Rent-to-own News - Credit crunch boosts Aaron Rents Q2 revenues up 15 percent, same store revenues up 4.1 percent

Aaron Rents the nation's second largest rent-to-own company, today announced revenues and earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2008.

For the second quarter of 2008, revenues rose 15% to $411.2 million compared to $359.0 million for the second quarter of 2007. Net earnings were $23.3 million versus $19.7 million for the same period a year ago, an 18% increase.

A conference call to discuss the quarterly financial results is slated for tomorrow at 10:30 am Eastern Time. The public is invited to listen to the conference call by webcast accessible through the Company's website, www.aaronrents.com, in the "Investor Relations" section.

The webcast will be archived for playback at that same site.

Diluted earnings per share were up 19% to $.43 compared to $.36 per share last year.

For the first six months of this year, revenues were up 14% to $848.5 million compared to $746.9 million for the first six months of 2007. Net earnings for the first half of 2008 were $48.0 million versus $48.9 million for the corresponding period last year. Diluted earnings per share for the first six months were $.89 for both 2008 and 2007.

Included in the Company's other revenues in the second quarter of 2008 was a $3.4 million gain from the sale of four Company-operated stores to a franchisee and the rental accounts of three stores to a third party operator.

Excluding this gain, net earnings on a non-GAAP basis for the second quarter of 2008 would have been $21.2 million, or $.39 per diluted share.

The Company also recorded a $2.3 million gain included in other revenues in the first quarter of 2008 relating to the sale of Company-operated stores to franchisees. Included in the Company's other revenues in the first six months of 2007 was a $4.9 million gain from the sale in last year's first quarter of a parking deck at the Company's corporate headquarters.

See the attached table for a reconciliation of revenues, net earnings, and diluted earnings per share to non-GAAP revenues, earnings, and diluted earnings per share excluding the aforementioned asset sales.

"We feel our second quarter results are exceptional," said R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Chairman of Aaron Rents. "The Company continues to grow and we are pleased that we service the large market of credit-constrained consumers who need and desire our products and services even in these difficult economic times."

Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division second quarter revenues increased 16% to $381.4 million compared to $327.6 million last year. First six months sales and lease ownership revenues also increased 16% to $787.7 million compared to the $678.8 million of a year ago.

"Our goal is to continue to grow the business and at the same time increase profitability," said Robert C. Loudermilk Jr., president and chief executive officer of Aaron Rents. "In the second quarter we saw an improvement in same store revenues, collection efforts and overall store level execution, and our profitability exceeded expectations. Earnings for the quarter were positively impacted by better performance even with the start-up expenses associated with the opening of new stores negatively impacting results by approximately $.06 per diluted share."

Same store revenues (revenues earned in Company-operated stores open for the entirety of both periods) in the Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division increased 4.1% during the second quarter of 2008 compared to the same quarter a year ago.

Consolidated rentals and fees for the second quarter and first half advanced 14% and 13% over the comparable previous year periods, respectively. In addition, franchise royalties and fees were up 13% for the second quarter and 12% year-to-date.

Non-retail sales, which are primarily sales of rental merchandise to Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership franchisees, increased to $66.1 million for the second quarter from $56.7 million in the comparable period in 2007 and to $151.5 million for the first six months compared to $126.9 million for the first six months last year.

The increases in the Company's franchise revenues and the shipments of non-retail sales are the result of the increase in revenues of the Company's franchisees, who collectively had revenues of $160.3 million during the second quarter and $327.7 million for the first six months of 2008, an 18% and 15% increase, respectively, over the prior year periods.

Same store revenues for franchised stores were up 16.1% for the second quarter compared to the same quarter last year. Revenues of franchisees, however, are not revenues of Aaron Rents, Inc.

During the second quarter the Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division opened six new Company-operated stores, 14 new franchised stores, one Company- operated RIMCO store and one franchised RIMCO store. The division also closed nine Company-operated and four franchised stores during the quarter, merging their operations with other existing stores.

In addition, the Company acquired 17 franchised stores, acquired one store and the rental accounts of six other stores from unrelated rental companies, sold four Company-operated stores to a franchisee, and sold the rental accounts of three other stores to another rental operator. The Company also closed two corporate furnishings stores during the quarter.

Through the three months and six months ended June 30, the Company awarded area development agreements to open 29 and 79 additional franchised stores, respectively. At the end of June there were a total of 285 franchised stores awarded that are expected to open over the next several years.

At June 30, 2008 the Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership division had 993 Company-operated stores, 480 franchised stores, 30 Company-operated RIMCO stores, and seven franchised RIMCO stores. In addition, the Company operated 60 corporate furnishings stores.

"During the first six months of 2008 we have continued to open new stores but also have bought and sold numerous stores in transactions with franchisees as well as closing a total of 29 Company-operated and seven franchised stores, merging their operations with other stores. These actions were done to improve profitability and we will continue to evaluate the need for additional mergers and realignments throughout the year," said Loudermilk Jr.

Aaron Rents, Inc., based in Atlanta, currently has more than 1,570 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. The Company's MacTavish Furniture Industries division manufactured in 2007 approximately $73 million at cost of furniture, bedding and accessories at 12 facilities in five states. The entire production of MacTavish is for shipment to Aaron Rents stores.

mevans@rtohq.org