New Spin on Rent-to-Own Rental Store's Reality Shift

That’s right, tires.

The Atlanta nurse said she didn’t have the $500 it would have cost her to get four new tires for her 3-year-old Camry. And she has no credit cards . But she still needed to get to work.

So Rasheed went to the Atlanta-based wheel and tire chain and got two tires on a rent-to-own basis. She paid $41.17 a month for them, until her tax refund came in and she was able to pay the balance.

“I needed them right away,” she said. “If you’re on a budget, you can’t afford it. Tires are very expensive.”

RIMCO, a division of Atlanta rent-to-own furniture and electronics company Aaron’s, started in 2004 as a destination for drivers who wanted to pimp their rides with trendy wheels. But as the recession reduced customers’ demand for pricey rims, the company looked for other things it could sell that would keep shoppers coming back time and again.

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