Rent-to-own retailer awards three franchised locations to TryBudCo, LLC.
Buddy’s Home Furnishings, a retailer specializing in the sales and rental ownership of furniture, electronics, appliances and home accessories, awarded TryBudCo, LLC with three franchised locations across Georgia with the first scheduled to open in Macon.
The new locations will add to Buddy’s growing nationwide footprint of more than 300 stores.
Ray Muncy is an operating partner with TryBudCo. He started in the rent-to-own industry in 1987 in Columbus, Georgia and has since held various positions such as field operator, credit manager, general manager, district manager, regional manager and director of franchise operations for a large lease purchase company.
“I came across Buddy’s franchise opportunity when I thought I was closing the chapter on my rent-to-own career,” said Muncy.
“It encouraged me to venture into franchise ownership and re-ignited my love for the industry. The Buddy’s people and their structured franchise support are what attracted me most to the opportunity, and I look forward to continuing to work with them as we grow our multi-unit franchise footprint.”
TryBudCo has the potential to open as many as 10 franchised locations with Buddy’s, although only three are confirmed at this time.
“We’re thrilled to partner with TryBudCo to offer more communities across Georgia an affordable way to attain home necessities,” said Mitchell Lee, Director of Franchise Development.
“We’ve identified three strong markets for TryBudCo’s initial phase of multi-unit development, and I look forward to witnessing their future growth and success.”
Buddy’s was founded in 1961 as Buddy’s Bi-Rite in Tampa, Florida. Since then, the company rebranded to Buddy’s Home Furnishings as it expanded its product line to include furniture, electronics, appliances and home accessories. The company’s business model allows customers to attain ownership of items through affordable payments without the constraints of traditional credit or financing.
“It is amazing to see how Buddy’s has continued to expand over the last 60 years, especially through franchising,” said Michael Bennett, CEO of Buddy’s.
“On behalf of our home office team, we warmly welcome TryBudCo to the Buddy’s family.”
Buddy’s adopted the franchise model in 2009 and was acquired by Franchise Group, Inc. in 2020. This year, the company celebrates 60 years in business and has more than 300 operating stores, 262 of which are franchised locations.