We will continue to operate these pilot stores for two years and then offer the concept at additional stores throughout the Southeast.
Don Marks, Badcock’s CEO

photo rtoonline Albert Kohut (left), Badcock’s VP of New Business Development, and Don Marks Badcock’s CEO, presented a $1,000 check to the local Women's Resource Center in Clearwater, Florida during last year's grand opening of Home Now's first pilot store (see story). See a complete photo gallery of last years grand opening of Home Now's first pilot store in Clearwater, Florida. (27)

W.S. Badcock Corporation will soon celebrate the opening of its second Home Now pilot store, part of a new rent-to-own concept the 100-year old company recently launched. Home Now offers a complete line of rent-to-own home furnishings, including living room, bedroom and dining room groups, and a selection of appliances and audio/video products, including computers.

The 4,125 square foot store is located on Busch Blvd in Tampa and will employ four people. The opening will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting event on February 28, 2006 at 2:00 PM.

“The new store has taken off very quickly,” notes Albert Kohut, Badcock’s VP of New Business Development. “We have a great customer base in this area and they are anxious for a new player to meet the demands of the marketplace.” The store is located in an ideal traffic location between an AMSCOT and a Family Dollar.

Plans for the third and final pilot store are still being finalized. Badcock is scouting locations on the East coast and is hoping to open the store as soon as May 2006. The first store was opened in Clearwater in August and is meeting the company’s expectations.

The Home Now concept allows Badcock the opportunity to provide customers with benefits that go beyond a traditional rent-to-own store. The merchandise available in the Home Now stores is a select part of the Badcock product mix, allowing Home Now to provide customers with a large merchandise selection, in-stock product availability and fast delivery from Badcock’s regional distribution center.

photo rtoonline Albert Kohut, Badcock’s VP of New Business Development

Home Now also offers a credit-building program called “Credit Builder,” which helps customers establish credit. This is just one of the free benefits that is part of their “Pledge Program”. Unlike other traditional rent-to-own stores, Home Now only accepts monthly and semi-monthly payments, rather than weekly payments.

“The Home Now concept is taking off quite well,” notes Don Marks, Badcock’s CEO. “We will continue to operate these pilot stores for two years and then offer the concept at additional stores throughout the Southeast.”

Badcock operates 330 retail locations throughout the southeast and is headquartered in Mulberry, Florida. The company's stated goal is to have 100 Home Now locations operation in 10 years.