Chalk one up for the rumour mill.
The sign that went up on the old Staples building at the corner of Thompson Drive and Mystery Lake Road last week confirmed what was not a well-kept secret in Thompson: the new tenant is Aaron’s, a furniture, electronics and home appliance lease and rent-to-own store.
Renovations on the building, which had been vacant since Staples closed its Thompson store at the end of 2011 and vacated the premises about a month later, began in the spring.
The leasing agent would not reveal to the Thompson Citizen who the tenant was when contacted in April, other than to say it was not a food-based business. Sources said Aaron’s was the new tenant, but inquiries to the company elicited neither confirmation nor denial.
As of June 30 of this year, according to an Aaron’s press release, the company had 2,080 stores open in the United States and Canada, including 1,211 company-operated Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership stores, 784 franchised Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership stores, 83 company-operated HomeSmart stores and two franchised HomeSmart stores. Founded in 1985 and publicly traded since 1982, Aaron’s is headquartered in Atlanta and Progressive Leasing is a wholly owned subsidiary.
