I work for Wal-Mart. AND I was a Lay-away associate for 5 years. In my store there was a full crew, with full schedules to work the Lay-away desk. We were too busy to have a random associate to pop behind the desk, not to mention that is the way packages are lost.
Here is the deal: We used approximately 300-400 sq feet of storage during the non-seasonal part of the year, yet when Christmas came around we would have to RENT Storage bins which were parked behind the stores Lay-away door. Each Christmas we would rent approxiamtely 20 trailers, beginning in Late October, early November.
You are thinking "See how much merchandise you were selling?" the fact is that this merchandise wasn't "sold" until the customer came to pick it up. In my experience only 97% of the merchandise was EVER picked up. We charged no fee to put in on Lay-away, no fee to cancel it. If the customer, (or Wal-mart) Cancels it the customer got 100% of their money back. The Merchandise that went on Lay-away at regular price 90 days ago is now on CLEARANCE. Walmart had paid to STORE it, Paid associates to package and unpackage, bin, un-bin, restock this merchandise and did not make any profit.