Rent-to-Own

Congressman Canseco visits local Aaron’s

Aaron’s hosts Congressman: (L to R) Stephen Morales (GM Aaron’s Ft. Stockton), District 23 Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco, Lorenza Ramirez, Nathlie Bernal, Aaron’s Regional Manager Sam Murdoch, Rosa Engeldorf, Isai Rojas.

Congressman Francisco "Quico" Canseco Thursday, lead sponsor of pending rental purchase legislation in the U.S. House, paid a visit to a local Aaron’s Sales and Lease store in Ft. Stockton, Texas to meet managers and store personal and get a hands on look at the rent to own industry in action.

Aaron’s Regional Manager Sam Murdoch and store manager Stephen Morales welcomed Canseco and gave him a tour of the store.

"It was great to get the opportunity to show him what we do and how we do it," said Murdoch who manages 11 Aaron’s stores in West Texas and New Mexico. "He was very impressed with the quality products we carry. He was especially interested in our programs like "lifetime reinstatement". The pride of ownership our customers get from being able to purchase these products is something the congressman really picked up on."

Murdoch said Rep. Canseco stayed at the store for around an hour.

Canseco is the original sponsor of H.R. 1588 The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act which now claims 98 co-sponsors.

For complete list of co-sponsors go here.

Grand opening for Jacksonville Premier Rental-Purchase

Location… Location… Location!

That was the idea when Mike Zagar, Premier Rental-Purchase franchisee in Jacksonville, Florida, decided to relocate his store after two years.

Mike was in search of a shopping center that would provide him the traffic he felt he needed.  With the assistance of The Premier Companies Lease Negotiation support system, he was able to find that spot and obtain the lease that was right for him.

The Grand Opening of his new location was held right before Christmas.  “We wanted to let people know about the Grand Opening and tie it into the Christmas season”, said Mike.  The festivities included food, beverage, a live radio remote broadcast and free photos with Santa. Mike’s Grand Opening set a one day delivery record for his store.

Mike became a Premier franchisee after a 14 year career with Rainbow Rentals.

The national office of The Premier Companies is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Premier Brands consist of Premier Rental-Purchase, Premier Home Furnishings, Premier Wheel Workz, Premier Auto by Rent. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier’s website at www.thepremiercompanies.net or call 800/2-Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.
 

Making the grade: second round of industry scholarships awarded

A new round of RTO industry scholarship checks are headed to eight students who finished the fall semester with a 3.0 grade point average or better.

College bound rental industry family members were awarded $35,000 in collective scholarships from both the APRO Education Foundation and the newly established RNR Faye Sutton Scholarship Fund last summer. Recipients earned half of their scholarships with the second half pending on their academic performance in the fall semester.

So far, the following scholarship recipients have submitted grades and earned their second scholarship installments: 

Christian Dunlap, Hillsboro, OH
Southern State Community College:  Hillsboro, OH
APRO Sponsor: Nancy Dunlap, Countryside Rentals, Bainbridge, OH

$2,000 Scholarship Recipient

Christian recently graduated high school with a 3.98 GPA as a member of the National Honors Society. Christian spent his high school years as a treasurer for the 4H club, High School Football Captain and the FFA. Christian also took time out as a mentor and tutor fellow classmates. Christian will be attending Southern State Community College to then transfer to Ohio State University. 

Michael Elkik, Kennesaw, GA
University of Georgia: Athens, GA
APRO Sponsor: Ann Elkik, Aaron’s, Kennesaw, GA

$1,000 Scholarship Recipient

Elkik graduated high school with a weighted 4.1 GPA and an un-weighted 3.8 GPA. During high school, he worked with “Shop with a Mustang” sponsoring an underprivileged child. Michael was president of DECA, the school’s business club, and won business competitions at the local, state and international levels.

Faith Jennings, Nicholasville, KY
University of Kentucky: Lexington, KY
APRO Sponsor: Brent Jennings, RAC, Nicholasville, KY

$3,000 Scholarship Recipient

Jennings’ high school credits include captain of the speech team and academic team. She was a member of the Beta Club, National Honor Society and a member of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar. She was salutatorian of her graduating class that led her to the University of Kentucky. She spent her first two years there participating in “UK Fusion” where she and classmates volunteer in community service events in Lexington. She has already donated 60 hours of community service while maintaining a 3.7 GPA earning a spot on the Dean’s List every semester but one.

Kiersten Scheele, Zanesville, OH
University of Toledo: Toledo, OH
APRO Sponsor: Jerry Scheele, RAC, Zanesville, OH

$2,500 Scholarship Recipient

Scheele graduated high school with a 4.0 and an Honors Diploma. She volunteered for the local animal shelter and the Salvation Army while working her part-time job. At the University of Toledo, she is a member of the Dean’s list and was recently accepted into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honors Society due to her academic excellence. She also spent her freshman and sophomore years volunteering for the American Red Cross and 80 hours of volunteer work for children with disabilities to help her fulfill her goal obtaining a degree in occupational therapy.

