If you grew up in the right part of town in the 80’s and 90’s, you may have remembered those “Rent-a-Center” stores. You knew that if you drove past one of those, you may not have been on the right side of town. You’d see window decals that advertised their six-month, same as cash deals. If you were lucky, these storefronts would allow you to use your pending tax return as credit for the rental agreement. Rent-a-Center’s are peppered across America, often in places that few people in this community would frequent. With nearly 35% of the market and 2,970 stores, Rent-a-Center (RAC) has undoubtedly shaped America’s perception of the access economy. And until recently, the perception around access hasn’t been positive.
Consider your favorite film of all time. You’ve probably watched it fifteen times. You know the lines, the body language of the main characters, you know the movie’s score. You may even have the screenplay lying around at home. Odds are, you’ve watched it in the comfort of your own home far more often than you watched it in the theater. Scarface bombed in the theater; Blade Runner didn’t earn half of its budget. And It’s a Wonderful Life fared no better on the silver screen. Each of these films were designated ‘classic’ after years in the living room. They were failures before they were classics.
Pioneers get the arrows, settlers get the gold. The DNVB sells their products through their own online cart. Historically, these brands have a price advantage over traditional retailers and competitors – to include Amazon. They accomplish this by cutting out the middleman and marketing directly to consumers. The DNVB must achieve five criteria:
