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Message To Attorneys General, Stop Threatening Business With Criminal Prosecution To Force Settlements
Some state AGs are increasingly using civil litigation to reap power, publicity and political advantage, so it is critical that they hold themselves to the highest ethical standards akin to those applicable to federal and state regulators and other government prosecutors...more

Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions Supports Rental Purchase Agreement Act; Senate Cosponsor Count Hits 20
Following a two-year stint as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1975-1977), Sessions was nominated by President Reagan in 1981 and confirmed by the Senate to serve as the United States Attorney for Alabama’s Southern District, a position he held for 12 years. Sessions was elected Alabama Attorney General in 1995, serving as the state’s chief legal officer until 1997, when he entered the United States Senate...more

Aaron Rents Same Store Sales Up 4%; Profit Drops 8%
"We are now focused on improving revenue growth and earnings of all our stores and, in the near term, opening new Company-operated stores at a less accelerated rate." - Charles Loudermilk, Sr. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aaron Rents...more
 

More LCD Units Shipped In Third Quarter Than In All of 2003
Large-size LCD panel shipments surpassed 100 million units for the first time in the third quarter. More LCD units were shipped in the three months ending September 30th, 2007 than were shipped in the full year of 2003 (97 million)...more

Online Holiday Retail Sales to Exceed $39 Billion; Online Relatively Immune to Effects of Sluggish Economy
Over half of online retailers say they will increase efforts with search engines, despite rising costs and some reports of declining ROI...more
 

Association Partners With PRBC On Credit Building Program For Sub Prime
The three major credit bureaus do not track most payments of commonly recurring bills such as rent, private mortgages, utilities, telephone, cable TV, or child care...more

Retailers Returning to Urban Areas; Strip Mall Locations Down 4% In 2007
When determining the best location for a store, four out of five retail real estate executives say that demographic information is the most important. Half of respondents believe that other crucial factors include evaluating competitive information (51%), traffic patterns (49%), and geographic factors like the existing and future population (49%)...more

Is It Time To Rent Macintosh?; Apple Ships 2.1 Million Macs In Third Quarter, Up 34%
As Apple gains market share, the premium product could become an important addition to the rent-to-own industry's lineup, helping hold the line against rapid PC price declines...more
 

January Las Vegas Furniture Market Registration Available Online
Attendees are strongly encouraged to book their hotel rooms early in order to ensure availability and the best selection...more

Congress to Hold Hearing on Organized Retail Crime
Organized retail crime amounts to between $15 billion and $30 billion annually, according to the FBI. Crime rings typically target consumer products that are in high demand and easy to steal including consumer electronics...more

Countrywide Financial Announces a $16 Billion Bailout For Sub-Prime Borrowers
"Unprecedented times call for unprecedented remedies." - David Sambol, President and Chief Operating Officer of Countrywide...more
 

U.S. Appliance Shipments Drop 5%; Weak North American Demand Hurts Whirlpool Q3
The combination of record material and oil-related cost increases and weaker than expected appliance demand in the U.S. have negatively impacted Whirlpool's North American business...more

Microsoft Arcade Xbox 360 Hits Retail Shelves Today
The Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader initiative by Microsoft to expand the Xbox 360 from the game room to the living room...more

Rent to Own Industry Photo Album Adds Features; Upload photos from your event
RTO Online, the leading source of news and information for the rent to own industry, added several new features to the Rent to Own industry photo album. Rent to own companies, vendors, associations and other groups can now upload images for publication in RTO Online's Rent to Own industry photo album...more
 

Rent to Own Companies and Identity Theft; Tips To Protect Sensitive Customer Information
The most common security breach in the rent to own industry is improper disposal of customer applications and other records containing sensitive information. While the most likely consequence of improper disposal is harm to the industry's reputation if discovered, the possibility of identity theft is real...more

RTO Magazine To Publish New Product Spotlight
RTO Magazine’s new Product Spotlight section is dedicated to increasing exposure for exciting, new, or non-traditional rent to own products and services that offer the aggressive Rent to Own and leasing dealer alternative revenue opportunities...more