Kaylie Scherer, Bloomington, Indiana
Indiana University: Bloomington, Indiana
APRO Sponsor: Rick Scherer, American Rental, Bloomington, Indiana

$3,000 Scholarship Recipient

Both Scherer’s grandmother and father have worked for American Rental for twenty years and “rent-to-own has always been a part of my life," she writes in her application.

She graduated high school in the national honor society with an Academic Honors Diploma. She was recently accepted into the Washington Leadership Program where she spent a semester in Washington, D.C. as an intern. During her college years, she travelled to Mexico to help build homes for the homeless. She has also volunteered for Special Olympics, the Community Kitchen, the local food bank, nursing homes and by teaching gardening at the local elementary schools.

RNR Faye Sutton Scholarships Fund Winners:

The nation’s largest wheel and tire rental franchise company, Rent-n-Roll Custom Wheels and Performance Tires, last year, established a scholarship fund in honor of company president Larry Sutton’s mother, Faye.

Both RNR Scholarship winners took home a $2,500 award and both earned the second installment with a 3.0 grade point average or better this fall semester.

Recipients are as follows:

Jessica Darnell from Rogers, Arkansas is attending Northwest Arkansas Community College sponsored by APRO Members David Harrison & Geron Vail headquartered in Fayetteville, AR

Brandon Burrell from Mobile, AL is a student at the University of Southern Alabama studying Criminal Justice and was sponsored by APRO member Shannon and Cynthia Strunk.

Read more about the APRO Scholarship Foundation here.

Premier Convention: New schedule time for vendor exhibits, sunset sail

The vendor exhibits for The Premier Companies National Convention will be held on Tuesday, January 10 from 12:30 – 4:15pm.

This change is due to the timing of the Sunset Sail at 5:00pm. The change will allow attendees to visit with vendors right after lunch and provide enough time for everyone to get to the dock for our evening cruise.

The convention runs Jan. 9-11 at Casa Marina Resort, Key West, Florida.
 
NEW TIME TO MEET FOR THE SUNSET SAIL:
 
Please meet at the Casa Marina dock at 5:00pm Tuesday
where attendees will board the boats to take to watch the a Key West Sunset.

Participants will return to the Flagler Beach to enjoy food and drink and to toast another lovely evening in the Florida Keys.

See full convention details here.

Rent One store turns quilt into toys for area children

Patricia Gibson, Salem Assistant Manager with Salem Manager Joe O’Neill at Rent Christmas Toy Donation.

This Christmas, Rent One’s Salem, Illinois Assistant Manager Patricia Gibson found a creative way to raise funds for the company’s holiday toy drive with a little help from her mother.

Earlier in the year, Beverly Rennier, Gibson’s mother, donated a queen size homemade quilt. A raffle was held in October and November. 

Gibson used the $700 raised to purchase toys at the local Dollar General.

Last year, with the help of Rent One and other local merchants, Gibson’s store was able to help over 400 families on Christmas.

Two large boxes were dropped off at local radio station WJBD on Dec. 8th where the gifts were sorted out and placed into categories according to the ages of the children receiving the gifts.

The halls were filled with gifts, bikes, blankets, and many other toys waiting for families to pick up their gifts to put under the tree at their homes for the kids to open up on Christmas morning.

Salem Rent One has been holding a toy drive for a few years now but wanted to do something different to raise the money and to share with those who participate in giving donations.
 

At RENT-2-OWN success, advocacy go hand in hand

It happened a week later than usual. But the number was 25 percent greater than what the boss, Mike Tissot, expected. And when he’s surprised, you know that’s a big number.

For the past several years, Bainbridge, Ohio-based Countryside Rentals’ RENT-2-OWN stores have selected a week in December during which a percentage of deliveries or growth in potential rent has been given to charitable causes.

This year, Tissot’s pledge was that 25 percent of the potential rent gain during the week leading right up to Christmas would be spread among four organizations important to him and the company.

“This is a very healthy donation to four of the best places I can think of that do some great work,” said Countryside President Michael Tissot.

What no one could have predicted was a week that turned out to be not only the most profitable in RENT-2-OWN history, but one that also resulted in the  company’s largest ever charitable commitment.

Receiving organizations include:

1) SATH—Kamp Dovetail

"Supplementary Assistance to the Handicapped.  A great camp for developmentally disabled kids, at which many of our employees have volunteered over the past few years," Tissot said.

2) Butler Springs Christian Youth Camp

"They change lives there all summer long. Many employees sent their kids there last year, and many will do it this coming year.  What a safe and awesome place to draw nearer.  They too, are in need of support to help keep their mission alive."

