For today’s BlogHer post, From Great Depression to Great Recession: Layaway is Making a Comeback, I did some research into “layaway programs” – basically low cost financing programs for customers who put a down payment on an item, then pay off the balance in installments over several weeks. Once the item is paid for, the costumer can then pick it up and bring it home.
Before writing the BlogHer post, I really had no idea that layaway still existed. (I don’t think I even knew what it was exactly). It seemed as if it would be something done in the 1950s or 1960s, before the advent of credit. Now, the economy has prompted more retailers to offer the option, but I still won’t be using a layaway.
I guess I’d rather save my money on my own than go through a structured layaway program in stores. Since I won’t be buying any hot toys in danger of selling out, nothing I want to be would require going through a layaway.
So… who remembers layaway?
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I remember layaway; it was still an option at Wal-Mart until about the mid-90s, I think. My parents didn’t qualify for credit cards, so I remember my mom using the layaway counter a lot when I was a kid.
I’d love to see it come back widely–I’d totally put a Wii on layaway.
Just read the article you wrote; I didn’t realize that good old WallyWorld did layaway for so long. It seems to me like they didn’t offer it in their Colorado stores anymore by the time I was old enough to buy things on my own.
“I guess I’d rather save my money on my own” – that’s just how I feel! And if it was something that would sell out THAT quickly, I’d borrow from savings, or put it on CC and pay it off before the due date.
I remember my Mom usually layaway at Wal-Mart before the Christmas season! I always thought it was normal back then, but now i’m like you, I don’t plan to ever use it. Might as well just save up on your own and then purchase instead of the other way around.
I remember layaway… I bought my wedding dress that way.
Waiting until I had the full purchase price in the bank wasn’t an option because then I wouldn’t have it in time for the wedding, so I figured no interest through the shop was better than 8.99% APR through my credit card. I’m making my last layaway payment today, actually.
Haha I wrote a post a month ago today about lay-away. I was prompted by a commercial I saw for lay-away at Kmart. Lay-away is making a come back, and I think that it is a way better system than store credit cards.
http://smallstepsforbigchange.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/lay-away-memories/
I remember layaway at Kmart! I remember my friend’s mom using it frequently. I don’t really remember my parents using it. I do now see that it is back at Kmart.
Oh, I remember layaway! I worked at T.J. Maxx when I was a wee lass (10-ish years ago), and I actually did the transactions for the layaway department sometimes. We had a whole storage room in the back filled with things that people were waiting for. Lots of home goods and clothes. Funny thing was, I don’t remember anything that terribly expensive being back there. Most of it was just cartloads of stuff.
I learned all about layaway when I was around 10 and Lazer-Tag came out. My mom showed me how to do it at Fred Meyer’s so I could get it. I don’t remember why she didn’t just tell me to save up for it, which was normally her suggestion. Maybe it was on sale and she didn’t want me to miss it?
At any rate, she stressed that if I missed even a single payment, all my money would be flushed away. So I had to be sure. It was a good lesson and, even though I didn’t miss a payment, I never used layaway again.
I’m 34 and I remember layaway at KMart in the 80s. My mom didn’t use it, but I remember shopping with my mom’s friend and her kids and the friend always put stuff on layaway
I remember my mom using Kmart’s layaway quite a bit when I was a kid. It was actually pretty smart on the retailers’ part since it got customers to enter their stores on a regular basis. My mom always grabbed a shopping cart whenever she went in any store no matter how brief the planned visit.
If you don’t have to subject yourself to the temptation and inconvenience of entering a store, I can see the appeal of layaway.
I heard of this website called eLayaway (http://elayaway.com) on Marketplace Money (I think). Never tried it, but it sounds like a cool concept.
My mom definitely used layaway when we were growing up. I think it is a nice concept — if you don’t have a lot saved up, you can still get your christmas shopping done and pick up the presents later.
I don’t plan to use it, ever, and my parents don’t use it (or credit in general) anymore.
I used layaway to buy my prom dress from Reitmans 6 years ago (sadly, they no longer have dresses anymore). I didn’t have to pay anything extra – I just had to pay a percentage of the dress purchase in advance.
When I went back a few weeks later to pay more of my dress off (I’d had to buy a retainer, and some other things, so with the dress not needed for 2 or 3 months, I didn’t consider it crucial), I was told they “had been waiting for me”.
I, of course, was thinking this was a bad thing! As it turned out, someone (my aunt) had come into the store and paid off the rest of my dress. My mom told me AFTER I came back from the store, and didn’t give me a heads up on that one!
My experience with lay-away does seem to be different from others though.
I didn’t even realize layaway had been so phased out! I guess I should have realized that was the case when I stopped seeing layaway notices and counters in stores, but I know my sister put something on layaway in TJ Maxx just a couple years ago. Hmm. I’m with you, though–I’d rather save my money myself, and since it’s unlikely I’ll be purchasing any “hot” items, layaway really wouldn’t be useful to me.
I used layway for the first time a month ago. I returned almost everything that I bought since I didnt want it anymore after the 30 days. I guess this a good way to see if you really want something.
I used to work at Wal-Mart a few years ago. When there were less shoppers in 2006 on Black Friday than the previous year, all of us cashiers were told it was because they got rid of layaway in 2005.