What happened to layaways?

[LovinPooh]

I used to use layaway ever year. Not only was it easier to pay a little here and there, but it kept everythign out of the house.

ahh Wal Mart.... bring back your layaway!!!

 

[DawnM]

Do you have to go to Walmart each payment and wait in line to pay?

I am thinking that layaways are more of a thing of the past with credit cards so easily available.

The closest Walmart is 12 miles away from me.....I can't imagine having to go in to the store and pay every week or two.

Dawn

 

[mum4jenn]

I know...

KMart still has it though and I hear they are doing a booming business this year.

 

[czycropper]

I think that you will see them come back with the way the economy is going. I know that Kohl's is considering it.

I used to the Wal-Mart layaway since we're not much of credit card users and when we do we pay it off immediately (which is good right now because we have NO credit card debt just mortgage).

 

[LovinPooh]

I go to Wal Mart regularly anyway. So making payments wasnt a big deal. I would get everything I wanted, get a total and work to pay it off. It always worked out so well, adn there was always lines of people to pick up their layaways on pick up day.
Kmart in our area was bought out by Sears. So that stunk for me. But I can see why business would be booming for them.

I prefer not to use credit cards. I never pay them off lol. Now everytime i go to Wal Mart they try to get me to get one of their cards... thats all I need.

Just one more thing for me to complain about

 

[patsal]

Credit Cards and instant gratification killed lay away. It was a great way for the stores that offered it to market their branded CC and make the money from it. Now people do not want CC's and are being forced to live within their means again. I think in addition to Sears and Kmart we will see it at walmart if they care to complete with Kmart. I was a huge user of layaway if for no other reason than a great place to store the stuff until it got closer to the time I'd need it!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I thought the way money was for everyone, you'd see it coming back in a big way. I know that Kmart and Sears have commercials now about using their layaway for holiday shopping.

 

[mountdew1]

Layaway won't fit into most companies current train of thought. Using layaway means the store needs to keep your item stored somewhere. Be it directly at the local branch, or at a warehouse further upstream, they need to keep YOUR item somewhere while you pay for it. Right now, almost all businesses are working on inventory reduction. Keeping less on hand, but getting more quickly. WalMart especially prides itself on this, even going so far as to build their distro center, and then build stores only within a certain drive time from that distro center.
So even though they charge a fee to perform this service for you, they still need to pay for the item. It may only be a $50 Lego set, but that is $50 that the store now has tied up in your layaway that they cannot use to buy more inventory. But if they sold that $50 set to someone else outright, they can now take the same initial cost to acquire the set, and obtain another one to sell again. Repeat as necessary. And now with businesses having issues getting lines of credit, I don't see it happening. I know its easier for many shoppers to pay bit by bit, but it throws off the whole streamlining and efficiency mantra being followed by big business.

 

[solfan68]

I thought the way money was for everyone, you'd see it coming back in a big way. I know that Kmart and Sears have commercials now about using their layaway for holiday shopping.

This what I was about to say. Sears seems to be making a big deal about it in their current round of commercials.

 

[kid-at-heart]

I used to use layaway ever year. Not only was it easier to pay a little here and there, but it kept everythign out of the house.

ahh Wal Mart.... bring back your layaway!!!

Credit cards did away with lay-a-way.

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I thought I heard on the news that some stores are bringing it back because of the credit crunch. ????

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Credit cards and internet sales (convenience and sometimes no tax) - these are the culprits. I am one who grieved when walmart did away with layaway, it was so much fun for me even though I could afford to buy everything I wanted with CC or cash. I felt like I was getting treasures when I got my layaway out.

 

[summerrluvv]

I think people would be buying more if there was Layaway at Walmart this year. I think they made a huge mistake turning it into the free ship to store thing. Kmart offers it but their prices are about 25% higher on most things than every other store in the area here.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Kmart offers it but their prices are about 25% higher on most things than every other store in the area here.

Yeah, Kmart here is more expensive for the toys, housewares, food, beauty products, etc. about 99% of the time.

 

[jessica52877]

It cost Walmart too much money. DH's walmart is on the smaller side compared to some when talking $ and they had to each year rent 20-30 trailers to hold all the stuff. They had to put them outside the store somewhere so the employees could get the items and then have them somewhat organized to get the stuff off. It took way too much time and $ paid to employees to keep it running. He has worked at about 8 different walmarts and all were run the same, just the others had more trailers full.

 

[Inigo]

According to a former student who is now an asst mgr at our local K-mart, there sales went way up when they announced they were offering layaway. I don't remember the exact percentage over last year's sales, but it was a lot higher.

 

[MrsPete]

I think other posters have already hit the nail on the head: Quick and easy access to credit killed lay-away. However, that's disappearing, yet people still want to buy now-now-now. I think it's interesting that the stores are now ADVERTISING lay-away; many younger people don't understand the concept.

It's good business on the company's part. Once a person has a lay-away, he's going to come back in and make payments, and while he's there he'll probably buy something else.

 

[janni518]

As a customer I thought layaway was great. Well, except for that one year they lost mine. As an employee not so much...


I used to work at a store that did layaways- HL Greens (McCrorys) and it was a HUGE headache. Things got lost and broken and it was just not set up well. Screaming customers, irate managers.We dreaded it every year.

I think maybe stores that did it in the past and were set up that way can do it. I'm not sure where you'd put the stuff otherwise. Storage space is at a premium in these places on a regular day, at the holidays it's even worse.

I'm glad for those that need to and can take advantage. Just make sure to pick it up a bit early so you don't have to worry about any unfortunate incidents when it's too late to do anything about it.

 

[RobinFabulous]

I think the economy may force some companies to offer layaway. I did it someitmes, but I think they assume that most people have credit cards.

 

[CharityLynn]

I worked in the lawayway department at Kmart for 5 years and loved it, especially at Christmas. The main problem that happens is that you ahve other employees that don't care and don't pay attention. It sucks so bad ahving to tell someone you cna't find their stuff because the previous worker didn't put it away like they were suppose to.

The big problem with layway too is the amount of people who cancel them. Kmart allowed clearance merchandise on layaway too (not anymore) and people would cancel them and workers wouldn't get rid of them so by the time they were found and brout the shirt that was $6 is now .25. Kind of nice for those working back there. lol

I actually miss working in layaway and debated on getting a job in the local kmart just for Christmas.