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Plasma Expected To Grow 27% In 2008
In 2008, Matsushita, Samsung SDI, Pioneer and Hitachi are slated to boost large-size production aggressively, while LG Electronics is likely to place more emphasis on 32-inch and 42-inch...more

Digital TV Transition Takes Next Step; Consumers May Request Converter Coupons January 1, 2008
More than 100 retailers, including eight of the country's largest consumer electronics retailers have been certified to participate in the NTIA's Coupon Program. The certified retailers represent more than 14,000 stores throughout the United States...more

Want to Get Promoted?; Take Charge of Your Own Career
Some of the best strategies to help employees take charge of themselves and their careers involve avoiding workplace negativity, enhancing their flexibility, avoiding procrastination and developing a bias for action rather than putting off decisions...more

Websites Draw Bargain Hunters But Brick and Mortar Still Rules
Traditional shoppers, who occasionally shop online but prefer the familiarity of brick and mortar stores, account for 16 percent of online shoppers...more

Interview With Chris Bolin, Bolin Rental Purchase; Kentucky Rental Dealers to Revive Dormant Association
Chris Bolin also serves as Vice President of the Tennessee Rental Dealers Association. Before opening his own stores, he worked as a Regional Manager for Alrenco/Home Choice/Rentway for nearly 12 years. Prior to Alrenco, Bolin worked as a police officer for 7 years...more

Copses Resigns From Rent-A-Center Board
On December 7, 2007, Peter P. Copses resigned his position as a member of the Board of Directors of Rent-A-Center, Inc...more

Most Popular Rent to Own Industry Podcasts of 2007
RTO Online, the rent-to-own industry's leading source of trade news and information, published 114 audio and video interviews with rent to own industry professionals in 2007...more

Brave New World? Environmental Leadership Series Offers Insight to Green Movement During January Las Vegas Furniture Market
We intend to address a broad cross-section of topics and have relevant conversations that will keep retailers ahead of the pack and on target with today’s consumer." - Margaret Casey, director of programming for World Market Center...more

Plasma TVs Could Be Cost Competitive With LCD This Decade
According to an analysis of Plasma TV evolution, DisplaySearch believes Plasma TVs could reach price parity by size with LCD flat panels within ten years...more

Fed Cuts Prime Rate; Barney Frank, "It's Not Enough"
We must ensure that more people are eligible and that it is aggressively promoted. If this does not happen hundreds of thousands of families will lose their homes and the inventory of vacant properties will continue to grow." - Barney Frank (D-MA) on President Bush's subprime mortgage plan...more

Editorial; Canadian Regulators Should Abandon Payday Loan Rate Cap Plans Based On Federal Reserve Study
Canadian regulators should pay close attention to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York study published last week. The study compared households in states with payday loans with households in both Georgia and North Carolina, states which eliminated payday loans in May 2004 and December 2005 respectively...more

RTO Pro Software Joins RentDirect
"We look forward to promoting their software and providing their current and future users with the rebates and savings associated with RentDirect membership." - James MacAlpine, Executive Director, RentDirect...more
 

VIDEO
Future Workplace; Employers Must Diversify Rewards - Eight Predictions for Human Capital Management in 2008
"In the past, we've resorted to treating everyone the same in our discrimination-sensitive, politically correct environments. Given the increasingly diverse workforce, organizations will need to offer more variety in rewards as they try to access the best and the brightest in a seller's market." - Anne Ruddy, CCP, President, WorldatWork...more

Las Vegas Furniture Market Plans Forecast Series Seminar
The Las Vegas Furniture Market, held January 28-February 1, 2008, will host a new three-part presentation called "The Forecast," in which experts will unveil the latest in color, the influence of fashion and fabric, as well as the hottest industry trends for the year ahead...more

LCD Panel Prices Predicted To Drop In 2008; 95% Of LCD Monitors To Be 19-22 inch
Monitor panels are also projected to become larger with the size standard shifting from 17-inch to 19/22-inch wide...more

Who Cares About the Format War; LG's Super Blu Multi-Format Player Removes The Guesswork
The BH200's enhanced features and functionality eliminate the need for a second or third player and the additional cables and remotes that those units would require." - Tim Alessi, Director of Consumer Electronics Marketing, LG Electronics USA...more

