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Economic Crisis Hits PC Market Harder Than Anticipated
Data released by IDC indicates that despite market optimism early in the fourth quarter, the pace at which the economic environment unraveled and the extent to which PC purchases were affected was faster than anticipated...more

Consumers Postponing Major Purchases; Jewelry Hardest Hit
"Retailers are experiencing their most challenging time in three decades," said C. Britt Beemer, CEO and founder of ARG. "Our survey over the weekend confirmed that consumers are in deep hibernation...more

Specialty Electronics Nationwide Names McCorkle Director
As Director of Membership, McCorkle will report directly to Jeannette Howe, Executive Director of SEN. "We are in financially challenging times and custom installing dealers need every penny of profitability to reach the bottom line," said Howe...more

John Martin Out of Retirement; Set to Open Premier RTO in Valdosta
After a very brief retirement, John Martin is getting back in the rent-to-own business. Martin is set to open his first Premier Rental Purchase franchise in Valdosta, Georgia this Spring...more

New York City Council Sets Rent-to-Own Hearing
The New York City Council Committee on Consumer Affairs jointly with the Committee on Civil Rights will hold a hearing Monday, January 26, 2009 on a resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to increase consumer protections for rent-to-own customers...more

dPi Teleconnect Partners With RentDirect
David Dorwart, CEO of dPi commented on the new partnership, "We now have access to a fantastic group of independent dealers. RentDirect Nationwide is known for being a well structured sales organization that has the bottom line on results."...more

Rent-A-Center Named in Top 50 Most Valuable U.S. Brands
Rent-A-Center, the nation's largest rent-to-own company, was named the 42nd most valuable brand in the U.S. today by Interbrand Design Forum (IDF), the world's largest retail brand consultant...more

Jennifer Convertibles Same Store Sales Fall 24%
Jennifer Convertibles, Inc. announced that revenue fell by 21.5% for the first fiscal quarter ended November 29, 2008. Same store sales fell 24.2%...more

Former Thorn Exec Terry Scicluna Appointed to GAME Group Board
Former UK rent-to-own industry exec Terry Scicluna has been appointed executive director of The GAME Group plc, Europe's leading specialty retailer of pc and video games hardware and software...more

Preemption Top Concern for Attorneys General
In a statement Monday, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) asked the incoming Obama administration and the 111th Congress to resist federal preemption of state laws...more

We Are Soldiers; Son of ColorTyme's Deering is Second Generation Airborne
PFC James D. Deering, son of ColorTyme Director of Franchising Jim Deering, is proud to be "second generation Airborne." James was one of 500 soldiers to graduate with Charlie Company 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry Regiment in a ceremony at Fort Benning, Georgia in December...more

Technology's Role in Economic Development Anchors CES Day Two
Technology's role in advancing economic development in emerging markets and predictions for the next big trends in technology were the focus of day two at the 2009 International CES...more

Rental-Purchase Act Supporter Jeb Hensarling Appointed Ranking Member of Key Subcommittee
Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) has been appointed Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, the subcommittee of jurisdiction for The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act...more

Recipe for Disaster; 260 Democrats and One Can of Whoop-Ass
In one of their first official acts of the 111th Congress, The House of Representatives passed H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. The bill had 194 co-sponsors, 193 of which were Democrats who claim the Act will help end pay discrimination. Republicans call the Act a dangerous expansion of liability for business...more

RTO Supporter Senator Landrieu Shakes Up Staff
Rent to Own industry supporter Senator Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) announced a slew of new staff appointments Thursday. Among the changes, former Cleveland, Ohio Mayor Jane Campbell has been named Chief of Staff. Campbell replaces longtime staff member Jason Matthews who has served the Senator since her first campaign in 1996...more

Rent-A-Center Q4 Webcast Scheduled
Rent-A-Center, the nation's largest rent-to-own operator, will broadcast its quarterly earnings conference call on Tuesday, February 3, 2009...more

New Age Electronics Parent SYNNEX Reports Growth Despite Economy
RTO industry veteran representative Mike Bertolani was tapped to head New Age Electronics rental division in January, 2008...more