VIDEO
Alabama Payday Loan Association Goes On Offensive With Statewide Ad, Education Campaign
"Our industry has been mislabeled and misunderstood by advocacy groups who say they want to help low income residents of our state. The truth is our services help many of our customers get back on their feet or reestablish their credit." - Charles Hunter, spokesman for the Alabama Council for Fair Lending...more

SED International Sees Consumer Electronics As THE Hot Category
"Between Consumer Electronics like flat panel televisions, audio/video products and computers, the convergence of the DIGITAL HOME concept is now here." - Tom Roper, VP & GMM, Consumer Electronics, SED...more

Mainline Financial Institutions Hungry For Underbanked Consumer; Federal Reserve Hosts Conference
The Fed defines 'underbanked' as "Those who have bank accounts but who primarily conduct their financial transactions outside of mainstream financial institutions. Download conference presentation notes from RTO Online...more
 

Component Shortages Could Raise PC Prices This Quarter
"There is some risk that component supplies, particularly for batteries and displays, could limit volume or raise prices." - Bob O'Donnell, VP, IDC...more

Skyline Exhibits To Host Vendor Seminar; Maximizing Tradeshow ROI
Vendors will learn tips and gain valuable knowledge to help their companies become more successful exhibitors...more

P.C. Richard & Son Named Nation's Best Electronics-Appliance Retailer
P.C. Richard & Son is the nation's largest independently owned white-and brown-goods retail chain with 50 locations...more

Private Companies Rely On Short-Term Incentives to Reward Employees; Performance Data Skewed Toward Public Companies
Private companies face unique challenges when designing both short and long-term incentive programs. Challenges include a lack of liquidity for equity, costly or difficult equity valuation, complexities arising from the ownership structure and competitive data that are geared to public companies...more

CFSI Undertakes National Study of Underbanked Consumers
The study will gather information on the attitudes, behaviors, preferences, needs and desired experiences of underbanked consumers across a broad, representative sampling of the many groups that make up this market...more

ColorTyme's Ken and Richelle Schimpf; Roadmap To Success
Ken Schimpf's business strategy is straightforward: Have a map to where you want to go, then plan how to get there. That philosophy, he says, is key to his success. Schimpf, who grew up in the Cincinnati area, started in the rent-to-own industry as an account manager in 1989. In 18 years, he's moved from an entry level position to buying and selling a number of stores to having the highest revenue in the ColorTyme system for the two stores he currently owns in the cities of Hamilton and Middletown, Ohio...more

ACE Cash Express Donates $50,000 to Junior Achievement of Dallas
This sponsorship means that approximately 1,470 students will learn from more than 60 volunteers about the skills they'll need to be successful in the future." - Linda Schoelkopf, President, Junior Achievement of Dallas...more

Consumers Want Computers More Than Peace And Happiness; Video Games, Laptops and Accessories To Lead $48 Billion Fourth Quarter
The top five wish list items for all adult survey respondents: computers, peace and happiness, big screen TV, clothes and money. Notably, the big screen TV moved up in the 2007 survey to number three from 11th in 2006...more

Going Back In Time; Premier's John Darden, APRO's Rental Dealer of the Year, Forges 30 Years Of Connections
John Darden is a quiet family man from Charlottesville, Virginia who looks more like a high-school principal than the man who has played a key role in shaping the rent to own industry since 1976 when he answered an ad in the paper for an area manager at Remco. Darden worked 6 days a week, 10 hours a day for $660 per month - and he thought he was in heaven. During his subsequent journey through three decades of the RTO business, Darden's career intersected with both the pioneers of the 1970s, and the industry leaders of the new century....more

Kellett Enterprises Announces New Appliance Vibration Isolation Pads For Rent To Own Industry
"We are excited to make KE Shake Away pads available to the rent to own industry. Dealers can now expect longer equipment life, while renting customers high efficiency washers and dryers with increased performance and lower water and electricity costs." - Claudia Kellett-McNabb, President and CEO, Kellett Enterprises...more

Renters Four Times More Likely to Move Than Homeowners; 40 Million Americans Moved Between 2005 and 2006
Forty million Americans moved between 2005 and 2006. In 2006, nearly one-third (30 percent) of all people living in renter-occupied housing units lived elsewhere a year earlier. The moving rate for people living in owner-occupied housing units was 7 percent. The moving rate remained statistically unchanged from 2005 at 14 percent according to new U.S. Census Bureau data...more

