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Rent-A-Center Gives Harlem Hospital Makeover in Latest Random Act of Caring
In another Random Act of Caring, Rent-A-Center unveiled new furnishing makeovers of three nurses' lounges at the Harlem Hospital Center in honor of Nurses' Appreciation Week...more

Consumers Yawn as DVD Format War Ends; Blu-ray Player Sales Off
Standalone Blu-ray player unit sales dropped 40 percent from January to February in the U.S. and only saw a 2 percent increase from February to March...more

Former Rent Way VP John Miller Opens Roanoke Premier Rental-Purchase
As John Miller approached the end of his second decade in the RTO industry, he was concerned about the looming acquisition of the company he worked for and often thought about opening his own RTO store...more
 

Consumer 2.0, the Information Omnivore
The "information omnivore" craves all types of information and often broadcasts its views and expectations worldwide via the Internet...more
 

Over 80% of Consumers Use Net to Research Furniture, Appliance Purchases
A March survey by Experian of 1,945 consumers found that 81 percent of respondents rely on Web sites as their primary source for researching products and merchants for furniture and appliance purchases...more

RTO Professional Training Series Topic #7
RTO Companies Must Differentiate To Succeed
Competition for rental customers is fierce. Turning a shopper into a paying renter is more important than ever. By focusing on strategies that deliver a unique customer experience, Rent to Own dealers can differentiate themselves from the competition and gain market share...more

Check Casher Challenges Constitutionality of City Zoning Ordinance; Finally
Countless cities across the U.S. have passed ordinances limiting the number and location of payday loan and check-cashing stores. Until now, these constitutionally questionable laws have gone unchallenged...more

Benefits of Hiring Workers With English as Second Language
Assuming current immigration levels continue, immigrants will account for about half of the growth in America's working age population between now and 2015, and will account for most of the growth through 2025...more
 

Employee Confidence at Nine Month Low
Although 73 percent of workers believe the economy is getting weaker, the majority of workers (52 percent) say they are confident in their ability to find a new job, down only one percentage point from March...more

Advantage Rent-to-Own Adds Division
Advantage Rent-to-Own announced the addition of its new Corporate Listing Broker Specialist Department headed by Mike Suchan...more

DSI Flat Panel Sales Increase 100% From 2007
Flat Panel sales at DSI Systems have increased 100% from a year ago. While many sectors are suffering from a downturn in the economy, the consumer electronics industry is holding strong...more

New Furniture Brands International CEO Sets Sights On Recovery
Furniture Brands International's board of directors elected Chief Executive Officer Ralph P. Scozzafava as its chairman, replacing W.G. (Mickey) Holliman...more

RTO Online Continues to Dominate Rent to Own Industry News; 6.4 Million Page Views in April
From owners and executives in the home-office to store level managers and employees, RTO Online is proud to serve everyone in the RTO business and, unlike niche websites, considers all people associated with the RTO industry, irregardless of affiliation, to be a valid and qualified user...more

National Governors Association Presses Congress For Unemployment Extension
The letter, signed by Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry, also states that "governors believe it is prudent and appropriate for Congress and the Administration to enact a temporary federally funded extension" and provide sufficient funding to assist jobless individuals during the economic slowdown...more
 

Wall Street Journal Shanks Another One
The Wall Street Journal wrongly reported this morning that Rent-A-Center threatened to end its financial support of America's Second Harvest...more

Economic Conditions Will Dampen Tax Rebate Impact
Tax rebates will have an immediate impact on sales of high-definition TVs and personal computers this year, but economic concerns among consumers will limit the growth to more modest levels...more

Sixty Eight Percent Polled Believe U.S. Entering Recession
Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of respondents in the Harris poll said they are considering a second or part-time job to help them meet current expenses...more

Let Politicians Debate Immigration; We Just Want to Rent Stuff
Immigration battles are raging among politicians in this election year. Regardless of the rhetoric, for those of you wearing rent-to-own marketing hats, there are only two things that matter...more

Ohio Payday Loan Legislation Fundamentally Flawed
"This ridiculously low cap will drive jobs out of Ohio and leave low-income borrowers with less available options when facing a budget crunch." - Tim Miller, Communications Director, Center for Consumer Freedom...more

RTO Veteran Turns Dreams into "Realty" With Rent to Own Homes
Advantage Rent-to-Own announced that RTO industry veteran Denny Huston has joined the organization as Regional Vice President over covering seventeen states throughout the Midwest and South to Texas, as well as serving as an authorized Master Licensee for the company...more

Consumers' Economic Outlook Grim; Confidence Deteriorates
"Consumers' short-term outlook remained quite grim in April. Consumers expecting business conditions to worsen over the next six months increased to 27.0 percent from 26.0 percent." - The Conference Board...more

Study Finds Senior Citizens Pay 7,000% Interest on Bounce Protection Loans
"Lawmakers take heed: If you take away the option of payday advances, your constituents will be left to choose between less desirable alternatives." - D. Lynn DeVault, president of the Community Financial Services Association of America...more

