Buddy's Home Furnishings, was founded in 1961 by Mr. Norman "Slat" Slatton, Sr. Selling used appliances from his home, Mr. Slatton had a dream that one day he would have an appliance store of his own where he could service the demands of the growing Tampa area. A few years later, Mr. Slatton's dreams were realized when he opened his first appliance showroom. Driven by an intense desire to succeed,
Mr. Slatton built his business one satisfied customer at a time, and soon the Buddy Bi-Rite name became synonymous with quality appliances, low prices, and old fashioned service. Over the next 15 years, Buddy Bi-Rite prospered and, by the end of the 1970's, had sold more televisions and appliances than any other independent dealer in the Tampa Bay, FL area. In 1979, Mr. Slatton recognized that a growing number of young families were not able to purchase a new television or appliance because they either lacked good credit or were unable to come up with a large down payment. It was at this time that Buddy Bi-Rite introduced the "Rent-to-Own" plan. The overwhelming popularity of Buddy Bi-Rite's "Rent-to-Own" plan fueled the company's expansion into other towns throughout Florida, and now many other states. Today, Buddy's Home Furnishings is the largest independent "Rent-to-Own" dealer with over 90 locations in multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Future stores are also being targeted in Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Buddy's continues to offer convenient rental and lease purchase plans or our customers can receive up to 6 months same as cash pricing, all with No Credit Needed!
