Walmart Layaway

[english rose 47]

Has everyone heard Walmart is discontinuing Lay away next month? Layaways have to be picked up early December! I have called Corporate HQ and registered my dismay. They are saying people are not using it so much! You sure couldn't prove that at our Walmart. This is such a blow to many low income familieswho can only shop that way. I urge all DISSERS to call and and our voice to this terrible corporate decision!!

 

[AKLRULZ]

I'm not a big fan of WalMart at all, but I think this is a smart business move from them. Sorry!

 

[froglady]

I agree that layaways might be money losers for them. I wonder how many "hot" toys were put away early and never retrieved? Then the person who was ready to pay cash on the spot had to go elsewhere to buy them, so the store lost a sale, and another partial sale.

Layaway items have to be stored somewhere, at a time when there is lots of inventory coming in and space is at a premium. They need clerks to handle the layaway desk, at a high sales time, and they have to search for items, keep payment records, etc. Then, they have to restock items that are never picked up, and hope that they sell in the limited time left before Christmas, especially since they may have reordered the same items since their available (in Nov) supply had been put into layaway.

 

[daisyduck123]

If I were a Wal-Mart shopper, I'd help you out....but I can't stand the place & only go in there maybe twice a year.

 

[ADisneygirl]

I saw a sign at the Wal Mart near me that said it was over in November. I can see both sides of this. From a customer's viewpoint, this seems very unfair. I believe they should have stopped Lay away much earlier in the year to allow people who depend on Lay away for Christmas shopping time to adjust to this and save their money to spend.

From Wal Mart's point of view, Lay away is a losing proposition financially. Many people store away merchandise that could have easily been sold weeks earlier. Then the prices sometimes change and people take their stuff out of Lay away and get it returned at the service desk and rebuy it right away to save the money. The store could have had full price for those items had they not been locked away in Lay away. Then there are the people who change their minds after having hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise in Lay away, they cancel it and it goes back into stock with less than 2 weeks to go before Christmas.

Bottom line is that they are in business to make money and Lay away must have proven to lose money for them. Sad that it hurts real people though.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I wonder if there are any stores that will do layaways any longer.

It is sad for the people who use it because they need to.

 

[AKLRULZ]

It is sad for the people who use it because they need to.

Perhaps, though, if folks were better stewards of their financial resources (no matter how big or little the paycheck) they wouldn't have to rely on the crutch of layaway.

 

[froglady]

Perhaps, though, if folks were better stewards of their financial resources (no matter how big or little the paycheck) they wouldn't have to rely on the crutch of layaway.

That's not always true. When my children were small, I used layaway as a way to hide the gifts until I could find a better (ie, move stuff around in the closets or check with neighbors) hiding place.

 

[Laz]

Getting rid of Layaway is a national trend among retailers. The credit card is the new layaway, putting the burden of collection on the credit company.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I guess I don't understand how a Layaway program is NOT being a good steward of your money?

I'm sorry that losing the layaway program is difficult for you. However the others are right. In the world of retail business anymore, selling your inventory quickly and getting it off of your shelves to make room for new inventory is how you build profits.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Hallmark stores still do layaway. For how much longer, I don't know. Now Lauri's store doesn't get nearly as many layaways as a Walmart (only about 40 or so at Christmas time) it is a pain. People abuse it by using it as a way to secure product they know will go on sale to get it at a cheaper price.

 

[MzDiz]

Perhaps, though, if folks were better stewards of their financial resources (no matter how big or little the paycheck) they wouldn't have to rely on the crutch of layaway.

Boy, I hope with that judgemental attitude that you don't use credit cards.

 

[MushyMushy]

Boy, I hope with that judgemental attitude that you don't use credit cards.

ITA!

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Perhaps, though, if folks were better stewards of their financial resources (no matter how big or little the paycheck) they wouldn't have to rely on the crutch of layaway.

Judgemental - much??? I hope you never suffer a large financial loss. But if you do perhaps you'll have a tad more compassion.

 

[paigevz]

Good news for my parents. They run a mom and pop True Value in a small town...........they have lost a lot of business to Walmart over the years..................but they do 75 percent of their business "on time". Now that Walmart has no more layaway, they should see a jump.

 

[MareQ]

Judgemental - much??? I hope you never suffer a large financial loss. But if you do perhaps you'll have a tad more compassion.

I didn't take it as being judgemental. Layaway is just a crutch - you still have to have the money to pay for the item. Paying a little bit here and there or paying one lump sum after saving your money amounts to the same thing. If people cannot save money and put it aside without using it (which many people cannot do - with or without "money")- then instead of layaway invest in a Christmas fund.

 

[english rose 47]

I guess all of you must live in a much better financial part of the country!! I do have creditt cards but the area is very depressed and layaway was the only option for many for school clothes, Easter and Christmas. K Mart still has Lay away here so it will be a very good business move by Walmart for K Mart, who will see their business double easily. While I agree some abuse Latyaway, there are ways around it like a fee that would offsetcancellations and limiting the discounts after putting on layaway, much like K Mart does.It must be nice to have all these alternatives you are suggesting

 

[Cool-Beans]

I didn't take it as being judgemental. Layaway is just a crutch - you still have to have the money to pay for the item. Paying a little bit here and there or paying one lump sum after saving your money amounts to the same thing. If people cannot save money and put it aside without using it (which many people cannot do - with or without "money")- then instead of layaway invest in a Christmas fund.

Layaway may be a crutch, but it is a nice one for a lot of people.

We used to wait for the Christmas bonus to buy toys for the kids when we didn't have much money. With layaway, I could pick stuff out and get it held for me so that it wouldn't be sold out by the time the bonuses were given out.

Some people don't have money to put in a "Christmas Fund", you know? They are busy wasting it on things like rent, food, electric bills.

It is possible to be good with money and still not have any to play with.

 

[kayeandjim00]

Perhaps, though, if folks were better stewards of their financial resources (no matter how big or little the paycheck) they wouldn't have to rely on the crutch of layaway.

Wow your posts typically surprise me with your "Holier than thou" attitude but this one might take the cake. What do you care how others use their money- I don't think that using layaway makes people bad stewards of their finances.

As for the OP I wasn't aware that many places did that anymore, I do think it's the credit cards that have led to them not being as popular. People can in essence still use a layaway type system but have the stuff immediately. Sorry if this causes a crimp in your Christmas.

 

[MareQ]

Layaway may be a crutch, but it is a nice one for a lot of people.

We used to wait for the Christmas bonus to buy toys for the kids when we didn't have much money. With layaway, I could pick stuff out and get it held for me so that it wouldn't be sold out by the time the bonuses were given out.

Some people don't have money to put in a "Christmas Fund", you know? They are busy wasting it on things like rent, food, electric bills.

It is possible to be good with money and still not have any to play with.

If people don't have money to put in a Christmas fund because all they can do is pay the essentials then they have no money to pay for things that they put in layaway either. If people however do layaway because they have a hard time coming up with more than a few dollars here and there at a time- then a Christsmas fund makes sense since laway is no longer an option for them.