Sharp Opens Second Mexico LCD TV Plant; Added Capacity Will Speed Shipments
Initial production capacity at the new plant has been set at 200,000 units per month, but to meet the increasing demand for LCD TVs in the North American market, Sharp expects to gradually expand production capacity to 400,000 units per month by fiscal 2009...more

La-Z-Boy Completes Pennsylvania House Deal With Universal Furniture
"While Pennsylvania House has an excellent name in the marketplace, it did not fit with our long-term strategy and we believe Universal will be a natural partner for it." - Kurt Darrow, President and CEO, La-Z-Boy...more

Ohio Freshman Representative Zachary Space Supports Rental Purchase Agreement Act; House Cosponsor Count Hits 60
Ohio freshman Representative Zachary Space (D-OH-18) has cosponsored the House version of the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 (H.R. 1767). Space is the second Ohio Representative to sponsor the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2007. Representative Jim Jordan announced his support in July...more

Exclusive
Only In America; Video Interview With Aaron Rents Founder Charlie Loudermilk
Charlie Loudermilk, Chairman and CEO of Aaron Rents, who founded the company in 1955 with an inventory of 300 folding chairs, addressed the crowd before the ribbon cutting. "I've been to plenty of grand openings over the years, but even I've never seen anything quite like this," he said. Watch RTO Online's exclusive interview with Charlie Loudermilk, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Aaron Rents...more
 

Aarons Store Count Grows 50% In Three Years; Largest Ever Grand Opening Of 1500th Location Begins Today In Mansfield, Texas
"We are proud to mark this momentous occasion for Aaron's. We specifically chose Mansfield, Texas as the location for this benchmark because of the growth opportunity that emergent, young communities present for our unique lease-ownership concept." - R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Chairman and CEO, Aaron Rents...more

Dollar Financial Pays $100 Million Premium To Acquire CCS Financial Services 82 Stores; 26 Multiple
"This acquisition will substantially increase our presence in Florida, which has a favorable regulatory framework, attractive demographics and a rapidly growing service sector workforce." - Jeff Weiss, Chairman and CEO, Dollar Financial Corp...more

Rent-2-Own Opens 22nd Store; Interview With Company President Mike Tissot
There is a trend in certain regions of the country to avoid the term "rent-to-own" in a company name. Some companies have chosen to sell the leasing concept as opposed to traditional rent to own. Mike Tissot, president of Rent-2-Own disagrees wholeheartedly...more
 

Variable Rate Mortgage Crunch Could Cut Across All Retail Sectors
Over 7 trillion dollars in variable rate home loans will reset in the coming year and beyond that enormous number are millions of households who are waiting for the inevitable reset to happen. These households are already making adjustments to their purchase plans and that includes holiday spending...more

New York Democrat Representative Clarke Supports Rental Purchase Agreement Act
New York Democrat and freshman Representative Yvette D. Clarke has cosponsored the House version of the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act of 2007 (H.R. 1767). The addition of Clarke brings the total number of US Representatives supporting federal legislation regulating the rent to own industry to 58...more

Aarons To Celebrate 1500th Location This Weekend
Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership will mark the opening of its 1,500th location this Friday and Saturday in Mansfield, Texas by hosting the Company's largest-ever Grand Opening event...more

Stanley Furniture Cuts Workforce, Consolidates Martinsville, Stanleytown
"My hope is that once business conditions improve, we will be able to rehire some of the talented and loyal associates who have helped make Stanley Furniture the leader that we are today." - Jeffrey R. Scheffer, president and CEO, Stanley Furniture...more

Flat Panel TV Market Saturation by 2009
"Flat panels have transformed the TV market over last five years. But we expect that market revenues will see only two more years of growth." - Peter King, Director, Connected Home Devices...more

Presidential Candidates Failing To Connect; Hillary Clinton Generates the Most Positive and Negative Response
None of the presidential candidates are doing a good job of convincing people to vote for them should they become their party’s nominee. Hillary Clinton leads the pack with 36 percent of adults saying they would vote for her if she was the Democratic nominee...more

