Report: Kmart makes holiday purchases easier

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Kmart is making getting an advance jump on holiday purchases a little easier this year.



Company executives told Reuters the retailer started letting customers make no-down-payment layaway purchases for holiday items the week of Aug. 31.



The expanded layaway program will be available every day through November. In 2014, Kmart only offered no-money-down installment purchases during certain weeks of the holiday shopping season. In addition, Kmart is now letting customers enter lease-to-own deals on big-ticket items like refrigerators and TVs through the end of November.



Kmart’s efforts to expand holiday layaway follow Wal-Mart’s recent decision to begin its layaway program in late August of this year, two weeks earlier than it started in 2014.