With 280 member companies and counting, RentDirect accounts for 10% of the overall membership in Nationwide Marketing Group.

Photo RTO Online

Robert Weisner, Executive Vice President of Nationwide Marketing Group. See a complete photo gallery of this week's Nationwide Marketing Group PrimeTime! Buying Show in Las Vegas, Nevada here.

Robert Weisner, Executive Vice President of Nationwide Marketing Group, parent company of RTO Industry buying group RentDirect, believes the impressive growth achieved by RentDirect will allow the group to reach its goal of 500 members within 5 years. See RTO Online's exclusive interview with Robert Weisner here.

"We're extremely happy with where we are today. In a few short years we've grown the organization to over 280 members and we've got 20 people on the street recruiting members and selling RentDirect. It's a huge investment on Nationwide's part to build this business," said Weisner.

With 280 member companies and counting, RentDirect accounts for 10% of the overall membership in Nationwide Marketing Group. Yet Weisner expects the percentage of RTO dealers to escalate.

"We have always felt the RTO segment could eventually become 25 – 30% of our group mix. And I think that's where we'll end up."

To those who wonder how, exactly, a retail buying group can absorb such a highly-specialized industry like rent-to-own, Weisner says the similarities far outweigh any differences.

"Many of the same problems in running and operating a business today, whether it be human resources, how to make deliveries, all the things it takes to run an appliance, electronics or furniture store – many of those same things occur when you run a rental store. 80% of the things are in common."

For those things that are unique to RTO, RentDirect strives to offer specific educational seminars and additional member benefits to round out their services and fully support a rental-purchase operator.

One such added member benefit is the NRC – Nationwide Rental Coalition – which has been formed with the intent to provide a means for independent operators to communicate with lawmakers in Washington.

"We really feel we can do a better job getting members to Washington, DC. We can make it better for the whole industry."

Weisner points to the overall size of Nationwide Marketing Group as a distinct and sustainable competitive advantage that allows them to offer the most opportunity for independent dealers.

"Nationwide is twice the size of any other organization like us today. Our rental division is twice as big as any rental division out there. This is the largest show ever attended by an appliance and electronics group. It's double the size of all of our competing groups. I'm convinced from what I've been able to find out from those (dealers) who have come into our organization from other (buying groups) that RentDirect Nationwide has the best buying programs in the country."

But should the fact that Nationwide Marketing Group boasts 2,800 member companies with 8,000 storefronts and $11 billion in buying power stop a one-store owner from joining?

"One store, ten stores, it doesn't matter. They can all use the help. The larger the business the more services they'll be able to take advantage of. Our program is good for one dealer with one store or a multiple store operation. If a dealer is not part of RentDirect, I think they're missing a large part of helping their organization reach its all-time high."