Kmart Leads Christmas Creep

Call it Christmas creep with some humor to defuse objections.

While retailers have yet to unveil Black Friday 2014 hours, Kmart has again gotten a jump on its competitors. The Baltimore Sun reports the discounter is advertisings its “No Money Down Layaway,” available now. The installment pay plan is good only for new layaway contracts in place by Sept. 20.

Kmart drew criticism – as well as sales – last fall when the discounter, owned by Sears, said its stores would open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving and remained open for 41 hours in a row until 11 p.m. on Black Friday, reports NPR.org.

Online critics called the company a Grinch for its aggressive approach to the start of the Christmas shopping season, and many commenters urged Kmart employees to stay home with family.

“We know it’s early,” but that’s when shoppers should start thinking about layaway for the holidays, Jai Holtz, vice president and general manager of financial services for Sears Holdings, told the newspaper.

The National Retail Federation says nearly 20 percent of American consumers have already started their holiday shopping; that number should double by Halloween.

Other retailers began layaway programs this month, reports the “Today Show,” with Toys R’ Us lifting its $5 service fee and Wal-Mart requiring that the total amount of purchases must add up to over $50. Neither Kmart nor Toys “R” Us require minimums.

Meanwhile Kmart is poking fun at its early jump on multiple holidays with a commercial that began airing early in September, says NBC News.

“It’s too early for Christmas, so just to be clear, this is not a Christmas commercial,” the Kmart TV spot says. “Let’s say you have an event in late December that you need a lot of gifts for, like, maybe your entire family is having a birthday on the same day,” as the commercial plugs the benefits of Kmart’s layaway program.

»Screenshot from Kmart’s “Merry Birthday Everyone” commercial promoting Christmas layaway.