Toys 'R’ Us extends holiday layaway; announces 'pay it forward' donations

Wayne, N.J. -- Toys “R” Us announced that it is extending its free layaway program through Dec. 16, due to significant positive response by consumers. The free offer was originally slated to end on Oct. 31. The chain was the first retailer to offer free layaway, starting in September. Since then, other companies have also stepped up with enhanced layaway programs, including Walmart and Kmart.



In addition, the retailer is responding to a nationwide phenomenon of the 2011 holiday season that saw random individuals paying off the remaining balance on in-store layaway orders for someone in their community. In response, Toys “R” Us has pledged to “pay it forward” each time a benefactor visits one of its stores and pays off the balance of the layaway order for someone in their community. For each layaway balance paid off as an act of kindness, the company will donate $200 worth of toys – the approximate average value of a layaway order created at Toys "R" Us – Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, up to $1 million worth of toys.