RTO Online conducted 10 streaming video podcasts from the tradeshow floor. Click the images below to view.

RTO Online interviewed Peter Krideras, National Marketing & Merchandise Manager for Radio Rentals of New South Wales, Australia.

Day One of the RentDirect Nationwide Buying Show opened with a bang as rental dealers and their retail counterparts swarmed a show floor packed with merchandise from nearly 200 vendors, including 12 brand-new exhibitors.

Several RentDirect service providers unveiled new member service programs, including new appliance merchandising systems and improved television and electronics configurations from Nationwide Design Center. New security and lock features have been added to make the flat panel display walls as secure as they are good-looking and to help members prevent in-store theft of the expensive television units.

Other new services featured on the show floor include a free video leadership learning system called OpTEAMization. The series of ten 10-15 minute video modules incorporates the latest thinking in the school of leadership and places top-notch training within the reach of any RentDirect associate.

RTO Online Video Podcasts

James MacAlpine, Executive Director, RentDirect Nationwide

Joe Lapekas, TruckSkin

Tim Moore, DSI

Dave Eshelman, President and CEO of Salem Logistics

Duane Knavel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Textron Financial

Paul Gibbons, National Account Representative for Central File

Michael Garner, Director of SEADRA (South East Automobile Dealers’ Rental Association)

Mike Moore, President of NewAvenues Rentals

Warren Chaiken, President and Chief Operating Officer of ALMO

Ron Martino, Marketing Manager for Yamaha Corporation of America

New product was attractively displayed throughout the enormous 270,000 square-foot display space including new lines from such top brands as Bosch, Electrolux Appliances, Fisher & Paykel, GE, Hitachi, LG Appliances, LG Electronics, RCA, SLS Audio, Whirlpool, and Woods/Danby.

Earlier in the day, Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG), the parent company of RentDirect, announced key statistics for dealers to keep in mind as they plan their fall and winter purchases:

• While the major appliance industry is down 5%, the major appliance business has grown 1% for members of NMG.

• Strong growth continues in laundry, particularly with front load sets and high efficiency appliances

• NMG members have experienced double-digit growth in flat panel television sets

But no statistics were quite as impressive as those presented to RTO Online in an exclusive pod cast interview with Peter Krideras, National Marketing & Merchandise Manager for Radio Rentals of New South Wales, Australia. From collecting on a fortnight to double-checking a customer’s scorecard, they might say things a bit differently in his part of the world. But with Radio Rentals’ stores averaging 3,000 units on rent per location, it’s lingo we could all do well to learn.

Krideras’ company operates 65 locations throughout Australia including some stores that have more than 5,000 units on rent at any one time. Their best-renting items include furniture, electronics, appliances and exercise equipment. They, too, are faced with regulations that can vary by state (although they’ve got far fewer states to be concerned with). And it’s not unusual for stores in areas with a lower concentration of residents to deliver merchandise up to 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) away.

As Day One of the two-day buying show came to a close, several vendors expressed their enthusiasm at the traffic within their booths.

“We didn’t stop writing orders all day,” said Brown Councill of Baseline Licensing Group. “This has been an amazing show for us. After the first day I literally have a bag full of orders.”

According to Joe Lapekas of TruckSkin, dealer interest in his vehicle graphics products was strong.

“By this afternoon we had more traffic than I can remember at any other show. This has been great.”

RTO Online conducted ten other pod casts from Day One of the RentDirect Nationwide show floor with key rental vendors and dealers:

Dave Eshelman, President and CEO of Salem Logistics, explains how his company offers not just trucking but also technology services as a valued 3PL provider to rental dealers. Plus, Salem Logistics’ freight bill auditing service has saved customers from paying millions of dollars in unnecessary freight expense.

Duane Knavel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Textron Financial, talks about the unique programs available to RentDirect members including the chance to double an existing credit line to take full advantage of the many RentDirect buying show deals.

Paul Gibbons, National Account Representative for Central File, reveals the elements that make their direct marketing programs consistently successful for rental dealers.

Michael Garner, Director of SEADRA (South East Automobile Dealers’ Rental Association), explains how there’s never been a better time to get into the RTO automobile business. SEADRA’s turnkey operating system and influx of $300 million in financing for qualified rental dealers make this a business opportunity you’ve got to consider.

James MacAlpine, Executive Director of RentDirect, recounts how his background in the rental-purchase industry helped set narrow the focus and deepen the program benefits offered to rental dealers who join RentDirect Nationwide. There’s no question RentDirect has become the largest rental industry buying association because rental dealers recognize the tremendous value the group provides to its members.

Mike Moore, President of NewAvenues Rentals, discusses how he parlayed his experience operating more than 300 finance outlets into a fast-growing rental-purchase company. With eight stores open in just a few years and several more on the horizon, Moore has made an impact by opening the country’s single-largest RTO store with a 35,000 square-foot location in Georgia.

Tim Moore, Vice President of Specialty Business Sales for DSI Systems, Inc. tells how his company’s involvement as a Warehouse Direct partner for RentDirect members gives dealers access to multiple top-of-the-line appliance and electronic brands in space-saving condensed shipments from 30 distribution centers across the United States.

Joe Lapekas, owner of TruckSkin, explains how his company’s flex-face graphics system turns ordinary delivery trucks into valuable mobile billboards.

Warren Chaiken, President and Chief Operating Officer of ALMO, divulges the secret to the long-term success of the Warehouse Direct partner…training, training, and more training.

Ron Martino, Marketing Manager for Yamaha Corporation of America, discloses how a rental dealer can find sweet success with Yamaha musical instruments without having to play a single note on their own.

RTO Online will continue to provide coverage from Day Two of the RentDirect Nationwide Convention and Buying Show continues with more interviews and pod casts from the show floor.