3) St. Judes

"The world’s leading children’s research hospital. They are literally curing cancer. No one pays to go there, and medical research is not cheap."

4) Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals

"Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. This organization has also had a direct impact on the lives of some of our team members.”

Each of the 28 R2O store managers was asked to select one of these groups as the recipient of the cash equivalent of a quarter of their store’s potential rent gain.

Premier Companies expect record attendance

Record attendance is expected for The Premier Companies 2012 National Convention January 9-11 at the Casa Marina Resort in Key West.

Attendees will have the option of participating in a Golf Tournament or Deep Sea Fishing adventure on Monday, the day of the opening evening reception. 

Premier franchisees, vendors and special guests are sure to enjoy the ocean view and swaying palm trees at the opening event, setting the stage for the Welcome Reception and the Convention.

Mark Gow, a nationally known motivational speaker, will address the audience during the General Session. Mark will share his ideas on how to help dealers better understand how to improve their stores performance through more effective leadership. Mark will also discuss what motivation really means and how to communicate in a way to make others more receptive to your ideas.

Tuesday evening always ends the day with a very memorable event! Larkin Mott, The Premier Companies Events Coordinator, has planned an unforgettable Sunset Cruise followed by a Beach Reception.  “I always like to surprise the Convention attendees with a fun and memorable evening. I’m sure this one will meet their expectations”, commented Larkin.

After a day of educational breakout sessions, the Awards Banquet will be held Wednesday evening to recognize the Top Performers within the Premier Family and to announce the 2011 Dealer of the Year Award.

“I really look forward to the Awards Banquet,"  said Trooper Earle, President & CEO of The Premier Companies. "That’s the real time of celebration for me. It is very rewarding seeing the success of our stores and to be able to congratulate the dealers in person.”

Questions regarding the Premier National Convention can be directed to John Darden at  JohnDarden@premierrents.com.

The national office of The Premier Companies is located in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Premier Brands consist of Premier Rental-Purchase, Premier Home Furnishings, Premier Wheel Workz, Premier Auto by Rent. All Premier stores are independently owned and operated. Visit Premier’s website at www.premierrents.net or call 800-2-Premier and ask for Trooper Earle.
 

Rent One’s "Fitnessgram" push featured in local news segment

Rent One’s Larry Carrico presents an Illinois student with a "Fitnessgram" achievement coin. Click to play video.

Rent One’s Larry Carrico is on a mission.

He’s out to give Illinois students the opportunity to improve their mental fitness by first improving their physical fitness. His efforts were recently featured on an Illinois news program.

The program, developed in Texas, is called Fitnessgram, and encourages student’s to do their personal best in the areas of aerobic capacity, body composition and muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Rent One began funding implementation of the program in 2009 beginning with Mt. Vernon City Schools District 80 which serves around 1,200 school children. See story.

Since then company managers have helped bring the program to three additional schools including West Plains Elementary School, Summersville Grade School and Benton Elementary School.

Carrico was honored earlier this year with a special resolution by the Illinois State Board of Education for his help in initiating the health and fitness program.

Aaron’s partners with top universities across the nation

Aaron’s, Inc.,today announced it entered into a multi-year agreement with IMG College to sponsor athletic programs at 30 top universities across the nation.

The sponsorship commitment is one of the most significant national partnerships in college sports and considerably expands the company’s reach to universities and the fans that support them.

The agreement includes Aaron’s signage at football and basketball venues, promotional rights and tickets. Aaron’s is also designated as the preferred vendor in the lease-to-own category of furniture, electronics, appliances and computers.

"While Aaron’s has a long history with collegiate sports, this is the first time the Company has formed a university partnership of this magnitude," said Tom Peterson, Aaron’s VP of Marketing. "Our customers are fans of college sports, and this agreement provides us with a platform to reach millions of existing and potential Aaron’s shoppers through 30 premier college athletic programs across the United States."

The IMG College partnership strengthens Aaron’s long-standing college sports marketing portfolio. In addition to a multi-year sponsorship of the Southeastern Conference, Aaron’s also has existing relationships with the University of Alabama, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Missouri, University of North Carolina and University of Texas.

According to Peterson, an expanded sponsorship of college sports aligns with the Aaron’s business model, which offers students, faculty and fans home essentials with flexible payment options.

"The university audience is an important target for Aaron’s on several levels," Peterson continued. "For example, current students and recent graduates on their own for the first time can gain independence when they open a lease agreement at Aaron’s. We never check credit and offer affordable payment plans, which allows young adults to learn the responsibility of making monthly payments without the risk of ruining their fragile credit. Additionally, Aaron’s continues to be a desirable career option for the many students and graduates seeking employment in a tough economy. We are one of the few retailers in the country that is rapidly expanding and hiring new employees, and our more than 1,900 locations across the country offer a multitude of both managerial and entrepreneurial opportunities."

