Stock Options and Restricted Stock - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010 Year	Dec. 31, 2009
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Compensation expense related to unvested grants	$ 2,600,000	$ 3,200,000	$ 2,400,000
Excess tax benefits included in cash provided by financing activities	1,264,000	321,000	3,909,000
Unexercised options lapse period	10 years
Aggregate number of shares of common stock issued or transferred under the incentive stock awards plan	14,700,556
Stock options granted		347,000
Weighted average fair value of options granted		$ 10.31
Risk-free interest rate		3.59%
Dividend yield		0.25%
Volatility factor of the expected market price		0.41
Weighted average assumptions of forfeiture rate		3.89%
Weighted average expected life of the option		9
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised	5,469,000	848,000	13,100,000
Fair value of options vested	2,700,000	3,200,000
Income tax benefits resulting from stock option exercises	2,100,000	1,400,000	4,800,000
Weighted average fair value of unvested options	$ 7.12	$ 6.66	$ 6.08
Weighted average fair value of options vested	$ 5.93	$ 5.87	$ 5.35
Total compensation expense related to restricted stock	5,700,000	1,500,000	1,300,000
Separation costs	3,500,000
Vested	50,000
Incremental compensation cost resulting from modification	1,300,000
Stock options
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested award	2,700,000
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested award, recognition period	2.2
Stock options | Minimum
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Vesting period	2 years
Stock options | Maximum
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Vesting period	5 years
Restricted stock units
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock granted	246,000	300,000
Weighted average grant date fair value	$ 23.08	$ 16.20
Vested	150,000
Total value of shares vesting	4,000,000
Restricted stock units | Executive grants
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock granted	225,000
Restricted stock units | Aaron's Management Performance Plan
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock granted	21,000
Weighted average grant date fair value	$ 26.19
Restricted stock awards
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Stock granted	20,000
Weighted average grant date fair value	$ 26.34
Vested	137,000
Total value of shares vesting	3,200,000
Restricted Stock
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested award	$ 5,400,000
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested award, recognition period	2.4
Stock granted	266,000
Weighted average grant date fair value	$ 23.57
Vested	287,000
Restricted Stock | Minimum
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Vesting period	2 years
Restricted Stock | Maximum
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]
Vesting period	5 years