Video: Microsoft's Ballmer Kicks off 2009 CES
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, delivered his first 2009 International CES keynote address on Wednesday evening. Ballmer discussed the economy and noted that the challenges we face today should be viewed with optimism. "No matter what happens with the economy, our digital lives will only get richer," he said. See full 1 hour 22 minute Steve Ballmer 2009 CES keynote video Here...more

Features Trump Price in Consumer Electronics Buying Decisions
According to poll results released today by Wakefield Research, consumer electronics are considered high-priority purchases, and buyers don't regret their investments in those products even during a recession...more
 

Consumers Look to Convergence as Next Logical Step
What consumers want most is an easy, seamless way to integrate their smart home devices...more

Poll: Executives Anticipate Increased Accounting Fraud From Down Market
According to a recent survey by Deloitte, nearly two-thirds (63.3 percent) of executives polled expect accounting fraud to increase during the next two years...more

Old School Crimes Are Back; How To Protect Your RTO
With no economic bailout in the near future for RTO owners there comes a time when safeguarding your businesses and assets must become a priority...more

TARA Legislative Conference Registration Deadline This Week
Registration deadline for the 2009 Texas Association of Rental Agencies (TARA) Legislative Conference is January 8. TARA is the largest state Rent-to-own trade association in the U.S...more

Ultra Slim LCD TVs; The Next Big RTO Thing
Recent findings from DisplaySearch, the worldwide leader in display market research and consulting, indicate that Ultra Slim TV designs will be one of the most important factors in the continued growth of LCD and plasma TVs. LCD and Plasma rentals contributed significantly to Rent-to-Own industry revenue in 2008. That trend is expected to continue in 2009...more

Robert Perry Named Panasonic Executive Vice President
Robert Perry has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, with responsibility for the company's sales, marketing and product merchandising...more

Third of 111th Congress Freshman Own Small Businesses
The freshman class of 2009 includes several new members of Congress with small business experience, both as entrepreneurs and investors. In fact more than one-third of the new members have small business backgrounds...more

Rent-A-Center Celebrates Caldwell Idaho Grand Opening
Rent-A-Center is celebrating the opening of its newest store in Caldwell, Idaho. The 4,500 sq ft location will be managed by Jeff Hopkins who is transferring in from another Rent-A-Center store in Ontario, Oregon...more

About Women's History Month: March 2009
National Women's History Month's roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions...more

EZCORP Completes Value Financial Acquisition; Thedford Out
Payday loan and pawn provider EZCORP completed its acquisition of pawnshop operator Value Financial Services. Value operated 67 pawnshops in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Mexico...more

TCF Assumes Textron CE and Appliance Floorplan Program
TCF Inventory Finance will take over Textron's floorplan financing program effective this month. TCF, a subsidiary of TCF Financial, announced the agreement with Textron Wednesday...more

Colorado Premier Dealers Give Back to Their Community
With 32 years of rent-to-own experience and 750 pounds between them, Premier Rental Purchase franchisees Mike Gordon and Mitch Rhodes are known as the "big boys" of RTO. The gentle giants have been gaining a reputation in Lakewood, Colorado for their generosity and public service...more

2008 Rent-to-Own Industry Year in Review; Top Stories
RTO Online, the rent-to-own industry's leading source of news and information, today released its list of the Top Rent to Own Industry Stories of 2008. As predicted, the news was dominated by politics in 2008. But unlike we predicted a year ago, it was inside politics and not Beltway politics that drew the most reader attention...more

Poll: Most Small Business Owners Expect Recovery to Take 12 Months
After falling to its lowest measurement ever in November, economic confidence among small business owners rose slightly in December. The Discover Small Business Watch rose to 72.8 in December, up 5.3 points from November...more

ColorTyme Expands Franchise Financing to Include SBA
ColorTyme today announced it has reached a milestone in its financial-assistance program offerings with the addition of SBA loans to its growing portfolio of finance options."...more

Consumer Confidence Falls to a All-Time Low in December
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased moderately in November, declined to a new all-time low in December...more

