Stupid move by Walmart. STOOOOOPID.

Especially now.

KMart just got a nice shot in the arm.


Did I say stupid to Walmart? Sorry Sam.


I just calls 'em as I sees 'em.


Gary

Stupid Stupid move, I will just go to Kmart now. I am one of those that use layaway for clothes for each season and house items.I dont have great credit and lay away for me is the best way to get things I need.

I think it is totally absurd for Walmart to get rid of the layaway. I am a single mother of two boys and have been using their layaway for years. I have bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff this way and they are saying it won't hurt their business at all? They are crazy. You can't get near the layaway counter at X-mas time. I have done my X-mas shopping this way since my boys were babies! (Now 8 & 17!!) I will do a lot of this shopping elsewhere now.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE CANCELING LAYAWAY. I SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AT WAL-MART BY PUTTING STUFF IN LAYAWAY. I GUESS I'LL TAKE MY BUSINESS ELSEWHERE. BAD MOVE WAL-MART VERY BAD MOVE.

The challenges that Wal-Mart is experiencing with its layaway program are emblematic of a larger trend for retailers. It’s becoming increasingly clear that many retail services are disappearing from brick and mortar establishments and reemerging online. Just as Wal-Mart is announcing the phasing out of its layaway service, a new online payment option, eLayaway (http://www.eLayaway.com) is preparing for its national roll out in January of 2007. The new service is beta testing and integrating with a host of merchants to give shoppers a convenient way to pay for their products over time with customizable pay schedules and delivery upon full payment. eLayaway is also attracting the attention of more and more merchants, because it eliminates the overhead costs and inventory challenges associated with traditional layaway operations.

Whoa!

That is huge!Online elayaway...

why doesn't walmart use them for online. I havent done layaway for a while because of the long line. This could be big. wow. Is Elayaway a GOOGLE product?

I used to work for a smaller retailer that also did layaway. The set-up for the layaway ensure that the company didn't loose money on the layaway, reguardless of whether it was cancelled or not. You paid a non-refundable fee plus 10% deposit. Payments were scheduled out every two weeks for the sixty days that your items were in layaway. If you canceled, you received a store credit for the amount you paid, minus the fee. If you returned anything from the layaway, you couldn't get your money back, only exchange or credit. If anything was marked down while it was on layaway, tough. If a program like that can work, and work well for a smaller company, why can't a giant like Wal-Mart change their policies rather than completely discontinuing the feature. I have to whole heartedly agree with everyone else on this one, K-Mart just got a lot more crowded.

Wal*Mart is, and will always be, a home to low income people but canceling law-aways, especially this time of year, just ruined christmas for thousands if not more people. People i know are already saying what about christmas. Looks like K-Mart will be reporting record high sales this holiday season with a big THANK YOU to wal mart because not everyone has or wants credit cards.

STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!!!!!!!! LOOKS LIKE KMART IS GOING TO HAVE A MAJOR SALES INCREASE THIS YEAR.I WORKED FOR THEM FOR YEARS. AND LAYAWAY WAS ALWAS BIG, BIG SALES FROM WHERE I'M FROM(ARKANSAS).

I agree with the other comments,STUPID, STUPID, STUPID move Walmart. I was a manger at Kmart and layaway was a big thing all year round. My bonus had alot to do with layaway sales. Walmart is the only retail store where I live now, but I will be traveling 100 miles to kmart to purchase now. I hope that walmart stock continues to decline and make them pay for what they have done to us, the middle class people. I am military, so I will also be shopping online at AAfes, so good luck Kmart, I always knew that I would be back.

This will hurt Walmart in the long run. The claim they are doing it to save money but it is going to cost them more. They should still keep the Christmas Layaway program. Not everybody can qualify for Credit Cards. I am talking about people with no credit.

Good business move! Layaway has been abused for years and the costs to manage it (especially for an enormous company like wal-mart) are gigantic. It takes up room in an already bulging building that could be used to backstock highly consumable items that paying customers want to buy. It costs millions to store merchandise that customers will never pick up on storage trailers and off site warehouses. It costs more to rent trucks to move that merchandise from the store to the warehouse and back again. It voraciously eats up man hours that could be used to service paying customers. It consumes millions of dollars in markdowns on merchandise that has to be held off the salesfloor that will go out of season because, again, it will never be paid out. Wal-mart is running a business, therefore, they have to make good business decisions.

Having lived overseas for over three years without a Walmart and to find out that after Christmas they are stopping layaways, that really sucks!! I know that there are alot of people saddened by this especially since they are going to move back statesside soon and was looking forward to Walmart'sgreat layaway plans....

I am a currant employee of walmart and I must say that there are quit a few (everyone that I spoke with) associates that will be shopping at k-mart. I know this because when the company does it's annual credit card push in January, not many of us qualify. Not only that because I myself use layaway to hide presents as the holiday approuches from nosy kids trying to find where presents are hidden. In recent time this company has been inconsistant with it's plans changing every two week. They PREACH customer service, yet discontinue a valued service for a lot of people, reduce department managers and staff which again cuts back on service. Everyone is push to the limits. Those that are being hired are only part-time and only have to wait a year instead of of 1 1/2 years for medical(yet still 1 1/2 for Rx coverage). How many peaple can actually wait if they have children? There was a recent press release from the CEO Lee Scott who states that walmart is going after a different "class" of shoppers. I wonder why this wasn't mentioned in the news when it seem like everything else is. I have a "job" and am thankful for this, yet everything you hear about walmart that is negative is usually true.

WAL-MART may have signed it's death warrant in not catering to those that built it..
The house that Sam built will fall. As a good portion of customers will be Christmasless, since many Kmarts are now Sears...and NO LAYAWAY either..
Looks Like I will start that Xmas Club for next year..NOW and avoid Walmart all together!

I personally will not shop at Walmart again. For anything. I can not believe that they are cancelling the layaway program, I thought Walmart always helped the poor and low income now they want you to get a credit card? R THEY CRAZY?????????? That is how people become poorer Interest Rates????? Well Kmart here we come. Sorry Sam and family Dont act like Uncle SAM>>>> YOUR NOT>

I think taking away layaway is a bad move lotes of perple including myself use this every year all year around if you cut that laaway you will lose more money then you can ever dream of you will lose so many costomers with taking that away when people depend on it I know I just had a kid in march and put over $400 worth of baby things on layaway and I will be doing the same with this one Im having next march without that I would not be able to afford as much but that your guyses lose not mine I'll shop eles where for layaway next time and you say your losing money that not even losing money you will lose so much more and could go out of business

This is really stupid! Lots of people use layaway for the Christmas season! You will probably lose lots of customers, Walmart! This is a bad move!

I have to say I am very dissappointed in this decision. What a lousy time also to make this decision, just before the holidays when many people did most of thier layaways. As many have said I guess KMart will have a good holiday season this year. I hope they stock up well. I know I wont be shopping at walmart near as much as I use to.

I think closing down layaway is going to hurt Walmart's business. Especially Opelika & Auburn. I'm from Opelika and we live for the layaway here. I think it's a stupid move on their part. They really need to rethink their plans. It's hurting their customers the most.