Mizati Plans Six LA Wheel Rental Locations In 2008
Mizati is targeting the greater Los Angeles area for the site of its second Wheel Lots custom wheel rent to own store...more

Rent-A-Center Rescues Vandalized Buffalo, New York Club; Buffalo Mayor Brown Recognizes RAC For Community Involvement
"It's always wonderful to see a company give back to the people it serves in the community, but in this instance it was especially gratifying to see how quickly Rent-A-Center responded in replacing the stolen and destroyed furnishings in the Club." - Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo, New York...more

Website Review
Rental Revolution; Radio Rentals Launches New Website
"The site's homepage flash presentation detailing the benefits of renting is a home-run and, in our opinion, is the strongest of any rent to own company offering currently available on the net." - From RTO Online's Website Review of Radio Rentals...more

Consumers To Delay Holiday Shopping; Fewer Plan To Purchase Electronics According To New Survey
Consumers will start their holiday shopping later than ever this year, and impulse buying will be down. Forty-one percent of consumers surveyed by NPD in September said they don't anticipate beginning their holiday shopping until after Thanksgiving. That's 10% more than reported in last year's survey...more

Six Trends Spotted at High Point Furniture Market
Trend-trackers at last week's High Point Furniture Market say the most fashion-forward looks on the home furnishings horizon include retro-inspired patterns, tactile designs, earth tones, organic and structure-driven silhouettes, designer detailing and multi-era inspirations...more

Bassett Furniture Sales Fall 9%; Soft Retail Cited
"Our industry continues to suffer from sluggish consumer demand coupled with a weak housing market and a growing consumer credit crunch. Industry conditions remain difficult and our results for the third quarter reflect that." - Robert H. Spilman Jr., President and CEO, Bassett Furniture...more
 

Westinghouse To Competitors "Keep Cutting Prices, We'll Keep Selling HDTVs"; Blasts Competitor's Pricing Strategy
"We will not be an overnight upstart like some of our competitors who have made short-term news with pricing moves they will not be able to sustain." - Rey Roque, Vice President of Marketing, Westinghouse Digital Electronics...more

WithIt Mentors 130 College Students, Faculty; Tours High Point Market Showrooms
WithIt is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Women in the Home Industries Today was founded at the Fall International Home Furnishings Market in High Point in 1997 by Jena Hall, Margaret Trauband Kimberley Wray...more

Sealy Net Drops 27% Despite Increased Sales
Sealy Corporation's net profit dropped 27% in the fiscal quarter ending August 26, 2007. This despite a nearly 17% increase in units sold. The company cited increased costs associated with new flame retardant standards and price decreases...more
 

The Best Flat Panel TV Ever Made? Independent Testing Company Claims Panasonic's 50 inch TH-50PZ700U Best Ever Tested
Who makes the best Plasma TV? According to Consumer Reports, the Panasonic TH-50PZ700U "had the best picture of any flat-panel TV we’ve ever tested."...more

Excellence of Execution is Top Concern for CEOs; Sustained and Steady Top-Line Growth Drops to Second
When asked to rate their greatest concerns from among 121 different challenges, CEOs chose excellence of execution as their top challenge. Sustained and steady top-line growth, which led the pack last year, now ranks second, with profit growth fourth, and finding qualified managerial talent fifth...more

Maytag Turns 100
Frederick Louis Maytag, who came to Iowa as a farm boy in a covered wagon, started a farm implement company with his two brothers-in-law and George W. Parsons. Each partner contributed $600 for a total startup fund of $2,400...more

HDTV Picture Quality Drives Sales, Rentals; Consumers Less Enthusiastic About Programming Options
Television owners clearly feel that HD viewing is a more intense experience than standard television and there are early indications that the acquisition of an HD television can, initially at least, stimulate the type of television that is viewed." - Steve McGowan, Senior Vice President Client Research Initiatives, Nielsen...more

Business Owners Unconcerned About Credit Availability; Economy To Continue Slow Growth, No Recession
Credit Crunch - Not On Main Street: Nearly nine out of 10 (87 percent)' business owners who need credit say availability is the same or easier' to get than three months ago, while only 13 percent said it is more' difficult now. At the same time, plans for capital spending have' steadily increased from PNC's last two surveys with technology' remaining the top priority...more