Paul Hodgetts Named Buy As You View Employee of the Year
Paul Hodgetts, delivery and installation tech for UK rent-to-own company Buy As You View, has been named 2008 Employee of the Year. Hodgetts hasn't missed a single day in 14 years. He told Wales Online, "There are times you feel a bit off color but I've always thought if you go into work your mind is concentrated on something and you get over any problem you might have."...more

Rent-A-Center Names Xavier Dominicis VP Public Affairs
Rent-A-Center named Xavier Dominicis Vice President of Public Affairs effective December 15th. Dominicis will report to Dwight Dumler...more

Textron to Exit All Non-Captive Financial Businesses
TFC is one of several popular inventory financing tools used by independent rent-to-own companies...more

Aaron's Grants Christmas Wish
Aaron's Mid American Division has made a Dallas area family's Christmas wish come true. In conjunction with 94.9 KLTY's Christmas Wish program, Aaron's donated over $10,000 to a six year old girl who lost her mother in a car accident earlier this month...more

Cash Store Financial Buys Back 1.5 Million Shares; $9 Million
The 1,500,000 common shares represent approximately 8.1% of Cash Store Financial's shares outstanding as of December 23, 2008...more

Twas The Night Before Christmas; A Not So Traditional Reading
As door hangers that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky. So into the store he came with a dash, ran up to the counter and pulled out some cash...more

Rent-A-Center Outfits Rooms at Ohio Oncology Center
Rent-A-Center, the nation's largest rent to own operator, is donating furnishings to outfit six private patient rooms at Miami Valley Hospital Oncology Center in Dayton, Ohio...more

Former Trade Commission Chairwoman Named to Rent-A-Center Board
Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ:RCII), the nation's largest rent-to-own operator, announced today that Paula Stern, Ph.D. has been named to its Board of Directors...more

Providence ColorTyme Runs "Free Heat" Promotion
As fuel prices skyrocketed and the economy plummeted last fall, ColorTyme franchisee Ray Bird overheard his customers fretting about the coming winter heating bills...more

All Rent-to-Own Industry Vendors Invited to Premier 2009 Convention
The Premier Companies will hold its annual convention at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans from January 19 – 22. Premier is anticipating this to be its biggest event to date and is inviting vendors to register...more

Association Urges Obama to Move Quickly on Stimulus Package
The National Retail Federation today asked President-elect Barack Obama to incorporate a series of national sales tax holidays into upcoming economic stimulus legislation as an important step toward rebuilding consumer confidence...more

Dealers Claim BlackBox GPS Locators as 2008 Tax Deduction
Muntean recommends dealers confirm with their CPA, but said, "GPS Fleet equipment purchases may qualify your business for a Section 179 tax deduction which allows dealers to deduct from the company’s taxable income...more

Americans Pulled Back on Spending Long Before Economic Crisis Hit
Consumer confidence and spending began slowing as early as Spring 2007, according to data released by Experian. Analysis of the data shows that from Spring 2007 to Summer 2008, the percentage of U.S. adults who felt they would be financially better off in the next year dropped considerably from 46 percent to 37 percent...more

Aaron's Sees Strong Q4; Raises 2009 Guidance
Aaron Rents, Inc. (NYSE:RNT) today announced that business trends continue to be quite positive and that it was raising its 2009 earnings guidance...more

Aaron's Donates Furniture to Struggling Atlanta Firehouse
The gift is being made through Aaron's Community Outreach Program (ACORP). ACORP has been helping communities nationwide for nearly a decade. Aaron's officials say this is a great opportunity to give back to their local heroes, including Captain Greg Gray at Station 10...more

Rent-A-Center Gives $20,000 Makeover to Special Needs Home
In its most recent Random Act of Caring, Rent-A-Center co-workers from metropolitan New York helped make residents of two Association for Helping Retarded Children (AHRC) homes in the Bronx feel like the holidays had arrived early...more

Office of Thrift Supervision Issues Final Credit Card Rule
The final rule includes restrictions on subprime cards. The rule (Section 535.26) prohibits savings associations from charging fees for the issuance or availability of credit that consume the majority of the available credit during the first year after account opening. Fees exceeding 25 percent of the available credit must be spread over no less than the first six months...more

