By Brook Stockberger, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

Nov. 2--LAS CRUCES -- Angie Pedraza wants to buy a gift for her granddaughter -- keep it a secret, it's a Nintendo game system -- but the thought of plunking down a couple of hundred dollars in one outing is not attractive. That is why the Las Crucen plans to put the gift on layaway at Kmart.

"I use it a lot," Pedraza said of layaway. "That's why I keep coming back here."

On the lookout for bargains, many southern New Mexicans prepare to hit the stores or navigate the Internet in search of holiday gifts. A recent survey by the National Retail Federation predicts a 1 percent decline in total sales for November and December combined.

Layaway -- which allows shoppers to purchase items in incremental payments and then receive the merchandise when the entire bill is paid -- has increased in popularity for Kmart and its sister company, Sears.

Shoppers can secure what they wish to purchase without paying all the money up front or using a credit card.

Jesse Piedra, manager of the Kmart store on El Paseo Road, said he expects more people to use the service this year.

"Last year was good, this year is going to be really good," he said of layaway traffic. "Before, people with lower incomes mostly used it, but now everybody is using it."

Mark Gonzales, a manager with the Sears store at the Mesilla Valley Mall, said

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