"College sports continue to grow in popularity and corporate support," said Roger VanDerSnick, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for IMG College. "We’re thrilled Aaron’s is partnering with IMG College to utilize our new national platform to expand its brand in collegiate athletics, activate at dozens of universities coast to coast, and reach the 173 million Americans who follow college sports."

The IMG College sponsorship package includes partnerships with the University of Arkansas, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Auburn University, Baylor University, Brigham Young University, University of Cincinnati, Clemson University, University of Connecticut, Duke University, University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Houston, Kansas University, University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, University of Nebraska, Ohio State University, University of Oregon, University of Pittsburgh, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Texas Christian University, University of Georgia, University of Miami, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Villanova University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Washington and Washington State University.

NRF Survey: Half of all holiday shoppers will shop online over the next two weeks

It’s the final countdown. Over the next few weeks, millions of Americans will visit stores and websites in droves – some for the first time all holiday season – to complete their holiday shopping lists.

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 Consumer Intentions and Actions survey conducted by BIGresearch, as of the second week in December, the average person has completed 46.5 percent of their shopping, less than the 49.5 percent the average person had completed by the same time last year.

“For consumers, the holiday season is more of a marathon than a sprint – typically starting the season strong, pacing themselves in the middle and gearing up again in the final stretch, a trend retailers expect every year,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “As the hours tick toward Christmas, retailers still have a few tricks up their sleeves to entice even the most extreme procrastinators looking to cross the final names off their lists.”

According to the survey, nearly 37 million people (16.5%) had not even started their shopping as of late last week, while 7.6 percent say they have completely finished shopping already. The survey also found the average 25-34 year-old has finished about 50.2 percent of their shopping – the most of any age group.

In Coming Weeks, Online Shopping Expected to Grow Over Last Year

Planning to take advantage of retailers’ extended – and often free – shipping offers, nearly half (45.5%) of those polled will do the remainder of their shopping online, the highest percent in the survey’s nine-year history and up from 37.6 percent last year. More people will also flock to their favorite department (44.0% vs. 38.4% last year) and electronics stores (23.0% vs. 19.4% in 2010).  Discount stores (35.9%), grocery stores (12.5%), specialty stores (10.7%) and even outlets (12.5%) will also see their share of increased holiday traffic in the coming days.

Discretionary Gifts, Gift Cards Popular with Holiday Shoppers So Far

Continuing to grow in popularity for both gift givers and recipients, 31.4 percent of shoppers say they have already bought gift cards/gift certificates this holiday season, up from 29.9 percent last year. As witnessed over Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend, discretionary gifts are on the rise this holiday season: apparel (44.2% vs. 43.9%), electronics (23.8% vs. 21.3% in 2010), toys (36.3% vs. 35.3% in 2010), jewelry (15.9% vs. 14.1% last year) and personal care items (17.1% vs. 16.3% last year) rank as some of the top gifts so far this year.

“This holiday season, shoppers have their eye on more discretionary purchases – whether they’re looking for gifts or just a few small items for themselves,” said BIGresearch Consumer Insights Director Pam Goodfellow. “With less than two weeks until Christmas Day, many shoppers realize that it is crunch time for making decisions but are still planning to stick to their budgets and seek out good deals until the final gifts are wrapped.”

Shoppers to Turn to Mobile, Tablets to Wrap Up Gift Lists

For the remainder of the holiday season, savvy shoppers will turn to their trusty mobile and tablet devices to find the perfect gift. According to the survey, which included these questions for the first time, three in 10 (31.4%) tablet owners will use their device to purchase products and 30.5 percent will use it to look up retailer information such as store hours, location and directions. Most smartphone owners will utilize their mobile device to research products: nearly one-third (31.2%) will compare prices/research items with their smartphone.

When it comes to preferred payment methods, consumers are still keen on paying for gifts with money they already have. Four in 10 (40.4%) say they have primarily paid for their gifts with a debit or check card, while one-quarter (24.8%) have used cash. Slightly less than one-third (31.7%) used a credit card.
 
The survey found most people will wrap up their lists a week before Christmas. Nearly one-third (32.0%) of shoppers say they will buy their last gift before Sunday, December 18, and another 10.9 percent will wait until the very last minute and finish their shopping on Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24.
 
About the Survey

The NRF 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey was designed to gauge consumer behavior and shopping trends related to the winter holidays. The survey polled 8,402 consumers and was conducted for NRF by BIGresearch, November 30 – December 7, 2011. The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

BIGresearch consumer intelligence provides analysis of behavior in areas of products and services, retail, financial services, automotive and media. The Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey (CIA) of 8,000+ respondents is conducted monthly and the Simultaneous Media Usage Survey (SIMM) of 15,000+ respondents is conducted semi-annually.

As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.

NRF’s Retail Means Jobs campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation. www.nrf.com