sherril Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 i am thrilled!!!!!!!!!! http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2008/11/13/sears-re-joins-the-layaway-revival/?icid=200100397x1213004813x1200879201 Sears (re)joins the layaway revivalBeth WechslerNov 13th 2008 at 4:00PM Filed under: Budgets, Shopping, RecessionNearly two decades after Sears discontinued its layaway plan, the pre-payment service will be available again starting Sunday for customers who want to put money down on items and get them later. Sears never fully left layaway completely -- it has been offering it for fine jewelry since 1989 -- but now it will be there for customers who want anything but home appliances and home electronics. Why is Sears back in the layaway game? Have you seen the stock market ticker lately? As the economy sours and consumer dollars stay in their wallets, Sears is jumping on the return to layaway bandwagon with K-Mart, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshall's and TJ Maxx. Yet to return to layaway this holiday season: Toys 'R Us, Wal-Mart, Target and JC Penney. WalletPop named layaway one of the most underrated things in America in a recent series, and also labeled it, "the new black."Not surprisingly, layaway had its heyday in the financial crisis of the '20s and '30s. Easy credit and the proliferation of credit cards in the 1970's led many retailers to discontinue the program. The notion of paying for something BEFORE you get to have it lost its credibility for many Americans. Layaway carried the aroma of poor credit and bargain-bin shoppers. It's a surprisingly emotional topic, stirring up memories of poor, hardworking parents who are struggling to afford nice things for their families. This is what one of WalletPop's readers, Lynn, had to say about it: "When I was growing up I would have had no Christmas gifts if my mom did not have Layaway available to her. And she taught me that it was a good way to buy for my own kids. Now my children are young adults and will be having children of their own and I hope this comes back so it will be available to them. It is a MUCH better way to buy than credit cards!!" Layaway doesn't incline people to impulse purchases since by definition you can't take it with you. Although policy varies from store to store, there is usually a small flat service fee ($5-$10) and a cancellation fee in the same range which is returned when payment is completed. Some stores require 20% down. One good thing is that customers paying on layaway don't wind up paying interest a decade after their purchase has taken up residence in the landfill. Like many of the adjustments the recession is causing in our lifestyles, layaway reflects a return to old values. It could turn out to be a very good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia39 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Repost: http://forums.gottadeal.com/showthread.php?t=125393 Please continue discussion in the original thread. Thread Closed. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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