Layaway (credit cards, stores, Wal-mart, buy)

[GeminiGal]

I was shopping at Marshall's on Saturday and was astonished to see a line at the Layaway desk. Typically, I shop during the week and have never seen anybody man that area of the store much less a customer in line.

I have never used layaway and quite honestly I thought most stores did not offer it anymore. With credit cards, especially store credit cards, I thought this was a service that had gone away. Years ago I had a friend that worked retail and she hated working the layaway area.

For those that use layaway, has the service improved? Do many stores still offer layaway? With the economy being on a downturn, would you consider using it more often?

[GeminiGal]

Wow - no Layaway customers out there?

[ELOrocks17]

Originally Posted by GeminiGal

Wow - no Layaway customers out there?

K-mart is the only one left who does it

[motormaker]

I haven't done layaway since the 70's. Probably will never use it again.

[mommytotwo]

I thought I saw a layaway desk at a Walmart, way back by the bathrooms. I suppose if I didn't have a credit card, for example, I would be using layaway.

Who else would need it? If you don't have cash, but must buy it this minute, most of us would just charge it.

Think about it, if you wanted a Wii but didn't have the money or a credit card, you probably would want to take advantage of the layaway system, or that Wii wouldn't be there when you got back.

I don't imagine that any high end stores have layaway at all.

[BrownBeauty1]

I think layaway is great. Especially if it is a non-essential item which you can do without. And old fashion people don't use credit cards to buy somethine that is non-essential. People "JUST CHARGING IT" is why they are in debt up to their eye balls and nine times out of ten, it is impulsive spending which you won't even use or where the item you bought. I don't think anything is wrong with layaways...

[nancy thereader]

I think that it has gone the way of The Christmas Club.

[kbndfw]

Originally Posted by BrownBeauty1

I think layaway is great. Especially if it is a non-essential item which you can do without. And old fashion people don't use credit cards to buy somethine that is non-essential. People "JUST CHARGING IT" is why they are in debt up to their eye balls and nine times out of ten, it is impulsive spending which you won't even use or where the item you bought. I don't think anything is wrong with layaways...

i agree 100%, i like layaway because i dont like using my credit cards but i like to shop at the bargain stores. its really only the bargain stores that offer it. (marshalls, tjmaxx, burlington) layaway allows me to buy what i want without spending alot of money at once...and it also gives me time to think about it. sometimes when i come back to pick up my layaway, i dont want that item as bad as i thought i wanted it before.
i love using layaway for Christmas because it allows me to buy gifts without spending all of my money at once. i prefer it altogether because i'd rather have 14-30days to pay cash for an item rather than tacking it on to a credit card bill.

[mommytotwo]

lol.

Last night I was watching tv and I saw a Kmart commercial about layaway. Apparently they still have it there and they are using it as an advertising ploy. They are looking to get shoppers in now to do some Christmas shopping and put it on layaway.

I was laughing and the first thing I thought about was this thread I recalled reading a while back.

With the economy the way it is, I wonder if these companies with layaway are going to do better than those without.

It never occurred to me to use layaway as a means to pay later, but not pay interest, for an item I want to secure now but don't need right away.........

[bigturkey45]

Some of us dont want to go deep in debt with credit cards. Why pay interest on Christmas gifts when you can pay cash. I have credit cards but refuse to use it on silly things.

KMart does layaway still. Wal-mart and Target do not. Wal-Mart did away with it a couple years ago when they decided to compete more with Target. As for other stores in general alot of them still do layaway but I no longer know the names of any specific. I do Kmart because they have a larger variety. One stop shopping is great because you dont waste gas driving from store to store.