High Point Furniture Pre-Market Becoming Mainstream Event For Majors
The original group of 16 furniture manufacturers that plan the officially unofficial High Point Furniture Pre-Market has grown to 25 companies including Rowe, Natuzzi and DeCoro Leather, as well as Bernhardt, Hekman and AspenHome. Spring 2008 Pre-Market, scheduled for March 3-4, 2008...more

Frigidaire Partners With 'Rescue Me' Star Denis Leary to Rescue New Orleans Firehouses
Denis Leary, star of FX Network's firefighter drama "Rescue Me" and founder of the Leary Firefighters Foundation, announced a partnership with Frigidaire appliances to help complete the restoration of New Orleans firehouses destroyed by Hurricane Katrina more than two years ago...more

Nationwide And SED International Add JVC To Warehouse Direct Program
"JVC is an excellent addition to NMG's Warehouse Direct program. JVC will provide NMG members technologically driven products with exclusive distribution that will meet and exceed the expectations of the purchaser." - Mike Decker, Vice President, Marketing-Electronics, Nationwide Marketing Group...more

Amscot Opens 164th Florida Location; Special Events Planned For Saturday
Florida payday loan giant Amscot Financial will hold a grand opening celebration of its 164th location Saturday December 8th in Leesburg, Florida...more

Pennsylvania Democrat Holden Supports Pro Rent to Own Industry Bill
Eight term Democratic Representative Tim Holden (PA-17) has cosponsored the House version of the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 (H.R. 1767). Holden is the first of Pennsylvania's 19 Representatives to sponsor the Act that protects consumers and industry...more

Bi-Lingual Advertising Increasingly Important for Rent to Own Industry; AME and RentDirect Launch Spanish-English Ad Materials
According to the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, there are over 40 million Hispanic consumers in the United States - 14 % of the entire U.S. population. Hispanics are predicted to make up 20% of the U.S. population in 2030, and nearly 25% by 2050...more
 

GPS Portable Navigation Devices Enjoy High Customer Satisfaction Levels Despite Problems
Overall, portable navigation device owners rate the value of their devices relatively high, demonstrating that prices are well aligned with owner expectations...more

Full HD To Net 58% Of LCD TV Market In 2008; 40 Inch Plus Prices to Stabilize
40-inch and larger TV prices are projected to move down and stabilize next year. The supply of panels may become tight in the first quarter of 2008, and even be short in the second half, resulting in a slight slowdown in the decline in LCD TV prices...more

Furniture Retailers Continue Struggle in Face of Credit Crunch; Havertys November Same Store Sales Down 10.7%
"Our November sales results were not out of line with our expectations given the housing weakness in many of our markets and mortgage financing concerns." - Clarence H. Smith, President and CEO, Havertys...more

Las Vegas Furniture Market Temporary Exhibits at MGM Grand Opening January 29
Temporary exhibits of the Winter Las Vegas Furniture Market will be located for the first time at the MGM Grand. Opening on Tuesday January 29, buyers can see more than 500 temporary exhibitors...more

Prices Stable But Retail Growth In Consumer Electronics Less Than Half Of 2006
"While revenue growth declined this year, we’re at least seeing a more rational pricing environment than last year, as well as a more stable competitive outlook." - Stephen Baker, VP, Industry Analysis, The NPD Group...more
 

Future Workforce; 40 Percent of Teens Entering Workforce Believe Lying, Cheating, or Violence Necessary to Succeed
"This way of thinking will inevitably lead to unethical if not illegal actions that will damage individual lives and ruin corporate reputations." - David Miller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business Ethics, Yale...more

Top Marketing Trends for 2008; Back To Basics
Web and Green Marketing are hot, Women, Gen X and Y, and Hispanics Catching Up to Boomers, but Marketing Basics are More Important than Ever...more

Top Three Hiring Mistakes and How To Prevent Them
Sticking to a script of job-related questions and asking the same questions of all candidates. This will help prevent you from straying off track and possibly stumbling onto personal matters...more

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Claims Denying Consumers Access to Payday Loans Leads to Greater Financial Burdens
Preliminary findings in the November 2007 working paper, "Payday Holiday: How Households Fare after Payday Credit Bans," by Donald P. Morgan and Michael R. Strain, Research Officers with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, conclude that payday loan bans result in increased credit problems for consumers...more

