So far this year, we’ve mostly shared tales of people complaining about the process of purchasing items at Kmart using layaway. Last year, something inspiring started to happen. People, including our very own readers, would walk up to the customer service desk at their local Kmart and offer to pay off the layaway balance of a random family. The “layaway angels,” media outlets began to call them. The idea spread nationwide, mostly in Kmart stores. This year, Kmart has built an ad campaign around them.

“Every year,” says longtime Kmart designer Jaclyn Smith in the ad, “people come in to our stores and pay the layaway of random strangers.”

Well, if by “every year” they mean “since last year.” We can’t find any reports of layaway angels at work, at least not at Kmart, before 2011. You can’t fault Kmart for trying to create a new holiday tradition that involves generosity, selflessness, and visiting Kmart.

Kmart Layaway Angels [YouTube] (Thanks, catastrophegirl!)

LAST YEAR:
Not-So-Secret Santa Picks Up $16K For 1,000 Shoppers’ Holiday Layaway Items
Secret Santa Picks Up Kmart Customers’ Layaway Tabs
Reader Pays Off Strangers’ Layaway Tabs, Becomes Santa Claus

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