Big W’s in-store notice on Christmas lay-bys confuses shoppers

"This annoys me so much. What about those people who can't afford to buy them straight up?" one shopper questioned. Now the retailer has weighed in.

Leah Goulis

3 min read

September 17, 2024 - 11:20AM

Lifestyle

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Like it or not, Christmas has already hit major retail stores across Australia.

And for the average family, that means getting organised with those Christmas lay-bys.

One of the stores that many parents flock to for affordable presents and decorations is bargain retailer Big W. But recently shoppers have been left confused over a 'new rule' introduced by the store.

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Big W shoppers confused over lay-by rule

After seeing a lot of chatter online about the rules around lay-bying Christmas items, an Aussie mum took to the Big W Mums Australia Facebook group to share an image of a notice she saw posted in her local store.

"For those asking! Saw this sign up with the Christmas decorations," she shared along with a snap of the printed message.

"No layby on Christmas products from 7th October 2024," the notice reads. It went on to clarify what items would not be available during this specific time.

"Layby is not available on Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, Christmas lights & Christmas wrapping products."

The notice had a few people scratching their heads over the timing.

Big W has clarified that there was a typing error on the sign and shoppers have more time. Image: Facebook / Big W Mums Australia

Shoppers are a little confused

Many shoppers insisted this wasn't anything "new" and that there was a good reason for the retailer to put a timeframe on lay-bys during the festive season.

"Yeah because most people don't pay it off in time and then end up cancelling so close to Christmas and they get stuck with stock that is heavily discounted," one shopper shared.

"Makes sense. The last thing they need is a bunch of cancelled lay-bys that expire mid-December and won't be actually back in shelves until it's time to put the stuff on clearance," another insisted.

Meanwhile, others said they understood the rule but saw it as slightly unfair to some families.

"It’s a little sad coz not everyone can afford things right there and then BUT on the other hand completely understandable. I asked the Kmart people last year and asked why & they said it’s because people put Christmas stuff on layby and then don’t pay it off or pick it up before Christmas and then they are stuck with stock after Christmas and then have to discount it anyways," someone shared.

"This annoys me so much. What about those people that can't afford to buy them straight up and don't have zip pay or after pay," another added.

And another shopper said she experienced it first hand: "They wouldn’t let me layby Christmas pyjamas. Purely wanted to cause is it was 6 pairs and I wasn’t expecting them this early," she shared.

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What's the go? Big W weighs in

Kidpsot reached out to Big W with shoppers' concerns and they have clarified that there was an error in the message posted in store and the cut-off date is actually further along than October 7th.

“BIG W apologises for any confusion caused by incorrect signage displayed in our stores on Monday 16 September. We want to assure our customers that they can place their Christmas products on a standard lay-by until 1 December 2024," a Big W spokesperson said.

This means customers are able to place a standard lay-by on Christmas products until 1 December 2024, with lay-by exclusions applying to seasonal ranges towards the end of a season to ensure limited stock is available for all customers. This isn't limited to Christmas time - Easter and Halloween are also affected by this rule.

The signage has now been corrected in store.