Atlanta - 30 November, 2005 -

Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership has turned the rent-to-own industry on its head. And while competitors scramble to become more like Aaron’s, Aaron’s is poised to add nearly 1,000 more locations to its existing 1,135+ stores within the next five years. So you might wonder - What’s so different about Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership? The simple answer is- a whole lot. Picture for a moment a typical rent-to-own store complete with puffy furniture, brass trimmed tables and faux-stucco lamp bases all merchandised under fluorescent lighting, perhaps displayed on a dingy carpet. Now imagine an Aaron’s store a huge, well-lit and inviting space filled with new merchandise that looks like any other retail store for furniture, appliances and electronics. Now compare what you might pay to do business either place, and you will understand what has customers flocking to Aaron’s and leaves their competition scratching its head. In fact, if you’ve seen Aaron’s latest television campaign, you already know that President Ken Butler addresses head-on the differences between the Aaron’s concept and traditional rent-to-own. Following the lead of several financial analysts who have proclaimed that Aaron’s is “shaking up” the industry, Ken Butler simply tells viewers, “Let ‘Em Shake”. So Furniture & Interiors set out to determine exactly what Aaron’s does to drive the competition to such quivers. One of the distinctions that helps keep Aaron’s a step ahead of the competition is the company’s vertical integration system. Nearly one-half of all furniture leased or sold through Aaron’s stores is manufactured by Aaron’s themselves. MacTavish Furniture Industries is a division of Aaron’s that has grown to become one of the top furniture manufacturers in the United States. With Aaron’s exercising control over the quality of the merchandise they sell or lease to customers, the end result is furniture with extra hardwood, more coils and a higher-grade foam than you’d find at many other furniture stores. Plus, the fact that MacTavish has access to first-hand knowledge of customer requests for merchandise led Aaron’s to create a furniture collection that helps customers outfit a room with today’s most popular designer-worthy combinations. The company’s “Woodhaven Designer Collection” makes furnishing an entire area as simple as selecting a coordinated room grouping that best fits the customer’s taste, style and other furnishings. And Aaron’s makes sure to take care of the little details such as hand-painted lamps and perfectly matched table sets, so customers no longer have to guess what might work together in a certain setting. It’s that level of service that has kept Aaron’s in business for 50 years, and counting. “When a customer shops with Aaron’s, they know they will be treated fairly and they know they receive a good value for their money, whether they flat-out purchase an item or if they choose to lease-to-own merchandise. Our logo reads ‘Sales and Lease Ownership for Less’ and believe me, we mean it,” said Aaron’s President Ken Butler. In fact, Aaron’s management believes it enough that many advertising campaigns appeal to the customers to do the one thing that will conclusively prove Aaron’s point of view. They proudly compare their cost of ownership with the competition, in large print, right on the front of their sales circulars. Aaron’s “Do the Math” has become a bit of a battle call for Aaron’s associates, because the simple truth is that numbers don’t lie. “We have been successful for two simple reasons: We encourage our customers to Do the Math and we expect our company to Do the Right Thing,” said Butler. While the math may be cut and dry, what exactly constitutes the “right thing” can be a bit more elusive. However, for 50 years Aaron’s corporate culture has been steeped in the philosophy of Founder and CEO Charlie Loudermilk to treat everyone fairly, whether they are customers or whether they’re associates. Mr. Loudermilk’s culture remains firmly intact, within a company accustomed to giving back to the communities where it does business. One such way is through the ACORP (Aaron’s Community Outreach Program). This unique program allows stores to earn as much as $500 per month to be donated to the local charities of their choice. To date, this program has donated more than $2.5 million, all distributed directly to the folks who need it on a very local level. Aaron’s charitable giving does not stop there. Aaron’s supports several national causes and earlier this year raised more than $100,000 to support Operation Marathon. Operation Marathon is Aaron’s spokesperson Michael Waltrip’s effort to raise money to support Victory Junction Gang, the Petty family (of NASCAR fame) summer camp for terminally ill children and their families. Aaron’s is also the Official Furniture Sponsor for Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn’s charity Home for the Holidays. This heart-warming program provides single mothers with a way to acquire their first home. Each mother that is referred by local agencies and selected for the program receives assistance with making a down payment and then comes home to a house loaded with everything a family needs furniture, appliances, even silverware, towels and sheets all donated by Home for the Holidays’ sponsors. Aaron’s donates all the furniture for these homes valued at more than $9,000 per home! To date, the charity has helped more than 50 families become homeowners and turn their lives around in the most positive of ways. And Aaron’s couldn’t be more proud to be involved. But the old saying ‘charity begins at home’ takes on a new twist, in light of Hurricane Katrina. As press time, Aaron’s was the only company within its industry to release information concerning expected losses from the tragedy. More poignantly, Aaron’s was very publicly prepared to help associates who may have lost everything in the storm, including a job. “We have designated $200,000 in funds from ACORP for assistance to Aaron’s associates who have been affected by the hurricane. These funds can help secure food, clothing, necessities, shelter or anything else that might help our employees through this incredibly difficult time,” said Butler. What usually helps more than anything is re-establishing a sense of routine and being surrounded by what is familiar. To that end, Aaron’s has embarked on an ambitious program to provide replacement jobs to every employee displaced by Katrina in the Aaron’s store of their choice. “This is about doing the right thing, about treating our folks fairly, and about being the kind of company you want to work for. We care about our employees and their families and we couldn’t think of a better way to help these very important people than to get them back on their feet and support them in any and every way possible. I personally instructed our store managers in the surrounding states to open their arms and make these associates feel welcome,” said Butler. “I have no doubts, though, that they would have done just that even without me saying so. That’s just a testament to the kind of people we are so fortunate to work with every day.” It’s this customer and associate-centered philosophy that is driving Aaron’s corporate and franchised-store growth. What took Aaron’s 50 years to accomplish in terms of store count, they will duplicate over the next five years. So, if “Do the Math” is the request, you could say Aaron’s has found the right formula.

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