Furniture Retail Softness Continues; Havertys Same Store Sales Plunge 16%
There was no mention of improving trends today as the company reported another 14.3% drop in sales for September and a 16.2% drop in same store sales compared to September 2006...more

Powell Takes Showroom Honor At High Point Furniture Market
Furniture manufacturer Powell & Company was honored with an Award of Merit at the High Point Furniture Market this week for the best Retail Application in a showroom. Dedra Owen is the company's director of showroom design...more

Rent-A-Center Schedules Webcast Conference Call For October 30
Audio of the call will be broadcast live. A link to the live webcast will be available from My RTO Portfolio...more
 

Few Companies Are Prepared For Loss Of Critical Employees
Rent to Own companies rely on close relationships with customers to drive the business. Few industries are so immediately and negatively affected by the loss of key personnel, especially at the store level. The loss of a long term store manager can strip the profit from a location with frightening speed...more

Quick Ship And Broad Selection Making Coaster Company The Furniture Vendor of Choice For Many Rent to Own Dealers
The distribution model that makes Coaster so appealing to rental dealers is one that offers a large selection of continually-warehoused merchandise that can be quickly shipped from any of seven strategically located warehouses...more

Update: Aaron Rents Acquires Prime Time Rentals 33 Stores
Aaron Rents has acquired all of Prime Time Rentals 33 stores locations in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and West Virginia...more

The Four Methods Of Managing Your Rent to Own Company's Cash Flow
Every store owner looks forward to the day when the income from existing contracts is adequate to buy enough inventory to sustain desired growth. In most cases however, over the long history of a business, cash flow can fund only a part of inventory needs...more

Interview With Michael Garner, Southeast Auto Rental Dealers Association
Garner quotes industry statistics that show 8 out of 10 buyers who walk onto a used car lot are credit challenged. He says these are customers with a job, references, and some form of down payment, but no way to obtain a vehicle through traditional means of dealer financing...more

Rodger Lyn Opens Premier Rental Purchase In Miami After 10 Year Hiatus
"With the many details of opening up an RTO store behind him, Rodger looks forward to the new experience of owning and running his own business." - Roger Lyn, Premier Rental Purchase Franchisee...more
 

How To Build The Ultimate RTO Customer Experience; Eight Ways To Wow Your Customers
Face the fact that you (and your brand) are probably not as great as you think they are. You may or may not be aware of the Lake Wobegon Effect, but it is a phenomenon from which many of us and our businesses suffer. It's the human tendency to think we are better than we actually are. And in business, the effects can be devastating. The problem is when you think your business is the best, you don't work as hard to keep making it better...more
 

RTO Online Releases Website Traffic Results For September, 2007
RTOonline.com registered over 300,000 visitor sessions and 4 million page views in September, 2007. The average visitor viewed 13.48 pages in September, a 15% year over year increase and a 31% increase over August, 2007. Page views saw a 17% increase over 2006...more

America's Business Leaders Are Voracious Consumers Of All Forms Of Both New And Traditional Media
America’s business elite have a healthy appetite for information and media consumption, in particular, when the information helps them make better and more informed business decisions. The internet is becoming a major source of information, with over two thirds spending more time reading business information on the web than in the past...more

Nations Largest Rent to Own Store Growing According To Plan
At 35,000 square feet, NewAvenues Rentals' Decatur, Georgia location is thought to be the largest rental-purchase store in North America. Moore says the store is growing according to plan, and that due to the relatively low cost per square foot, the plan is not as aggressive as one might assume...more

How To Extend The Life Of Your Rental Furniture
The key words in extending the life of your rental furniture are protection, cleaning, and maintenance. Here are a few simple steps that you and your employees can take to ensure that the furniture in your stores remains presentable and rentable, longer...more

TitleMax Searching For VP Operations; Apply in RTO Career Center
TitleMax, a Savannah, Georgia based vehicle title loan company, is currently searching for a Vice President of Operations. The qualified candidate will provide operational oversight for 200+ stores and directly supervise five to six Regional Managers to ensure the highest quality customer service is provided within each Region...more

Military Payday Lending Ban Takes Effect October 1
Activist groups supporting the ban have not addressed the legal consequences, not to mention the moral conundrum, of how a business can refuse to loan money to a person because they wear the uniform of the United States armed forces...more
 

