its July holiday period an extra five days for sales of energy-efficient appliances...more

Bedding Maker Tempur-Pedic U.S. Sales Off 13%; Lowers Outlook
Tempur-Pedic announced net sales declined 7% to $238.7 million in the second quarter of 2008. Net sales in the domestic segment declined 13%, while international segment net sales increased 4%. On a constant currency basis, international segment net sales decreased 9%...more

Nintendo Surpasses Xbox in Sales; Wii Number One Console in America
The Wii system is credited with breaking down the psychological barriers between gamers and non-gamers...more
 

LCD Maker Vizio Recognized for Growth, Innovation
William Wang started Vizio (originally V, Inc.) in 2003. In only five years, Vizio grew from virtual obscurity to the fastest growing brand of flat panel TVs in North America...more

Convention Coverage
American Rental Expo Coverage
The 2008 American Rental (Full-o-Pep) Trade Exposition kicks off tomorrow, July 18th in Nashville, Indiana. RTO Online will cover the Exposition from Nashville...more
 

Sony Shipping Next Generation Interactive Blu-ray
"Expect to see continued momentum this year as we remain focused on delivering products and services that extend the strength of our brand." - Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America...more

Back-to-School Electronics Spending to Show Slight Gains
The study shows back-to-school spending overall is predicted to be modestly higher in 2008, with an 8% increase over 2007...more

U.S. PC Shipments Slow; Portable Adoption Key to Growth
Worldwide PC shipments continued to grow at a healthy pace in the second quarter of 2008, up 15.3% from a year ago. The U.S. PC market however continues to struggle as consumers and companies tighten spending...more
 

The Do Not Call List and You
Seven states - Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming - still maintain their own lists and have not shared those telephone numbers with the National Registry...more