Aaron's franchise
2026 filing · April 30, 2026Fewer locations
Aaron's at a glance
A lease-to-own store that leases and sells furniture, electronics, computers and appliances. At the end of 2025 there were 1,162 Aaron's locations in the US, 224 franchised and 938 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- Aaron's, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 4,000–8,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $307K–$838K
- First store
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenues, withdrawn weekly, plus an ad production contribution (the lesser of $3,750 a year or 0.5%) and a media fund contribution (the greater of $175 or 2%) where those funds are established
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of gross revenue or $175, whichever is more, if a fund is set up
- Renewal fee
- $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 1,162
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 224
- Company-owned
- 938
- Change in 3 years
- −5
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 47
- Most in Texas, Florida and North Carolina
From Aaron's, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Aaron's among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Aaron's | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $572,573 | Costs more than 69% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1,162 | More than 97% of franchises |
How much a Aaron's franchise costs
Opening first store costs an estimated $307,170 to $837,975. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($8,000 to $275,000) and additional funds-6 to 15 months ($100,000 to $240,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Real Estate | $3,800 | $20,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $8,000 | $275,000 | |
| Signs | $20 | $225 | |
| Computer Equipment Lease | $50 | $150 | |
| Computer Equipment | $11,800 | $15,000 | |
| Equipment and Fixtures | $12,500 | $20,000 | |
| Delivery Vehicle | $1,500 | $7,600 | |
| Insurance | $6,500 | $11,000 | |
| Cyber Liability Insurance | $5,000 | $30,000 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $1,000 | $4,000 | |
| Pre-Opening Advertising | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Event Advertising | $0 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $120,000 | $160,000 | |
| Additional Funds-6 to 15 Months | $100,000 | $240,000 | |
| Total | $307,170 | $837,975 | |
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 30
Aaron's franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 23
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, withdrawn weekly, plus an ad production contribution (the lesser of $3,750 a year or 0.5%) and a media fund contribution (the greater of $175 or 2%) where those funds are established. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue or $175, whichever is more, if a fund is set up. |
| Renewal Fee | $2,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 25
Other fees as filed, from page 26. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Aaron's does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 60
SBA loans to Aaron's franchisees
Lenders approved 52 SBA-backed loans for Aaron's franchisees from 1994 to 2022, $24.9M in all: 25 7(a) loans and 27 504 loans. All 45 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 7 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Aaron's | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / −2.2% | −0.4% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0.9% / 6.6% | 5.4% / 18% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0.4% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical retail brand is the median of the 114 brands in retail franchises with three years of counts.
How Aaron's compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, Aaron's is the 214th cheapest to open and the 12th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Aaron's | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $307K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $838K | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5.7% | 6% |
| US locations | 1,162 | 38 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 220 (−9) | 1,004 | 0 | −9 |
| 2024 | 224 (+4) | 959 | +9 | −5 |
| 2025 | 224 (0) | 938 | +2 | −2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 60
Where Aaron's locations are
At the end of 2025, Aaron's had locations in 47 states. The most are in Texas, Florida and North Carolina.
- Texas166
- Florida76
- North Carolina76
- Georgia68
- Ohio57
- Pennsylvania51
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 25 | 141 | 166 |
| Florida | 4 | 72 | 76 |
| North Carolina | 15 | 61 | 76 |
| Georgia | 6 | 62 | 68 |
| Ohio | 7 | 50 | 57 |
| Pennsylvania | 19 | 32 | 51 |
| Tennessee | 3 | 39 | 42 |
| Louisiana | 0 | 40 | 40 |
| Alabama | 10 | 29 | 39 |
| Virginia | 3 | 31 | 34 |
All 47 states
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, page 61
Who owns Aaron's?
Aaron's franchises are sold by Aaron's, LLC.
From Aaron's, LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 16–23. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Aaron's, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 16–23, bankruptcy on page 23
Aaron's filings
The figures on this page come from Aaron's, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 30, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 30, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