RTO Online Serves 40,000 Sessions September 24-27
Rent to Own industry owners, executives and others spent 2,495 hours viewing RTO Online content from Monday, September 24 through 10:00 AM central Thursday September 27th. The average visitor viewed 14.72 pages of content per visit. RTO Online displayed 447,856 RTO industry vendor ads during the period - 127,900 vendor ads per day (3.5 days)...more

Canadian Flat Panel TV Market Growing Faster Than US; Data Shows Huge Opportunity For Canadian Rent to Own and Retail Markets
The shift in consumer preferences has resulted in a 12 per cent increase in total dollar revenue for retailers. The trends suggest a significant opportunity for Canadian Rent to Own and retail companies to capitalize on the rush to go big and flat...more

How To Plan An Effective Direct Mail Campaign
By Chet Pensak
You have two seconds to get the interest of a rent-to-own / lease purchase prospect in a Mailed Offer before she "circular files" it. To stop the filing process, an attention-getting mail piece with an attractive Offer must be directed toward the demographically correct recipient. Below are direct marketing tips to help guarantee a successful direct marketing program...more

National Governors Association Wants Internet Tax
The National Governors Association (NAG) declared their support S. 1453, a bill that would allow states the nearly unrestricted ability to tax internet access and internet commerce...more

ColorTyme Franchisees Mike and Lisa Gavidia Take On College Town
Gavidia credits ColorTyme franchisee Mike Houseworth, for whom he worked for six years, for helping him achieve his goals. "You see the efforts and graciousness of many of the owners. They pave the way for you to go out on your own." - Mike Gavidia, ColorTyme Franchisee...more

How To Increase Store Profit and Benefit Operations by Selling Home Phone Service
Independent research has confirmed that customers both want and need to know if obtaining service through your rental store is an alternative...more

ColorTyme Franchisee James Stephens Sets Shreveport Grand Opening For November
Stephens chose ColorTyme because he was familiar with the company through his work with Rent-A-Center and knew it would be the best fit. His decision to open his store in Shreveport was a no-brainer. He and his wife, Jennifer, grew up in the area and know it well...more

Consumer Confidence Lowest Level In Two Years; Experts Warn of Fourth Quarter Effects
"Looking ahead, little economic improvement is expected and with the holiday season around the corner, this is not welcome news." - Lynn Franco, Director, Conference Board Consumer Research Center...more

Association Defends Digital Television Transition; Consumer Education Efforts Key to Successful Transition
"Some have suggested that the coupon program won’t work before even giving it a chance to get off the ground. But the facts tell a different story, this program will succeed, the DTV transition will happen on schedule, and all Americans will soon enjoy the wonderful benefits of digital television." - Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association...more

Sony Expands VAIO Line; High End Head Turners and Low End Fashion Forward
Sony also unveiled a more affordable version of a fashion-forward entry-level VAIO, starting at about $750, the lowest-priced notebook the company has ever introduced...more

How To Retain Your Best RTO Employees; 16 Cost-Effective Ways To Grow A Company Culture That Helps You Keep Your Keepers
Make no mistake: when employees start searching for greener pastures, it’s a bona fide disaster. After all, your employees are the face of your organization. They build strong relationships with customers and vendors, they know the ins and outs of your operation, they train new hires and indoctrinate them into the company culture. On top of that when you lose great employees, it hurts customer retention and the morale of the rest of your team...more
 

Interview With Gloria Homeier-Schwein, Owner, A Full House Rentals
Gloria Homeier-Schwein is well-respected throughout the rental industry for her keen business sense, strong work ethic, and willingness to find new and better ways to serve the needs of her stores' customers...more

Custom Wheel Rent to Own Franchise Wheel Workz To Sell Area Development Agreements
"The automotive rent-to-own industry represents nearly the same market percentage as computer rent-to-own or about 4.7%. The potential for growth is tremendous." - Dale Ingram, CEO, Wheel Workz...more

Las Vegas To Become Dominant Furniture Market In Five years; Survey Says
A survey of 256 furniture manufacturers/importers and 869 furniture retailers/buyers from across the country and abroad concluded that the Las Vegas Furniture Market will become the dominant U.S. market within 5 years...more
 

