Layaway could see increase this holiday

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - In this tough economy, people are turning to layaway as a way to pay for gift this holiday season.

Kmart in Terre Haute has seen a 33 percent increase in layaway sales.

"I'm shopping for my grandkids. I have three of them... I have a step-grand kid too," Kathy Edrington said.

Shoppers like Edrington are part of the reason Kmart has already filled a storage area with layaway items.

"A lot of people live in 1,500 square feet homes in Terre Haute. So that's the size of a small home, just this one section," Kmart food manager Doug Ripberger said.

Last year, 5 percent of shoppers couldn't afford to pay for the items they put in layaway. This holiday season, Ripberger is seeing a different trend.

"More people are making sure they make their payments. This is the way they can afford to buy those higher cost items," Ripberger said.