A reminder that layaways can be an important factor in holiday selling for consignment, resale, and even thrift stores, just as I ranted about at the beginning of a past fall season. Read our Deja Vuesday offering here.
It’s a “free service” so don’t forget to emphasize that, in your signage, ads, web postings. I even read of one childrenswear shop who’s offering a free “Santa’s Attic” service: buy it now, we’ll “hide” it in our shop so the kids don’t see before the holiday!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
Thanks Dwight and Martha. Layaway also gives the Professional Resaler time to figure out, match up, discover another item that the LAW customer would like, so when she comes back “Hey, I found these great candlesticks that would be terrific with that centerpiece” or “Look! We got in some garnet earrings that TOTALLY make your new outfit stupendous!”
Even if the customer doesn’t like/want what you’ve matched up, you get an A+ in her mind for CARING ABOUT HER. And that’s what we’re all about, right?
Thanks Kate i really like the slogan you used…will print it out today and use it. Sometimes the customer is debating on buying something then i let them know about layaway then they get excited and tell me they want to put on layaway then at the last minute they end up buying it altogether. It works wonders!!! thanks for the reminder and slogan
Martha
We do layaway all the time. It is amazing to see how many “lost” sales we can recover with the simple phrase, “You can put it on layaway!” It’s like a magical phrase that closes the sale. It works so well we almost feel guilty using it. (OK not really that guilty, because people get really great stuff!)
Layaway is especially important in our part of the country where many people don’t seem to like using credit cards. And customers are delighted when they pick up that very special something that they otherwise would have missed out on.
Hey, another reason for them to come back to the store, to pick up the item or make payments. Some people actually drop by several times to visit with their item and make a payment.