Layaway making a come back

[eliza61]

Saw a spot on abc news this morning that companies are bringing back layaway since the economy has turned south. Kmart & Boscov's in my area is one of the few who still have it. Many stores did away with it in favor of store credit cards but now....

Did you take advantage of layaway when it was more common & would you use it if more stores offered it?

 

[karliebug]

I"m considering it this year but have a question. If you buy something and put it on layaway and then it goes on sale, can you get the sale price,or are you stuck with the original price you laid it away on?

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I've used it in the past at Walmart for my Christmas shopping. I liked being able to guarantee that what I want is in stock by putting it in layaway early and having it still be hidden from the kids. Now I shop early, but I have to find places in my house to stash stuff and it's getting hard this year.

 

[beattyfamily]

I've used it in the past for Christmas at Walmart and Kmart. I was so sad to see it gone at Walmart last year. Kmart has too many rules but it's better than nothing.

I hope it does make a comeback and I would absolutely use it.

I remember using it in High School for my back to school clothes too.

 

[eliza61]

I"m considering it this year but have a question. If you buy something and put it on layaway and then it goes on sale, can you get the sale price,or are you stuck with the original price you laid it away on?

At Boscov's you can but not sure about Kmart. Usually when you pick up the item you have to pay the remaining balance and then I point out the item that is now on sale. I've always been refunded the difference.

 

[DisneyDizzy]

I always liked layaway. I was sad to see it go at Walmart. I would use it, definitely. I liked buying some of the "hotter" Christmas toys early and knowing I had them. Sometimes I would even pay all but $1 on it just to have a place to have things hidden until closer to Christmas.

Walmart always gave you the sale price on your stuff if it came on sale while it was in layaway. You had to let them know and they would price adjust it.

 

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

we miss layaway at walmart, too! It was so nice to not have to worry about where to hide things until christmas

 

[Kidnurse]

Growing up in my family with my mom as a single mom working as a secretary, layaway was a way of life! It was absolutely wonderful. I remember if I needed clothes or shoes and mom didn't have the money at the time (say it's a week til payday), then she'd just put it on layaway and we'd come back. I really wish more stores do decide to reinstate layaway programs. It sure would help consumers.

 

[kellyg403]

I love layaway...hope it comes back. I like being able to shop throughout the year on a budget. Just makes it easier for me. I have a harder time buying, bringing it home and not giving it to the kids or grandkids before Christmas comes.

I have used Kmart layaway, and it used to be that they would check your reciept every time you go in to make a payment to see if anything was on sale. Now, they will do it one time. So you have to really watch the ads and see if one item or several items are on sale and when to take advantage of it. Alot harder to do, so I have taken to putting a few things at a time in layaway there.

As another posted, my mom taught us that layaway was the way to go. When I was a single mom, layway saved Christmas for my kids several years in a row.

Kelly

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

I sure hope they bring layway back, especially at Wal Mart. While I do have credit cards, I preferred using layway as the terms were pretty easy and my merchandise was guaranteed to be there. I'd even had my daughter 'counting down' to when we could get our things out of layway after we'd saved the money.

Layway is a godsend especially for big-ticket electronic items.

 

[beattyfamily]

Layaway shopping is the new black as Kmart joins revival
Geoff Williams
Oct 17th 2008 at 10:00AM

You may have seen their commercials. Kmart has been touting their new layaway plan as a great way to shop for Christmas gifts, except, of course, it's not a new plan. They've had it for years. But the concept of layaway--paying for something in installments before you make your purchase and thus not raking up any interest--that feels new to a lot of people. Including myself. I'm in my late 30s, and I can't think of any time when I've ever bought anything on layaway.

But you look through old newspaper ads, and you can see how it once not just a concept but a way of life, just as credit cards are today. Everyone bought everything on layaway -- furniture, jewelry, suits. In an April 25, 1947 copy of the St. Petersburg Times, for instance, there's an ad touting a layaway program for a graduation gift for a high school senior: a $15 pen with a gold-plated cap. Boy, times have changed.

But layaway may be coming back, thanks, of course, to the swing in the economy in the last few weeks, and so I thought I'd compile a list of some of the places you can find layaway programs:

Retail stores that have layaway programs: This isn't meant to be a full list. Marshalls, the aforementioned Kmart, Burlington Coat Factory, T.J. Maxx and KB Toys all have layaway plans.

One place you can't find it, at least not at the moment: Walmart. They got rid of their program in 2006. I have to wonder if the executives are kicking themselves now.

Of course, there is--you almost expect it--a website you can go to that will let you buy just about anything you want on layaway: Check out eLayaway.com. As it says on its web site, it "allows you to buy the products and services that you want by paying for them through manageable monthly payments that you set." They have a calculator that will let you figure out the purchase price over 3 to 13 monthly payments. Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account every month. The fee for the service is 1.9% for every $100 you spend. Once you've paid for your TV, shoes, your fishing reel -- you can buy about anything -- then it's delivered.

Take a vacation on layaway: Yep, you can pay for your vacation first, in layaway installments at Layaway-Travel.com.

Diapers? Yup. Believe it or not, there's even a layaway plan for cloth diapers at BabysAbode.com.