Will Walmart's Sales Take a Slump This Holiday Season?

Black Friday is the most coveted shopping day of the year. Retailers everywhere plan strategically to bring in as much in sales as possible the day after Thanksgiving. Most retailers run special sales in the morning hours between 5 am and 11 am to create a sense of excitement. Walmart has made a terrible mistake that might severly hurt their sales figures for Black Friday.

As I walked through the doors at 9 am at our local Walmart I noticed something out of the ordinary. There were no lines of people standing at the registers. There was no massive crowd of shoppers scurrying about the store searching for the best deals. Carts were still parked in the cart rack area. The store was basically empty. The store was no buiser than on a normal shopping day. I walked about the store pushing my cart with ease. I did not have to wait to get through aisles crowded with carts. My shopping experience was a breeze. I only needed a few things and then I was ready to head back to the layaway department.

To my surprise a friendly sign was posted near the checkout that read "No more Layaways." My jaw dropped to the floor. I shook my head thinking...what a huge mistake they have made! No wonder the store was empty! Walmart had completely done away with the layaway option. It will be interesting to see what their sales firgures will be this year compared to years in the past. I think they have made a devastating move that will decrease their sales exponentially.

I approached a cashier as I readied myself for checkout. There was no wait in line. I was able to get right through, which is a miracle in itself. I asked the cashier if she had been busy. She said she had stood around most of the morning. She pointed out that the layaway was no longer available to customers and it was probably going to hurt their sales. She also stated that in years past that there would be lines of people waiting to get to the layaway area and lines of people throughout the store.

It was apparent that we were both in agreement. Walmart will see a major slump in their sales this holiday season. I think the headlines will read... "No More Layway Kills Holiday Sales for Walmart!"