Kmart shoppers can now buy cart loads of holiday gifts with just $10 up front.

"I got a little change in my pocket I can put down on it and it isn't so high you just have to buy it all at once," says Denise Thomas, uses Kmart's layaway.

The retail giant recently launched a campaign promoting it's convenient, pay as you go system. Right now, managers at Birmingham's Kmart on Crestwood Boulevard say they've seen a 100 percent increase in layaways. They say the store currently has more than $200,000 worth of layaway items taking up four storage rooms.  

"They know there's no high interest rates tagged to these things. Layaway is a one time fee. We don't tag any hidden charges on you," says Tommy Stewart, Birmingham Kmart Manager.

 
But layaway isn't just for people looking for a retail bargain. It's also for consumers looking to enjoy the finer things in life. The owner of Mike's Fine Jewelry Shop in Downtown Birmingham, Mike Cohen, says he's seen a 50 percent increase in layaways.

"It really helps the customers. They don't have any other way to buy," says Cohen.

 Whether it's diamonds and pearls to a basic silver necklace, Cohen says, these days, layaway at his shop can be a deal breaker. 

"It keeps the people coming back it really does," says Cohen.  

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