Not really, because I consider that to be equally illogical (on our end.)

How does a burnt log of firewood become a slur against gays? It's idiotic and makes no sense. And it's equally illogical that a word for molten scrap metal becomes a slur against women, insinuating prostitution.
Spaz isn't as big of a leap, but it's still a stupid one.
It's illogical and idiotic on both sides of the pond. Your argument does not change that.

Well, if you look at the etymology of the full word, it does make sense logically - at least as far as how the term came to be used that way. Is it unfortunate? Yes. But not illogical. It also makes sense that it became a slang term for "cigarette". Most slang terms do have a logical, but sometimes counter-intuitive and usually obtuse, basis for their usage.

If you want to say it's idiotic, then I'm all for it. I believe any form of name-calling or directed-insult is idiotic regardless of the words used.

Then let's settle on idiotic, and end the debate? :thumbs

Word meanings change over time and words not currently in circulation get re-purposed for new meanings. Stuff like "Gay" or "Boner" are all over old comics, but it means something completely different.

It's not the etymology of a word that's offensive but the disrespect the current meaning invokes- always an attempt to make a person less than human or to associate something with a group deemed inferior due to their societal minority status.
If someone called you a "cocksucker" they would not be saying you were a "rooster-eater" dispite the word origins invoked.

Hell, in my lifetime so far, terms like "Bitchin" have gone from meaning "complaining like a woman" to "awesome!" and back again.

So no, it's not irrational to find offense in a seemingly unrelated word- it's the underlying meaning that counts.

I think you gone done put waaaay too much though tinto this.
Thanks for your condescension. I'm not a moron. And thanks for missing the point altogether.
I also never said it's irrational to find offence at a word that's ment to degrade you. My intent is it is illogical to make those words offensive, in the first place.
Anyway, none of this has anything to do with the subject.
I've already saifd I'm going to stop derailing.

Lets get back on topic, shall we?

I wish Layaway was more popular with retailers. I would most definately get the set if TRU had it. (I suspect they would probably be doing better financially if they offered layaway, allowing parents to make bigger purchases).
That said, I find myself hoping that Walmart will end up as the store that carries it, though I doubt it. Walmart would be cheaper than TRU.

Question: Why was this not news, but the cancellation of the Jazware Streetfighter Figures were? *shrugs* Oh well.

I really hope it's Walmart and not TRU, since it will be both cheaper and easier to get down the road.

I was going to suggest we continue that discussion in another thread or PM's to avoid further derailing the topic, but if you're good, then so am I. ;)

With layaway, it's not so much popularity as it is profitability. Walmart stopped its year-round layaway program specifically because in the end they were losing money on the deal. Now the only time it potentially turns a profit is during the holiday season.

What I'm puzzled about is how K-Mart is able to continue offering layaway, in spite of what Walmart has done with it.

Probably because it wasn't posted in the News & Rumors thread it got missed? If you think you have news, post it there. We'll check it out and if it's not news, we'll move the thread to the appropriate forum. If it is news, then well FP it and give you credit in the news story.

I think it goes something like this. . .it used to be that EVERYWHERE offered layaway. Then Walmart decided (probably correctly) that they'd rather use their store space to sell stuff more quickly -- increase inventory turnover. Layaway takes up a lot of space, is comparatively labor-intensive (expensive, compared to, say, regular stocking of shelves).

Then since Walmart decided it wasn't profitable, then most other places followed suit in a knee-jerk reaction.

Then someone figured out it would be a way to differentiate their store from the others. KMart's not going to win business on price, store beauty, and possibly even location. So they're trying to do it with services. IN THEORY, their website is better than Walmart's. They offer a better selection (at least in toys. . .you're much more likely to be able to order an individual figure on KMart.com than on walmart.com. . .now getting their workers to fill the orders correctly is a different story, which is why I say IN THEORY). Anyway, ordering on the website from another store is a service. Layaway is another service.

They also try to "win" with product differentiation, like Martha Stewart exclusive merchandise.

I think their approach is pretty good, IN THEORY they should be doing better than they are. I think what they miss is that their stores look dingy and straight outta the 80s. They need to invest in upgrades. I think Walmart schedules a facelift every 10 years. . .fresh paint, flooring, shopping carts, etc.

