Kmart is introducing an online layaway option, which allows shoppers to make purchases and manage layaway payments online, but pick items up in their local store.
Kmart, a division of Sears
Holdings, says it has seen double-digit increases in layaway sales, and that "layaway" had more than double the interest among U.S. searchers in August 2009 than it had in August 2008.
"We have
an entire generation of customers that grew up shopping online," the company says in its release. "Launching online layaway at Kmart engages these customers by allowing them to spread their payments
out over time and better plan their spending."--Sarah Mahoney