Kmart, Sears offer new mobile, online, layaway services for holiday season

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart and Sears are eliminating layaway service fees, starting a layaway home-delivery service and new in-store mobile features for what the company expects to be the busiest shopping season since 2007.

With retail sales across the country expected to increase by 3.3% during this year's holiday shopping season, the company said Sears stores around the country would roll out mobile point-of-sale devices to allow customers with credit and debit cards to make purchases where they are standing and have their receipts emailed to them or printed. Five-hundred Sears and Kmart stores are also having staff carry tablets with special shopping applications for checking available inventory, accessing product information and videos, and selling merchandise available in stores or online.

"Sears and Kmart will win this holiday season because we provide best-in-class layaway options, new in-store mobile experiences for added convenience, exclusive products such as Sofia Vergara at Kmart and the Kardashian Kollection at Sears, and weekly holiday sales for our customers," Sears Holdings EVP, chief merchandising officer and president for the Sears and Kmart formats Ron Boire said. "In addition, our Shop Your Way rewards program is a key differentiator, with competitive savings and rewards for members."

Kmart is offering free layaway until Nov. 17, while Sears has made layaway free between Sept. 29 and Oct. 29 and will make it free again from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3. Meanwhile, customers can place items purchased at Kmart.com or Sears.com on layaway and then pick them up at a nearby Kmart or Sears store or have them shipped to their homes.