Anyway, layaway may or may not be profitable in and of itself for KMart. It's possibly a "loss leader" to get people into the store and buy from them.

Toyaddict pretty much nailed it. Walmart stopped offering layaway, and so did everyone else.
This comes at a time when people *need* it more than ever. One of the biggest complaints I always heard from customers, as an employee, and just on the street is that they stopped offering layaway (The biggest uses for it was for Back to school, and christmas. Both are times when parents need to spend a *lot* of money at once)

So it's a very large niche that's been left completely untapped. Any company that capitalizes on it is now offering a big service Walmart refuses to. And that's why K-Mart has had a good deal of success with it.
But K-Mart isn't the powerhouse it used to be, and there's not much they can do that Walmart would even feel.
However, if target started offering it, it's possible we could see a powershift, if only briefly. If Target started offering layaway, Walmart would have no choice but to do so.
And the reports of Walmart losing a lot of money on it are wrong. it wasn't terribly profitable for them, but they weren't losing anything significant. Barily anyone used layaway outside of Back to school and christmas.

I agree with your post. Bring back Layaway! I know my folks used it a lot when I was a kid.

And believe me, Walmart is the king of loss-leaders. Undercutting their competition is probably the single biggest reason they are as big as they are today. Well, that and underpaying their employees.

I didn't say they were losing a lot of money on it, I just said that they were losing money period. Apparently it was a wide-enough margin of loss that Walmart couldn't justify continuing it.

I'd love for them to bring back layaway year round, too. I used it as a way to better control my impulse buying and ensure that the ones I really wanted didn't get snatched up before I was able to buy them.

I didn't mean to imply you said that they were losing a lot of money. But they sure imply it.
And Walmart likes to exagurate things. And if they'll take a loss on something in order to get more people into the store, then that's exactly what they'll do. So with no one else offering Layaway, it would be profitable to them as a way to draw people in.
The real reason they cut it out is simple inconvenience to them. That's what I believe.

Think of it as "opportunity cost." The space stores use for layaway could be used to store something they could sell NOW-ish, as opposed to something they store for you and sell in a few months.

It's like the customer is getting storage space rent-free for several months. Sure maybe it's only a square foot, or a few square feet like if you put a bicycle or something big on layaway. So the store isn't necessarily "losing" money on it, but they aren't making the most profitable use of their square footage. So they are losing the opportunity to make more money.

I preordered the playset on Toys R Us for 20% off and free shipping. Yeah, I'm a happy fellow. Especially after seeing
TMNT Secret Sewer Lair Playset Assembly Video - YouTube
that. Didn't have the volume on, so no idea how he sounds.

Depending on cost, that may have just sold me on the lair.

I NEED to get this and the figures, roll on UK launch date

This was my consolation-I missed out on the hts figs- purchase. I can't wait until I get it! I'm pretty sure this has the super-helicarrier beat, and was quite a bit cheaper.

Diorama in a box.

They were losing money because if any of those items sitting in layaway went on sale or clearance, you always got the lowest offered price. If they hadn't been holding it, those items might have sold at regular price before the sale. And of course, you end up paying the sale price too, so they don't even get the retail price from you either.

I routinely paid about $20-40 less for my layaway purchases than what I planned to pay when I started them.

That is very, very tempting. But I doubt I could justify it to my wife.

i feel ya trebleshot, my wife would be so piss , shed be like you bought what , 120 bucks waaaahatttttttttttttttttt on a playset waaahatttttttttttttttttttt lol , but i do want it bad..

It's a Toys R' Us Exclusive. Here is the blurb, followed by the source link;

"Toys"R"Us Exclusive Nickelodeon(TM) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secret Sewer Lair Playset Kids can bring the Turtles back to their base with this oversized, 42-inch high, playest that recreates the Sewer Lair home and the building above, available exclusively at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/NinjaTurtles. Packed with 20 different ninja features, the Turtles can keep track of the city with a telescoping periscope, practice battle skills on a Shredder dummy, douse intruders with ooze (not included) and attach lines to objects to rappel into battle and more! Additionally, an elevator can transition the Turtles between floors while Donatello can visit his computer lab to master his latest invention. (Available in August) "

Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Toys Hit Toys"R"Us® Stores Nationwide This Month - MarketWatch

Terrific. Just *another* toy that those of us who don't live in the US will never get to see.