Rent-A-Center Closes Acquisition of Acima Holdings

February 17, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST
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Integrating Acima’s capabilities creates premier fintech platform across traditional and virtual lease-to-own segments

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2021-- Rent-A-Center, Inc. (the "Company" or "Rent-A-Center") (NASDAQ: RCII) today announced the completion of its previously announced acquisition of Acima Holdings.

Combining Acima’s capabilities with Rent-A-Center’s Preferred Dynamix platform provides retailers and consumers an expanding set of innovative fintech solutions for frictionless lease-to-own (LTO) transactions. The combined company will allow consumers to enjoy the benefits of the Company’s flexible LTO solutions across e-commerce, digital, and mobile channels. The combined business will be led by Preferred Dynamix Executive Vice President Jason Hogg.

“Acima’s technology and stellar team will help accelerate our innovation roadmap enabling us to support current and emerging LTO omnichannel needs of a diversified and growing portfolio of e-commerce and retail partners,” said Mitch Fadel, Chief Executive Officer, Rent-A-Center. “We’ve set out to create the most seamless LTO experience for retailers and consumers alike and are delivering on that goal with the right assets now in place.”

About Rent-A-Center, Inc.

Rent-A-Center, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCII) is an industry leading omni-channel lease-to-own provider for the cash and credit constrained customer. The Company focuses on improving the quality of life for its customers by providing access and the opportunity to obtain ownership of high-quality, durable products via small payments over time under a flexible lease-purchase agreement and no long-term debt obligation. Preferred Lease provides virtual and staffed lease-to-own solutions to retail partners in stores and online enabling our partners to grow sales by expanding their customer base utilizing our differentiated offering. The Rent-A-Center Business and Mexico segments provide lease-to-own options on products such as furniture, appliances, consumer electronics, and computers in approximately 1,950 Rent-A-Center stores in the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico and on its e-commerce platform, Rentacenter.com. The Franchising segment is a national franchiser of approximately 460 franchise locations. Rent-A-Center is headquartered in Plano, Texas. For additional information about the Company, please visit our website at Rentacenter.com or Investor.rentacenter.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains 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," "predict," "continue," "should," "anticipate," "believe," or “confident,” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology and include, among others, statements concerning the anticipated benefits of the Acima transaction, the anticipated impact of the transaction on the combined company’s business and future financial and operating results and our goals, plans and projections with respect to our operations, financial position and business strategy. However, there can be no assurance that such expectations will occur. The Company's actual future performance could differ materially and adversely from such statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such material and adverse differences include, but are not limited to: (1) risks relating to the Acima transaction, including (i) the failure of the transaction to deliver the estimated value and benefits expected by the Company, (ii) the incurrence of unexpected future costs, liabilities or obligations as a result of the transaction, (iii) the effect of the transaction on the ability of the Company to retain and hire personnel and maintain relationships with retail partners, consumers and others with whom the Company and Acima do business, (iv) the ability of the Company to successfully integrate Acima’s operations, (v) the ability of the Company to successfully implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Acima’s business after the closing, (vi) the impact of the additional debt incurred to complete the transaction on the Company’s leverage ratio, interest expense and other business and financial impacts and restrictions due to the additional debt, and (vii) other risks and uncertainties inherent in a transaction of this size, (2) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government and regulatory restrictions issued to combat the pandemic, including adverse changes in such restrictions, and impacts on (i) demand for the Company's lease-to-own products, (ii) the Company's retail partners, (iii) the Company's customers and their willingness and ability to satisfy their lease obligations, (iv) the Company's suppliers' ability to satisfy merchandise needs, (v) the Company's coworkers, (vi) the Company's financial and operational performance, and (vii) the Company's liquidity; and (3) the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. 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 hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Media Contact:
Actual Agency for Preferred Dynamix
teampreferredlease@actual.agency

Investors:
Rent-A-Center, Inc.
Maureen Short
EVP, Chief Financial Officer
972-801-1899
maureen.short@rentacenter.com

Source: Rent-A-Center, Inc.