Aaron’s Boosts Collaboration and Efficiency with Centric PXM

“Our old DOS-based system just couldn’t handle e-commerce—it forced us to manage assortments manually, one SKU at a time and slowed everything down.”

Richard Wood, Inventory & Logistics Analyst at Aaron’s, describes the company’s reality before implementing a modern PIM (Product Information Management) solution. His words capture the frustration across teams as outdated systems simply could not keep pace with the company’s growth or the demands of a digital-first retail landscape. Today, Aaron’s has cut time to market, streamlined workflows and improved collaboration across the company.

A solid history

Founded in 1955 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Aaron’s is a leading, technology-enabled, omnichannel provider of rent-to-own and retail purchase solutions of appliances, electronics, furniture and other home goods across its brands: Aaron’s, BrandsMart U.S.A. and BrandsMart Leasing. Aaron’s offers a direct-to-consumer lease-to-own solution through its approximately 1,500 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada, as well as its e-commerce platform.

The high cost of inefficiency

The consequences of the outdated approach to e-commerce were significant; product information was managed manually one SKU at a time, but beyond data entry, the business faced huge operational challenges. Manual workflows for data updates, syndication and asset management led to siloed working and inconsistent product information, making updates slow and error prone.

Communication with suppliers depended on long email chains, with no structured data governance in place. Without centralized, standardized systems, Aaron’s struggled to support the “endless aisle” concept or the ability to keep pace with shifting consumer and market demands by offering more products across more categories, creating significant strategic risks. Inconsistent data eroded consumer trust, and delays in product launches limited agility to respond to consumer trends. Says Richard Wood, “When we wanted to expand into the endless aisle strategy, we needed a way to manage and upload large numbers of products at once. The original PIM setup we had was very limited, so we had to find a better solution to support our e-commerce growth plans.”

Recognizing the urgency, Aaron’s began searching for a robust PIM solution. They knew they needed not just a replacement system, but rather a solution that fundamentally transforms how product information and digital assets are managed. Aaron’s selected Centric PXM™^,, originally Contentserv.

The path to modernization

The transformation began with the rollout of Centric PIM™ and Centric DAM™, part of the Centric PXM (Product Experience Management) solution that also comprises Centric Syndication™ and Centric DSA™ (Digital Shelf Analytics) modules focused on rebuilding historical data and replacing manual workflows. Centric PIM provides a scalable platform for managing product information, while Centric DAM delivers centralized asset management for all kinds of media content.

The benefits are wide-reaching across merchandising, accounts payable, e-commerce and marketing teams with one unified single source of product content. The launch of the onboarding supplier portal strengthens the supply chain through revolutionized supplier collaboration with faster information exchange, greater transparency and standardized data submissions.

“The primary users are our merchandising teams, who handle the detailed product data entry. Our e-commerce and marketing teams also use the PIM, as do our vendors via the portal.”

Reflecting on the journey, Richard Wood highlights what set Centric Software® apart:

Real impact and measurable success

The implementation of Centric PXM delivers both immediate and long-term results. Time-consuming manual activities have been replaced with streamlined automations, while real-time updates and efficient asset management enables faster changes, cutting time-to-shelf and gives Aaron’s the agility it had previously lacked.

Collaboration has also improved across the organization. Departments, branch offices and vendors can now work from one centralized system eliminating duplication and ensuring confidence in data accuracy. Supplier relationships are strengthened through Centric PXM’s onboarding supplier portal, which introduces a faster, more transparent way to exchange information and maintain consistency across the supply chain.

The benefits translate into tangible business outcomes:

• Faster time-to-shelf – Access to real-time information and automation cuts delays, speeding product launches.
• Improved savings – Automation reduces reliance on manual work, streamlines workflows and frees teams to focus on higher-value tasks instead of repetitive tasks.
• Consistent, up-to-date data – Centralized access to product information and version control of assets ensures accurate data across the organization.
• Enhanced collaboration – Stronger communication across teams and with vendors supports efficiency and growth.
• Future scalability – With the flexibility of the Centric PXM system, Aaron’s is now positioned to integrate new products, attributes and vendors seamlessly.

Today Aaron’s reality is vastly different; onboarding is faster, vendor data handling is streamlined and employees have time to make strategic impact. Not only are the immediate challenges solved but the groundwork is now laid for future growth and innovation.