WAYNE, N.J. (AP) — Toys R Us is making it easier for shoppers to use its layaway program ahead of the crucial holiday season, waiving its service fee and minimum purchase requirement beginning today.

As brick-and-mortar stores face increasingly tough competition from online retailers, chains like Toys R Us, Walmart, Sears and others have been expanding services such as layaway to draw customers into stores. Retailers will be pulling out all the stops for customers as the intensely competitive holiday season approaches, which can account for as much as 40 percent of annual sales.

Last month, Walmart Stores Inc. said it was expanding its own layaway program after seeing high customer demand for layaway during last year’s winter holiday season. Its new program will last a month longer than last year’s and will include more items than the toys and electronics featured last year. But there is still a minimum purchase requirement and a $15 fee for an open account.

Toys R Us, in contrast, is waiving the upfront service fee for layaway orders created in store from today through Oct. 31. After Oct. 31, a $5 service fee will apply. Also, there will be no minimum purchase price. Customers have until Dec. 16 to pick up their orders.

“We continue to look for ways to help our customers stretch their budgets, and by taking advantage of this free layaway option, they can make a series of small payments over time, as they begin to think about what might be on their children’s holiday wish lists,” said Troy Rice, of Toys R Us U.S.

Layaway became popular during the Great Depression. Before the most recent recession, easy credit had made it largely a thing of the past. But when credit dried up, Sears Holdings Corp., Toys R Us and other merchants added back or expanded the service.