When did T.J. Maxx stop doing Lay-A-Way?!?

:wtf1: When did T.J. Maxx stop doing Lay-A-Way?!?! :irked:

This rant is because Monday after taking my mom for a follow up mammogram we decided we needed to shop. We went to TJ Maxx a particular fave of mine and after 2 hours and a cart o load of stuff we headed to the back of the store where layaway used to be located and found nothing but a smiling associate putting out stock. She cheerily told us that our beloved layaway was no more but she would be happy to open a TJMaxx instant credit for us.

My mom is 78 and on fixed income. I'm physically disabled but have been denied SSD twice already. We are not a household that charges things unless absolutely necessary. My mom was crestfallen and a bit pissed off. She hasn't shopped in months and just wanted to put a few nice things for herself on layaway. She ended up writing a check and saying a prayer. Translation: Something will be paid late this month.

This isn't a blog for the trust fund babys amongst us. Or maybe it is if you are curious about how the rest of America lives, or rather used to live.
Layaway, also referred to as lay-by in Australia and New Zealand, is a way to purchase an item without paying the entire cost at once. However, rather than taking the item home and then repaying the debt on a regular schedule, as in most installment plans or hire purchases, the layaway customer does not receive the item until it is completely paid for. There is sometimes a fee associated with a layaway purchase, since the seller must "lay" the item "away" in storage until the payments are completed. In the event the customer did not pay the amount due, the item would be returned to stock and any subsequent payments that were processed or are pending would be returned to the customer.

Layaway was once more common than it is now, since the ubiquity of credit cards has decreased its utility. Wal-Mart announced on September 14, 2006 that it would discontinue layaway service in all its stores by the end of the year, citing the decrease in demand and a rise in cost of implementation.[1] Layaway remains popular at many Kmart stores.
Electronic layaway is layaway through the internet. It allows consumers to purchase items through scheduled deductions from a checking account.[2] [3]
I used to be the layaway queen, my friends would laugh at me when I spent my Saturday mornings running around the county leaving $10, $20 or $50 payments at various venues. The last laugh was on them, because I rarely had credit card debt and I always looked like I just stepped out of a bandbox. :biggrin1:

It's true, you don't get that thrill of immediate shopping gratification. But you also don't take a year to pay for an $80 pair of Stuart Weitzman's at 18% interest. :cool: That's right folks, check out the interest rates on those store credit cards. Most are enormous! Since most stores that
offer(ed) layaway limit it to 30 days, 60 days at most, it's not a huge sacrifice.

IMHO, one of the many reasons American are so in debt is due to the demise of layaway.

I get that stores are in business to make money and layaway was sometimes not a money maker; plus it took up valuable square footage which allegedly could be sales floor space.

Unfortunately without exception every single store which used to offer layaway now offers a store credit card or a Visa or MasterCard with the store logo on it. This is what is killing middle America. It's easy to say, "if you don't have the cash, don't buy it" when you have the money to buy the things you need. When you work full time and it's September and you don't have money to buy basics such as shoes and underwear for your kids to go back to school nevermind notebooks and pencils it's rough. You are left with no other option but charging the merchandise. Same thing happens at Christmas. Thank GOD K-Mart still offers laway for Christmas. I bet they do a bang up business on toys and games.



FWIW: Electronic layaway sounds okay to me. I would be okay with that. I have no idea which stores offer it though. I wish they had provided links.

Comments

I honestly didn't think anyone offered layaway any longer, but I've noticed that K-Mart has been advertising it for x-mas. But yes, time to get back to basics. The buy-it-on-credit-now-worry-about-how-to-pay-for-it-later mentality has gotten us into big, big trouble.
 
I do not have no Idea when T J max stopped doing lat way. One year I started X mas shopping early at k mart I went Nuts I mean nuts. Put it all on Lay Way and just about fell over when the woman told me the total was like 400.00 had it just about all done in one trip
and I still use it
 
"With U.S. credit card debt soaring past $950 billion, TJ Maxx offers a dying countercultural option. Pay-as-you-go.
Pretty radical, no?
A TJ Maxx saleswoman explains three layaway contingencies.
“There's a $5 storage fee,” she says. “And you have 30 days to complete the purchase.”
Failure to complete payment, she adds, results in a $5 cancellation fee.
A TJ Maxx spokeswoman won't say how many customers use layaway. But those who do should consider themselves fortunate. Only stores in select markets like San Antonio offer layaway plans. Why is that?
The spokeswoman, citing competitive reasons, declined to say."--as reported by Ken Rodriguez.

Source:Layaway, an alternative to credit, lives on
 
You can thank the wonderful American economy for this one. As more and more stores file Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, the need for money up front is all that matters to most retail stores. Even buying a gift card at your local department store doesn't count toward the store's profits until you start to use the card. Mervyns, Steve and Berry and Linens n Things are three of the most recent.
 
I've heard of lay-away but never thought about using it ever. I guess I won't miss it.
 
"i've actually never been to tj maxx. is it a good place to shop?"--stacy

You need to go and check TJ MAXX out. They sell a little bit of everything there. Men's clothing. Women's clothing. Kids' clothing. Home Decor. Kitchen ware.
 
TJ Maxx is my FAVORITE!! I live near one with a Home Goods as well...mmmmmmmmm LOVE IT!...

BTW...check back in another week or call them and ask again if they are doing Lay Away... There was just a report on the news out here that stores are NOW bringing it back due to the economic crisis to bolster sales for the holidays. So many retail stores are in danger of going under due to the economy...so they are grasping at straws to get ahead.
 
Stacy and anyone else who has never been, you MUST go to TJ Maxx!

What everyone seems to have left out is that they actually get the same designer clothing, shoes, etc. that the major department stores carry for a fraction of the cost. Sometimes it's last seasons Prada or Calvin Klein but often it's from the current season.

I have purchased queen size, 400 thread count, Ralph Lauren, cotton sateen sheets for only $39.99. Some stores carry nice gold jewelry and furniture.
 
omg :eek: i must go to tj maxx now!!! i never knew what was there before and now you're telling me they have designer goodies? ugh! i must goooooo!!! why, why, why have i been out of the tj maxx loop for so long? :rolleyes: thanks, njqt!
 

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