Variable Markup

It’s been a year since Walmart has decided to discontinue layaway, allowing consumers to pay installments over time for the goods they want. It seems that other methods could have been used like Bill Me Later or other service offerings which would have provided similar options and improved the customer experience. Would they have predicted back then, that consumer advocates and news sites would still be writing about it? As the holidays get closer, it seems that there will be more to come.

More coverage of the subject can be found at:

The Brand Man Speaks
“The problem is that loyal lower income consumers who are the backbone of WalMart’s success are being left behind daily. In addition to elimination of the lay-away program, product areas these consumers enjoyed including the fabric department are also being eliminated and replaced by more “upscale” goods of little interest to or affordable by these customers. Despite repeated failures in the upscale apparel arena, WalMart seems intent on forging some sort of game plan to win over higher income shoppers and completely undermine their brand strategy.”

MSNBC - Layaway, other changes irk Wal-Mart Loyalists

Petition Online - 36464 Signatures to keep Walmart Layaway