Will lay away become a thing of the past?
By snowy
@snowy22315 (191960)
United States
June 27, 2025 10:43am CST
Lay Away seemed to be quite popular in the 60's and 70's and I remember buying some things with that method even up to about 2010. However, Walmart no longer has lay away, and many major retailers have done away with it preferring Affirm or other buy now pay later plans. I read a bit about it, and it seems like a lot of merchandise had to be out back on shelves because people never made their payments.
I made use of lay away back in the day. I remember two pieces of furniture I bought with it. Did you ever make use of lay away?
11 people like this
10 responses
@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
It was really popular here maybe 40 years ago. All the big stores offered, particularily around the holidays.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
@LadyDuck Yes, was done alot with furniture or sometimes they just have their own financing plans. KKay Away was super popular around the holidays.
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@LadyDuck (477597)
• Italy
27 Jun
@snowy22315 - I think to remember that there was a furniture company in Italy that offered that many years ago, it was the time we were shopping for furniture before getting married.
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@kareng (76661)
• United States
27 Jun
@snowy22315 I have never seen layaway on Amazon, just delayed pay in parts.\, but your item gets shipped right away.
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
@kareng They say they have it. Maybe it is delayed pay. I know they also have Affirm or something of that type but not all things are eligible.I was going to use that one time
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
Mostly, although there are several stores that still seem to be using it. including Amazon...all things to all people!!
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@wolfgirl569 (118435)
• Marion, Ohio
27 Jun
I used to use it for Christmas shopping
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
I was never a regular user, but I used to see it around. I think my mom might have put Xmas gifts on layaway, but they were probably things she didn't want me to know about
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I've never used it.@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
28 Jun
Ha, lay by doesn't really make alot of sense..
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@JudyEv (357178)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jun
@snowy22315 I guess you lay it by for later. 
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@Deepizzaguy (111322)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
27 Jun
My relatives and myself used to use layaway to purchase some electronics items.
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@Deepizzaguy (111322)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
28 Jun
@snowy22315 Lay a way stores are very handy.
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@Ineeddentures (7131)
•
27 Jun
No
It wasn't a thing I ever did.
We had things called " clubbie books"
Basically buy stuff at inflated prices
Get it , then pay over say 40 weeks
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@Ineeddentures (7131)
•
27 Jun
@snowy22315
Many families relied on this
Mostly for Xmas.
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@Juliaacv (54005)
• Canada
28 Jun
I remember that they had a sign back at the customer service desk at K-Mart with lay away on it.
I never knew what it meant, and I remember asking my brother's girlfriend, in high school, what it meant, and she told me.
We had a place, Kent Refrigeration and Furniture, that used to offer 90 days the same as cash. I never knew what that meant either, but when we were newly married I figured it out. We bought a microwave oven for my brother for his wedding gift, and with so many expenses, being in the wedding party and expecting our first child and setting up the nursery, we used that, and paid for it about a month into that 90 day period.
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
28 Jun
Now a days, I think furniture stores have figured out they can make money on financing, so that is what they tend to do, but a genuine layaway didn't cost you more.
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
28 Jun
@Juliaacv That's pretty high end stuff. It better be good, all the way around!
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@Juliaacv (54005)
• Canada
28 Jun
@snowy22315 It depends where you shop I believe.
I remember in 1988, we went to a 'sale' at a well known privately owned furniture store in the city close to us. We found a nice oak Roxton table and chairs on sale. We had to order it and pay $1250 that day and then that same amount plus the taxes when it was delivered 4 months later. It was custom made. We didn't mind that arrangement, as trusted the store owner as well as the company and knew that our funds would have been returned to us had the order not been completed or we were not pleased with the set when it was delivered.
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@Tampa_girl7 (52762)
• United States
27 Jun
I definitely used it at Christmas time. We don’t have it here.
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
27 Jun
I sincerely doubt any stores in this immediate area have it
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@LindaOHio (192981)
• United States
28 Jun
No, I've never used layaway. We saved until we could purchase something.
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@snowy22315 (191960)
• United States
28 Jun
I definitely had a nightstand on layaway once. It seemed like it took forever to get it out too.
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@LindaOHio (192981)
• United States
28 Jun
@snowy22315 It's probably a lot of trouble for stores to carry layaway accounts. Companies are doing less and less for the consumer.
