Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ/NGS: RCII), the nation's largest rent-to-own operator, today announced that it is reaffirming its outlook for the RAC Acceptance segment. The Company expects to add 200 domestic RAC Acceptance kiosks in 2012. In addition, the Company recently made available on its website updated new store economics for RAC Acceptance which reflect recent operating improvements and the Company's confidence in the RAC Acceptance business model.
"While a majority of the Company's current RAC Acceptance locations are in furniture retailers, the Company also has successful operations in the consumer electronics and appliance retail sector," said Mark E. Speese, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In light of the performance of these operations, the Company believes there is significant growth opportunity in the retail consumer electronics and appliance industries," Mr. Speese concluded.
Rent-A-Center, Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, is the largest rent-to-own operator in North America, focused on improving the quality of life for its customers by providing them the opportunity to obtain ownership of high-quality, durable goods such as consumer electronics, appliances, computers, furniture and accessories, under flexible rental purchase agreements with no long-term obligation. The Company owns and operates approximately 3,070 stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and approximately 765 RAC Acceptance kiosk locations in the United States and Puerto Rico. ColorTyme, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a national franchiser of approximately 220 rent-to-own stores operating under the trade name of "ColorTyme." For additional information about the Company, please visit www.rentacenter.com.
This press release and the guidance above contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "could," "estimate," "should," "anticipate," or "believe," or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. The actual future performance of the Company could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: uncertainties regarding the ability to open new locations; the Company's ability to acquire additional stores or customer accounts on favorable terms; the Company's ability to control costs and increase profitability; the Company's ability to enhance the performance of acquired stores; the Company's ability to retain the revenue associated with acquired customer accounts; the Company's ability to identify and successfully market products and services that appeal to its customer demographic; the Company's ability to enter into new and collect on its rental or lease purchase agreements; the passage of legislation adversely affecting the rent-to-own industry; the Company's failure to comply with applicable statutes or regulations governing its transactions; changes in interest rates; changes in the unemployment rate; economic pressures, such as high fuel costs, affecting the disposable income available to the Company's current and potential customers; economic conditions affecting consumer spending; changes in the Company's stock price, the number of shares of common stock that it may or may not repurchase, and future dividends, if any; changes in estimates relating to self-insurance liabilities and income tax and litigation reserves; changes in the Company's effective tax rate; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls; changes in the number of share-based compensation grants, methods used to value future share-based payments and changes in estimated forfeiture rates with respect to share-based compensation; the resolution of the Company's litigation; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company'sSEC reports, including but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2012.You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company is not obligated to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect the events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contacts:
Rent-A-Center, Inc.
David E. Carpenter, 972-801-1214
Vice
President of Investor Relations
david.carpenter@rentacenter.com
