Wikipedia
Rent-A-Center (commonly referred to as RAC, Rent-A-Centre in Canada) is an American public furniture and electronics rent-to-own company based in Plano, Texas. The company was incorporated in 1986 and as of 2014 operates approximately 2,972 company-owned stores in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico, accounting for approximately 35% of the rent-to-own market in the United States based on store count.
Rent-A-Center's operations include 28 retail installment stores called Get It Now (based in Wisconsin); 17 Home Choice stores in Minnesota; 15 rent-to-own stores in Canada that go by Rent-A-Centre and Better Living; and approximately 1,359 Acceptance Now kiosks housed within retail partner stores throughout the United States. Its subsidiary, Rent-A-Center Franchising International Inc. (RACFI), formerly known as ColorTyme Inc., is America's first franchisor of independently owned-and-operated rent-to-own stores. Its franchisees operate 162 rent-to-own stores in 31 states under the Rent-A-Center and ColorTyme brand names, and the company's wheels-and-tires franchise brand, RimTyme, operates 31 stores in 13 states.
In 2014, Fortune Magazine listed Rent-A-Center at number 711 on the Fortune 1000 list of the largest U.S. corporations, based on revenues alone. Competitors include Aaron’s, Inc., easyhome, Best Buy Co. Inc., and Wal-Mart Stores.