Aaron Rents Warns; Revises 2007 Store Opening Plans
Aaron's expects same store revenues in the Sales & Lease Ownership division will increase close to 5% in the third quarter. But due to the operating cost pressures, results for the third and fourth quarter of 2007 will probably be at or below previous guidance...more

SEADRA Partners with XpressCredit to Expand Rent-to-Own Dealer Services 
"At XpressCredit, we help our customers turn more inventory, close more deals and gain efficiencies. Together with SEADRA, we will help RTO dealers expand the number of deals they close involving long-term rentals of used motor vehicles." - Paul Gignilliat, Founder and CEO, XpressCredit...more

RTO Magazine To Name 2007 Man of the Year
The 2007 Man of the Year was chosen for his tireless and effective efforts at publicly defending the industry and his efforts at securing legislation at the state and federal level...more

Rent-N-Roll Goes Retail; Company To Re-brand As Retailer With RTO Option
"Our demographic already tell us that at least 50 to 60% of our current RTO customers have never used the rent-to-own agreement before." - Larry Sutton, President, Rent-N-Roll...more

The Right Store Fixtures Can Build RTO Home Entertainment Revenues
Integrating Flat Panel TV, Home theatre, Gaming and Computer technologies presents exciting new revenue opportunities for the rent-to-own industry...more

Employees Want, Need To Be Creative; New Survey Points to "Creativity Gap" in U.S. Workplace
21% said they would change jobs - even if it meant earning less money - in order to be more creative at work. Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed indicated that they would change where they live if it meant being part of a more creative community. This was especially true of younger workers ages 18-34 (37%)...more

NotebookWorks Expands Notebook Computer Repair Program For Rent To Own Industry
NotebookWorks (www.notebookworks.net), a company specializing in notebook computer repair and restoration, announced a new program for rent-to-own companies. NotebookWorks now has the ability to recondition motherboards...more

Amscot Customers Raise More than $50,000 to Support Local Education Foundations
"The funds raised will be used by local education foundations to support reading and scholarship programs." - Stacy Carlson, Executive Director, Consortium of Florida Education Foundations...more

Salary Increases to Hold The Line in 2008; Companies Focus On Merit Versus Base Pay
The largest proportion of salary increase spending is on merit pay, with merit budgets representing about three-quarters of total salary increase spending...more

Advance America To Close Over 100 Locations; Move To Cost $15 Million
"In Pennsylvania, the uncertain timetable for a ruling on our appeal prompted us to reduce the number of centers there in an effort to control costs. In Oregon, our decision to close our centers is the direct result of a new law that has already prompted most of our competitors to close." - Ken Compton, President and CEO, Advance America...more

D&H To Feature Broad Range Of Products At APRO; LCD, Home Appliances, Gaming
"For our APRO exhibit, the goal was to offer a comprehensive sampling of products that have generated excitement in the RTO market so far." - John Alifano, Manager, D&H's Home Entertainment Division...more

Rent’N Go Expands Franchise Opportunities For Custom Wheel Rental
"From the very beginning we incorporated the tried and tested RTO qualities with the growing appeal of the custom wheels and tires business." - Jim TaylorVice President of Operations, Rent'N Go...more

Panasonic Launches Environmental 'Giving Back' Program
"We believe this program is a win for consumers, the environment, and Panasonic." - Jeremy Dalnes, Vice President, E-Business Group, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company...more

Dell Opens First Exclusive Retail Store in Russia
"Russia’s rapidly growing computer market is reflected by the 800 percent growth in the number of Internet users over the past seven years to approximately 28 million." - Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell...more

Badcock Furniture Gains Ground Despite Housing Slowdown; Announces New Initiatives at Annual Dealer Meeting
With housing markets down 40 percent in the summer months and a strong correlation between home sales and furniture sales, Badcock has managed to stay ahead of the industry curve, especially in their North Carolina markets where stores saw a five percent increase...more

August Retail Sales Surge; Home Furnishings, Accessories Lag behind
Retailers of appliances, electronics and computers increased the average sales this year. Singing the blues this Labor Day included home furnishings and accessory retailers...more