Inside the Results Retailers Are Seeing with Acima

The U.S. rent-to-own market reached $12.31 billion in 2023 and is projected to expand to $19.39 billion by 2031 (CAGR 6.8%). (1) Rent-to-own has traditionally worked through standalone storefronts, offering underserved consumers vital alternatives to financing. 

Today, that model is being complemented by lease-to-own (LTO) solutions. LTO solutions integrate directly with the retailer and extend similar benefits to brick & mortar and eCommerce storefronts across furniture, electronics, appliances, tires and more. 

Meeting Retailer Needs and Customer Expectations at the Point of Sale 

LTO solutions, such as those offered by Acima, build on the foundation of rent-to-own models. With a proven footprint in thousands of brick-and-mortar locations, Acima’s in-store presence shows how LTO can lift conversion at the register. It gives consumers an added, flexible alternative to credit at checkout and can become a key part of a retailer’s business strategy.  

Retailers control their inventory until purchase, receive funding quickly and shift payment risk to the LTO provider. These benefits work together to broaden access for customers who may not be able to pay with cash or qualify for financing. 

LTO Is Delivering Sales Growth and Increased Customer Reach 

Partners integrating LTO with Acima report improvements in sales growth and customer reach. This solution gives retailers a reliable path to serve more customers. This solution gives retailers a reliable path to serve more customers.  

It’s especially valuable for reaching those who might otherwise have to walk away from a store empty-handed or abandon an online cart due to their less-than-perfect credit. 

The impact is visible across retail segments, from home furnishings to auto services, with results pointing to sustained performance improvements. Retailers are meeting these challenges head-on with tailored solutions from Acima, producing measurable, real-world results such as:

Woodstock Furniture Outlet 

• Challenge: High walkout rates among non-prime shoppers 
• Solution: Deployed Acima kiosks across all three showrooms 
• Result: 2% incremental revenue lift and strong opt-in rates for early purchase options 

Appliance Warehouse 

• Challenge: Manual, inefficient in-house financing process 
• Solution: Transitioned to Acima’s digital LTO portal 
• Result: 10–20% sales growth, ~25 new customers/month, six more transactions/week 

Chuck Wait Tires 

• Challenge: Limited reach to budget-sensitive customers 
• Solution: Adopted Acima LTO to offer flexible payment options 
• Result: 33% increase in monthly revenue, 150+ new transactions in 10 weeks, 20% lift in new tire sales 

Why it matters: With Acima Leasing, retailers receive the full value of the merchandise from Acima. Since Acima owns the item, the retailer doesn't need to handle returns or customer follow-ups about the product. (2) 

Operational Fit That Makes LTO Easy to Adopt 

For enterprise retailers, execution matters as much as strategy. Evaluating LTO solutions often begins with one question: will it work with our existing operations? 

Key areas of focus include: 

• Funding Visibility: Retailers gain real-time insight into payment statuses through Acima’s Partner Portal 
• Systems Integration: Prebuilt cart plugins, API access, and app/store locator support simplify deployment 
• Operational Efficiency: Avoid the expense of additional personnel with Acima-staffed and self-guided options.
• Implementation Speed: Acima’s turnkey integrations for in-store and online storefronts allow retailers to quickly activate LTO and begin serving more customers soon after implementation 

Simple, fast setup helps explain why retailers like Woodstock Furniture Outlet have adopted Acima so successfully: 

"There is no other way to describe it [Acima]. It's just simple. It was simple for us to begin using; it's simple for our customers to apply and the most important part is that we are now making sales and additional revenue in an important area that we couldn't serve before. It provides an exceptional service to our customers." – Brian Aaron, VP and COO 

What Retailer Outcomes Tell Us About the Staying Power of LTO 

Enterprise retailers exploring new ways to increase customer reach without adding financial complexity should take a closer look at LTO. Proven results across retail segments show it delivers measurable returns and sustained impact.

Whether you're a brick-and-mortar, ecommerce or hybrid retailer, Acima offers a flexible, low-friction path to expand your customer base without sacrificing margin or adding operational strain.  

Explore how Acima can support your business strategy today by connecting online through the Partner page. 

The content of this article is provided solely for general interest and should not be relied upon or construed as any form of advice, whether legal, financial, or otherwise. Receipt or use of this information does not create any sort of relationship between us. 

Sources: 

1. Verified Market Research. United States Rent-to-Own Market Valuation – 2024-2031. 
2. PR Newswire. Acima Leasing emphasizes the importance of inclusive shopping options with new white paper.