Rent-A-Center Offsets Rising Fuel Costs for New York Community Volunteers
More than 400 volunteers from the American Cancer Society Capital Region, The Community Hospice, Senior Services of Albany (Meals on Wheels) and Umbrella of the Capital District received the gift cards to help them defray the fuel costs incurred while donating their time and services to help others...more

easyhome Leads North American Public Rent to Own Companies in Same Store Sales
"While we experienced record quarterly revenues, the period is best described as a modest disappointment. Despite the record quarterly revenues, net income improved only at a marginal rate." - David Ingram, CEO, easyhome...more

Aaron Rents Sports and Talladega; The Greatest Show in NASCAR
Aaron Rents chose sports as its path to American consumers in 1997. The company settled on racing as a marketing cornerstone a few years later. No organization promotes itself like NASCAR and Aaron's Sports Marketing Department, led by VP Mark Rudnick, follows the NASCAR maxim - there is no room for subtlety in branding...more

Rent-A-Center Same Store Sales Increase 2.8%
"While we are mindful of the challenging macro-economic environment, we will continue to stay the course and focus on those areas within our control including the customer's in-store experience, collections, and managing our resources wisely." - Mark Speese, CEO, Rent-A-Center...more

Deadline Approaching For Premier Companies Vendor Registration
With the Premier Annual Business Conference just three weeks away, time is running out for vendors to sign up for the show. According tot Premier consultant Tony Craig, sponsorships start at $500...more

Video - Photos
Miguel Angeles Wins Aaron's PT Rodeo Final; Dream Weekend Kicks Off in Talladega
Miguel Angeles (store C1224 in California) won the 2008 Aaron's PT Rodeo Finals Friday, earning the title "Best of the Best." Angeles competed against 3,500 fellow PT's on his way to Friday's final. In 2007 he missed the championship by only two points. But 2008 was his year. And, he says, "I'll be back next year, and the year after that."...more
 

SBA Recommends Alternatives to Social Security No-Match Rule
Advocacy hosted a small business roundtable to obtain input on the rule as well as to consider possible alternatives...more

Association Calls For Stricter Enforcement of Used Mattress Laws
The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA), the trade association for the mattress industry, applauded a recent Dateline NBC report that exposed the consumer hazards posed by renovated mattresses that do not meet federal and state laws...more

Aaron's PT Rodeo Finals Today at Noon
The competition began months ago with 3,000 Product Technicians competing in regional events. Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann will welcome the top 20 at a reception today in Talladega...more

LG Whirlpool Court Battle Heats Up; LG Files Countersuit
In January, Whirlpool asked the International Trade Commission (ITC) to ban the import of LG refrigerators. Whirlpool accuses LG of patent infringement. Today, LG fired back with a lawsuit of its own claiming Whirlpool is infringing on LG's patents....more

HDTV Adoption Jumps Significantly Over Q4 2007
Surveys show that nearly 40% of current HDTV set owners plan to purchase an additional HDTV set in the next 12 months...more
 

Las Vegas Changes 2009 Furniture Market Dates
The Winter 2009 Las Vegas Market have been changed to Feb. 9 to Feb. 13, 2009. Market officials say these Market dates best align with exhibitor business cycles...more

West Virginia, Louisiana Worst State Lawsuit Climates
"Some states are learning that changing the law isn't enough - they also need to make sure their courts correctly apply the law." - Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce...more

Employee Recognition Programs On The Rise
A survey released this week shows employee recognition continues to be important to employers. 89 percent of companies use recognition programs as part of their human resources strategy, up from 84 percent in 2002...more

VIDEO
LRDA Wraps; Videocast With Jeff Everson, Regional Representative for Senator Mary Landrieu
"The Computers for Kids program shows that the culture of "giving back" permeates the rent-to-own industry. By taking on the challenge of closing the digital divide in the Mississippi Delta, it singles you out as an industry that is truly trying to make a difference in that region." - Jeff Everson, Regional Representative for Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)...more
 

VIDEO
Louisiana Rental Dealers Triple Membership; LRDA Conference Begins
After being elected in 2007, White told the 20 rental dealers in attendance the same thing every other new association president says when elected. He committed to doubling membership by 2008. What made this speech different is that it actually happened - and then some...more
 

Aaron Rents Q1 Net Falls; Same Store Sales Up 2.6%
"As previously announced we have slowed down our new store expansion plan in 2008 to concentrate on achieving better execution and improving overall profitability, and we believe the earnings results are evidence that we have started to see some positive results from this plan." -R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aaron Rents...more

RTOFunding.com Establishes Operational, Lending Benchmarks for Rent-to-Own Industry
RTOFunding.com, a new financial resource for the rental-purchase industry powered by Vanguard Leasing, today announced the company has signed an agreement to be the exclusive financial client of Right Choice Today, Inc., an RTO consulting venture led by industry veteran Tony Craig...more
 

High Energy, Food Prices to Take Toll on Home Entertainment Sales
Consumers who demonstrated a negative outlook on future spending tended to focus their reasoning on economic factors, such as the increasing price of energy and food...more

RentCash Settles Ontario Class Action for $3 Million
"We believe it is in the best interests of all of our stakeholders to settle this lawsuit so as to avoid further expenses and management distractions in dealing with the suit." - Gordon Reykdal, Chairman and CEO, Cash Store Financial, formerly RentCash...more

Rent to Own Association APRO Hears Proposals to Merge Tradeshow
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations (APRO), currently the only national trade association representing the rent-to-own industry, is negotiating to merge its annual convention and tradeshow with the TRIB/AVB buying group...more