Aaron's will take fill the space formerly occupied by Sears in the Edgecombe Square Shopping Center.

Two years ago Aaron's, formerly Aaron Rents, planned to build a store in front of the Walmart parking lot next to Murphy Express facing U.S. 258, but that site is now for sale.

"We passed on that," said Ryan Doody, director of real estate, citing the high cost of new construction.

The new store will be approximately 8,400 square feet and probably employ five people when it opens.

"As it grows, the staff grows," Doody said. "Our store in Rocky Mount started with five and now has eight or nine employees."

Remodeling is expected to take about five weeks.

Aaron's bills itself as "the leader in the rental, lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances ... a pioneer in the furniture rental industry."

It has has more than 1,600 company-operated and franchised stores in 46 states and Canada. It has 10 stores within 46 miles of Tarboro: Rocky Mount, Greenville, Wilson, Zebulon, Goldsboro, Roanoke Rapids, Kinston, Williamston, Ahoskie and Washington.

"We are one of the few retailers that is actually growing in this economy” Doody said.

The corporation is headquartered in Atlanta.

The Sears dealer store opened in November 2005 and closed in October 2007.