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Association Urges Home Furnishings Industry Stimulus
"A
combination of tax credits coupled with low mortgage interest
rates will spur consumer demand for housing and home furnishings
and lift the broader economy in timely and targeted way." - Chris Hudgins, International Sleep Products Association...more
Prediction; Blu-ray Will Lead CE Network Client Growth
In-Stat's
consumer survey reveals that 64% of US respondents are somewhat,
very or extremely interested in watching Internet-based
streaming video on their household TV...more
Fed Survey;
Commercial Credit Remains Tight
According to data from the just
released January 2009 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank
Lending Practices by the Federal Reserve, 65 percent of domestic
banks have tightened lending standards on commercial
and industrial (C&I) loans to large and middle-market firms over
the past three months. 70 percent have tightened
standards loans to small firms...more
Two Thirds of U.S. Hispanics Access Internet Monthly
United States Hispanics are not only online in overwhelming numbers, but they
are taking advantage of the internet's position as a primary tool for
information...more
 ColorTyme Rent-to-Own Store Awards BigTyme $10,000 Giveaway
ColorTyme has
announced that Patrick Zabel of Bolingbrook, Ill. has won the
$10,000 grand prize in its 2008 "ColorTyme BigTyme $10,000
Giveaway" contest. Zabel's name was drawn from thousands of
entries received from local ColorTyme stores around the country...more
Rent-A-Center Reports Flat Q4 Same Store Sales
Rent-A-Center NASDAQ:RCII) today announced total revenues for the quarter ended
December 31, 2008 were $699.8 million, a decrease of $17.2 million from the
total revenues of $717.0 million for the same period in the prior year...more
Census
Bureau Releases Rental and Leasing Services NAICS Data
The U.S. Census Bureau today released its 2007 Service Annual
Survey for
NAICS 532 - Rental and Leasing Services (North
American Industry Classification System)...more
 Check-n-Go Follows Rent-A-Center Video Lead
In November, 2008
Rent-A-Center
launched creditfreelife.com, a site that promotes the
rent-to-own transaction as an alternative to traditional credit during difficult
economic times. Financial services company Check 'n Go followed suit in late
December...more
Provision to Expand Lawsuits Included in Stimulus Package
The U.S. Chamber Institute for
Legal Reform (ILR) is urging the Senate to eliminate from the
stimulus package provisions that give state attorneys general,
working with private plaintiffs' lawyers, broad authority to
bring civil lawsuits...more
Freddie Mac to Offer Rent-to-Own Option on Foreclosed Homes
Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) is launching a leasing program that allows homeowners to
rent the properties on a month-to-month basis after foreclosure. In addition,
Bloomberg is reporting that Fannie will soon announce new rent-to-own mortgage
programs...more
GPS Monitoring Recession Proof
One industry which has been thriving during our economic downturn has been the
GPS Monitoring and Locating Industry, also known as Advanced Vehicle Locating. A
recent industry report estimated by 2010 there will be 17 million subscribers...more
 Bob
Serina Celebrates First Anniversary as Premier Rental-Purchase Dealer
As a manager for a national brand Rent-To-Own store in the city of Cleveland,
Robert Serina had a successful decade long career. But one day on the way home
from work with his six-year-old son in the car, things were put into a
perspective that has never changed since...more
Central Illinois Dealer Sees Growth by Sticking to the Basics
Paul Sherman, owner of Sherman's stores, found the secret recipe to thriving in
a downturn economy by sticking to the basics. Sounds simple, well according to
Sherman it is. While most retailers struggled in 2008, Sherman's stores were up
10% for the calendar year...more
Advance America Appoints Government Relations Expert to Board
Advance America has appointed government relations expert Tony S. Colletti to
the board of directors. Advance America is the largest provider of Payday Loans
in the united States...more
APRO Continues Tradeshow Co-Location Debate
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) board of directors
will discuss merging/co-locating the 2010 convention and tradeshow at a meeting
in Texas today...more
Aaron's Sees Opportunity in Canada
"Our strategy to target markets such as Vancouver and Toronto is based on
demographic research that shows an ideal match between local consumers and
buying habits of typical Aaron's customers." - Doug Warren, Director of Canadian
franchising, Aaron's...more
APRO Calls On President to Follow State Example in RTO Regulation
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO) today called on
President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress to follow the example of successful
state RTO regulations...more
Video Game Console, Software Sales Continue to Climb
Overall computer and video game industry hardware, software and peripheral sales
climbed to $22 billion in 2008, with entertainment software sales comprising
$11.7 billion of that total figure, a 22.9% jump over the previous year...more
Canadian Payday Loan Operator Reports Same Store Sales Up 11%
"To date, the Company has not experienced any significant negative impact from
the economic downturn." - Gordon Reykdal, CEO, Cash Store Financial...more
Stanley Furniture CEO "Indicators at historically low levels"
"Furniture demand is dependent upon housing activity, consumer confidence, and
disposable income. These indicators are at historically low levels and do not
appear poised for near-term improvement." - Albert L. Prillaman, CEO, Stanley
Furniture...more
CEO Survey Shows Pessimism; Expect Slow Recovery
Battered by recession, CEOs' confidence about future prospects for business has
plummeted and executives expect a slow, gradual recovery over the next three
years, PricewaterhouseCoopers 12th Annual Global CEO Survey has found...more
First Half 2009 Retail Sales Projected to Fall 2.5%
The National Retail Federation is projecting retail sales - excluding
automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants - will decrease 0.5% from 2008. First
half sales are expected to decline 2.5 percent...more
NY Mayor Bloomberg Announces Underbanked Savings Program
The $AVE NYC savings account is offered for a limited time by the City of New
York's Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment...more
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UPDATE - PHOTOS