Notebook Retail Prices Decline 14% Since September 2006; Accessory Sales Buoy Margins
Sub-$1,000 price points with the latest dual-core CPUs are no longer an exception, but rather have become the rule...more

Aarons Promotes John Trainor to Vice President, Information Technology For Sales and Lease Ownership Division
Trainor has more than 16 years experience in information technology, beginning at Georgia Power Company in 1991...more
 

Rent-A-Center Closes 280 Stores In 40 States
For the second time in as many years, Rent-A-Center announced a major store consolidation plan...more

ColorTyme Hires Franchise-Industry Exec James Deering as Director of Franchise Development
"I hope to bring great franchise and business organizational efficiencies as well as help refine the proven systems that ColorTyme has in place now." - James Deering, Director of Franchise Development, ColorTyme...more

RFID Lead Retrieval System Unveiled For RentDirect Nationwide PrimeTime!
RTO dealers and retailers want timely follow-up from vendors regarding new products and vendors need a way to collect contact information that is more reliable than a pocket full of business cards...more

Notebook PC Shipments Up 24%; HP Dominates But Acer Gaining
HP remained #1 in the notebook PC market for the fifth consecutive quarter and extended its market share lead over rivals Dell, Acer, Toshiba and Lenovo...more

More Spending Moves Online; $13 Billion Spent Online In November
More than $13 billion was spent online in November, marking an 18-percent gain versus the corresponding days last year...more

RTO Online Reports 4.9 Million Page Views In November; Releases Website Traffic Results
The amount of information consumed per visit to RTOonline.com by Rent to Own industry professionals has increased dramatically in 2007...more

Customer Service Wake Up Call; Sell Effectively to Women and Land Consumer Loyalists
Although women are more likely to experience problems, the issue can be more detrimental to retailers' business when male shoppers are involved. Men are nearly 20% less likely to recommend a store where they experienced problems than women...more

Report on English Usage Among Latinos in the United States
While fewer than one-in-four (23%) Latino immigrants reports being able to speak English well, 88% of their U.S.-born adult children report that they speak English very well. Among later generations of Hispanic adults, the figure rises to 94%. Reading ability in English shows a similar trend...more

Rentcash Shareholders Approve Rent-To-Own Division Spin-off
"Although still operating in a minor loss position, the rental division is now well-positioned to operate as a separate company." - Bill Johnson, President and Chief Operating Officer, Insta-rent...more

Fuel Costs Continue To Drive Down Low and Middle Income Consumer Spending
"Shoppers at opposite ends of the economic spectrum will approach the holiday season very differently, producing a mixed outlook for retailers." - Doug Harrison, President and CEO, Harrison Group...more
 

Sealy Brings In New Marketing Blood; Plans 2008 National Push to Demystify Mattress-Speak
"We're in a market where consumers often struggle to understand the differences between mattresses, a dynamic that often leads to consumer indifference." - Philip Dobbs, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sealy...more

Employers Must Raise Educational Requirement To Maintain Cognitive Ability Scores
Because the ability level of the average high school graduate has changed over time, finding job candidates with the same level of ability as 1970 high school graduates requires employers seek out applicants with two or more years of college training...more

Nintendo Wii and DS Continue Dominance in Game Hardware
Wii reached 5 million sold in the United States faster than any video game system in history, after only 12 months of availability there...more

Rent to Own Industry Supporter Trent Lott To Resign From Senate
Mississippi Senator Trent Lott (R), perennial rent to own industry supporter and cosponsor the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 (S 1012), will resign from the Senate before the end of 2007...more

Save The Planet; When Price and Quality are Equal, 77 Percent Will Choose Brand That Supports a Cause
While budget-minded Americans say they will tighten their philanthropic purse strings, 74 percent wish companies would give them more opportunities to get involved with the social issues the companies support...more
 

Brick & Mortar Black Friday Report
Brick And Mortar Stores Report Four Percent Drop in Average Black Friday Purchase
The NRF spin is that the average is a 14.8 percent increase over 2005, but the year over year decrease in average Black Friday purchases is a disturbing early trend, indicating lower margins on important categories like electronics...more

