HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- To ensure Kmart Shop Your Way members and customers can be smart about their holiday shopping and plan ahead, Kmart is announcing No Money Down Layaway, available now.*

"We know it's early, and that is exactly when smart shoppers start thinking about using layaway for the holidays," said Jai Holtz, vice president and general manager financial services, Sears Holdings. "Based on member feedback, we are expanding no money down layaway nationwide to help members and customers who want to make small payments over time leading up the holidays. Kmart is committed to helping our members budget their finances throughout the holidays by kicking off no money down layaway as early as possible so they can feel confident about checking everything off their lists."

According to the National Retail Federation, nearly 40 percent of Americans begin holiday shopping before Halloween.** Kmart layaway makes it easy to plan purchases, enabling members and customers to shop early with a flexible, convenient payment option.  

To get shoppers in the layaway spirit, Kmart is having some fun with its "This is Not a Christmas Commercial," ad that begins airing today and can be viewed on YouTube.

Apparel, Home, Toys and Electronics

Kmart's layaway program includes both online and in-store contracts for coveted items across dozens of merchandise categories, including:

• Apparel – The whole family can get in the spirit in style with Kmart-exclusive celebrity powerhouse brands that include Adam Levine, Never Give Up by John Cena, Sofia by Sofia Vergara, Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez, Sophia Grace and Rosie, and Impact by Jillian Michaels. Plus, Shop Your Way members can save even more with $10 off a qualifying apparel, footwear and jewelry purchase of $50 or more on in-store layaway.***
• Home – Kmart offers a wide selection of affordably priced home accessories and small kitchen appliances such as Disney "Frozen" themed bedding and the Keurig® single-cup coffee maker.
• Toys – Parents can get a head start nabbing Kmart-exclusive hot holiday toys, including My Little Pony Equestria Girls Rainbow Rocks Mane Event Stage Playset by Hasbro®, Transformers Age of Extinction Optimus Prime and Grimlock 12-Inch Electronic Figures by Hasbro®, WWE® John Cena 31'' Figure by Wicked Cool Toys® and Zoomer Dino by Spin Master™.
• Consumer electronics – Members and customers can gift the newest electronics like Xbox ONE, PlayStation4®, 32" to 60" RCA TVs and Samsung Galaxy tablets.

Kmart and Sears offer layaway year-round, and are the only general merchandise retailers where layaway is available nationwide, both online and in-store; there is no minimum purchase. Shop Your Way members earn points on layaway purchases, and membership, as always, is easy and free. For more information on layaway, please visit www.kmart.com/layaway.

* Offer valid only on new Kmart Layaway contracts initiated by Members through 9/20/14.  No down payment required at contract initiation.  One penny down payment required online.  All fees nonrefundable. Cancellation fees apply. No cancellation fee in Ohio. Requires biweekly payments.  Free Layaway promotion will waive $5 service fee on an 8 week contract and $10 service fee on a 12 week contract. Maryland and Washington D.C. offer 8 week contracts only.  12-week Layaway option available in-store only on purchases of $300 or more. Not available at all stores.  Exclusions apply.  See store for further details. 

**Source: NRF 2013 Holiday Consumer Spending Survey

***Offer valid only on new in-store Layaway purchases made 9/7/14 through 9/20/14 in participating stores only and is not combinable with any other offer.  Discount given on Apparel, Footwear and Jewelry at time of new in-store layaway purchase.  Excludes Nicki Minaj and Adam Levine Collections, clearance merchandise, Everyday Great Price items, Deal Flash, red-tag special buys, incredible buys, introductory offers, gold-filled jewelry, family jewelry and class rings.  Savings applied and pro-rated across all qualifying items purchased in addition to the minimum requirements and will be deducted from any refund.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:  SHLD), is a mass merchandising company and part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Kmart offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Sofia by Sofia Vergara, Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com | Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/kmart.

About Shop Your Way

Shop Your Way is a free social shopping destination and rewards program offering millions of products, personalized services, and advice. Through a network of retail partners and service providers, members can shop, compare, purchase items and earn points to use on future purchases. Members also enjoy special pricing, exclusive sales, events, access to celebrity brands and sweepstakes. And through the unique social community on shopyourway.com members can research and browse products, create wish lists, poll friends and family and even get advice from experts to help choose the products and services that best meet their needs.

There is no minimum purchase required for Shop Your Way members to redeem points and points can be used toward purchases across countless product categories. Download the free Shop Your Way app available on iTunes or Google Play. By accepting Shop Your Way member benefits and offers, you agree to the Shop Your Way terms and conditions, available at www.shopyourway.com/terms.

SOURCE Kmart