Association Calls for Federal Action on Rent-to-Own Law
In a statement issued today by the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO), the association called for passage of federal legislation mandating standard disclosures for rent-to-own transactions in all states...more

Whirlpool Names Bitzer President U.S. Operations
Bitzer will have overall leadership accountability for the Brand, Product, Channel, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations organizations to ensure effective market execution across the U.S. business...more

Blackbox Offers Real-Time GPS Tracking RTO Delivery Vehicles
BlackBox GPS announces the release of an impressive, yet easy-to-use, GPS monitoring application designed specifically for tracking Rent-to-Own (RTO) delivery vehicles at an exceptionally low cost...more

Aaron's Buys Back Second Largest Franchisee; Revenue $45 Million
Aaron Rents, Inc. announced that it has acquired in a cash transaction all the stores of Rosey Rentals, L. P., a franchisee since 2003...more

Wichita Senior Receives Clay Barton Scholarship
The Barton scholarship was established in 1991 for the son of the late Rent-A-Center Chairman Emeritus W. Frank Barton, for whom WSU's business school is named...more

RAC Opens 32nd West Virginia Location
The new Hurricane store will be the 32nd Rent-A-Center in West Virginia. For the 2007 calendar year, Rent-A-Center generated and collected more than $1.6 million dollars in sales tax on behalf of the state...more

RentDirect Nationwide Announces New Partnership with Liquid Tax
RentDirect Nationwide announced today that Liquid Tax has been added as a new Vendor Partner offering tax preparation software, services and special pricing to RentDirect Members...more

RTO Industry Supporter Mary Landrieu to Chair Senate Committee
Rent-to-own industry supporter Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has been named Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Landrieu replaces Senator John Kerry (D-MA) who will now chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Landrieu has introduced The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act in each of the last four sessions of Congress. Senator Kerry said, "Small business owners should be proud to have Mary Landrieu at the helm of this Committee in the Senate."...more

Aaron's to Shift Marketing Dollars After AFL Cancels 2009 Season
The Arena Football League (AFL) will suspend the 2009 season while the League works on developing a long-term plan to improve its economic model. League officials blame the shutdown on the "unprecedented economic climate." Aaron Rents is a major sponsor of the league...more

Jim Forker Opens Third Premier RTO Store
Jim Forker didn't quite anticipate he would be opening three RTO stores in three years. But on November 26 he opened his third Premier Rental-Purchase store...more

Study Shows Consumers Want Diversity in Audio Equipment
A majority of consumers view music and other audio content as a vital component of their daily lives, according to a new study by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)...more

Massachusetts Court to Hear Rent-A-Center Motion to Dismiss $5 Million Suit
A Massachusetts federal court judge will hear Rent-A-Center's motion to dismiss a $5 million class-action suit today. Ron DeMoss, Rent-A-Center's Executive Vice President and General Counsel said, "The suit claims rent-to-own agreements are credit sales despite the Massachusetts Consumer Lease Act which has been universally recognized to regulate RTO since it was passed in 1986."...more

Report: Black Friday Retail Sales Experience First-Ever Decline
U.S. consumer technology brick and mortar sales experienced the first-ever decline during the week of Black Friday. Revenue was down more than 8 percent from November 23 through November 29, 2008 compared to the same time period last year...more

Sony to Cut Five Percent of Workforce
Sony will layoff five percent of its worldwide workforce and close six manufacturing plants in response to what the company described in a statement as "the sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment."...more

Dave Oliver Adds Liquid Tax to First American Home Furnishings Lineup
This will be Dave Oliver's first year to offer tax services to his customers at First American Home Furnishings, a rent-to-own company he started 26 years ago. It isn't because he hasn't had the opportunity...more

Mini-Notebok Shipments Buoy PC Market in Q3
Despite what is looking to be a rather dismal fourth quarter for the PC industry as a whole, one very bright spot has emerged. The mini-note PC, also called netbook, category grew at more than 160% Q/Q in Q3'08...more