Online Black Friday Report
Black Friday Surprises; Zune Beats iPod, Furniture Makes Top 10 Product Category
Black Friday shopping data from top retail websites showed nearly a 50 percent growth in traffic year over year for both Black Friday and Thanksgiving. Popular product categories from Black Friday include: Electronics, Computers, Clothing, Cameras and Video Games...more

Rent-A-Center VP Chris Korst Named RTO Magazine Man of the Year
In honor of his dedication and legislative successes on behalf of the entire rent-to-own (RTO) industry, Chris Korst, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for Rent-A-Center, has been named 2007 Man of the Year by RTO Magazine, the rent-to-own and lease-purchase industry's largest trade magazine...more

Teletrack Launches UK's First Credit Reference Agency Dedicated To Non-Traditional Consumer Credit
"We identified an unmet need for specialist and dedicated credit reporting and risk management services on consumers with inconsistent credit histories and unique financial needs, in particular those consumers who avail themselves of financial services from non-traditional lenders." - Dale Williams, Managing Director, Teletrack UK...more

Radio Rentals Australia Customer Count Grows 4%; Revenue Per Customer Up 16%
Radio Rentals hard won and welcome reversal is due to the company's increased focus on rent-to-own, or as Radio Rentals calls it "Rent Try Buy" (RTB)...more
 

Johnny Wilson Joins Wheel Workz Board of Directors
Dale Ingram, CEO of Wheel Workz, L.L.C, announced today that Johnny M. Wilson has become a member of the board of Directors of WheelWorkz, L.L.C. Wheel Workz offers custom-wheel rent to own franchise opportunities...more

Consumer Reports Poll: 17% Of Consumers Plan To Buy Flat panel TVs as Gifts; LCD Leads Plasma 2-1
Regardless of the screen type, the screens will be large: 47 percent are planning on 42" or larger and 15 percent are eyeing sets 50" or bigger...more

Bedding Shipments Show Decades of Steady Growth Despite Economic Conditions; ISPA Wraps Mattress Industry Conference
Since tracking began in 1984, there has only been one year in which mattress shipments fell (2001). According to presenter W.W. "Jerry" Epperson, Jr. C.F.A. of Mann, Armistead & Epperson, mattress and foundation shipments will reach nearly $7 billion in 2007...more

There's Money In Smartphones; U.S. Smartphone Sales Jump 163%
The type of subscription plan that consumers have clearly influences the types of phones they purchase. When selecting a channel, most consumers with a prepaid plan choose a mass merchandiser primarily due to convenience and low prices...more

Jennifer Convertibles Bucks Downward Trend In Retail Furniture; Reports Revenue, Profit Increase For Q3
"Our industry has been under extreme pressure for some time. Despite this downturn in the industry we have been able to maintain our profitability due to cost cutting, supply chain management and adjusting our merchandising and advertising strategies." - Harley Greenfield, CEO, Jennifer...more

Samsung Number One TV Brand For Fifth Consecutive Quarter; LGE Revenue Drops To Third Behind Sony
Samsung was the #1 brand on a unit basis for the fifth consecutive quarter with its highest share to date at 14% on 24% quarter over quarter growth...more

Wal-Mart Adds To LCD Pricing Pressure; Cuts 32" and 42" Models By 30%
Wal-Mart will cut is price for selected LCD models by over 30% beginning Friday. The company announced that it will reduce the price of its Polaroid 32 inch LCD HDTV to $448 and the Polaroid 42 inch LCD HDTV to $798...more

Experts To Testify At Manitoba Payday Loan Hearing This Week
The Manitoba Public Utilities Board is holding public hearings to determine the maximum allowable fees that payday loan companies may charge for a payday loan in Manitoba...more

Poll Reveals Shopping Preferences Across Generations; Gen X To Spend More Than Any Other Group
Gen X on average plans to spend the most money on holiday shopping at $778, while Gen Y will spend the least at $549. Boomers and the Silent Generation will each spend on average roughly $600...more
 

Dexter Missouri Rent One Hosts Coat Drive
"This has been a very fun and rewarding experience for all of our store employees," said Sheila Fuwell, Manager, Dexter MO Rent One...more

Simmons Bedding CEO Named Chairman of Bedding Association
"I appreciate this opportunity for continued service to our great industry and look forward to strong collaboration with the ISPA Board as we work to expand the mattress market." - Charles R. Eitel, Chairman and CEO, Simmons Bedding Company...more