Thanksgiving has become an integral part of American culture. It is also interwoven into the fabric of society, used as a means of forcing people to do self-introspection. This is all being undone by the existence of Black Friday, which is slowly but surely creeping into the day of Thanksgiving. Hooray capitalism!
When I tell people that my family does not celebrate Thanksgiving, the reactions range from disbelief to outrage. For some reason, our tradition of not eating a huge meal Thursday night is deemed sacrilegious. The accusations of our being unpatriotic are unfair considering the fact my mother was born and raised in South Africa. I try to reassure people that in other respects, I am indeed American to the bone. Case in point: I am a devout Black Friday shopper. In our technological era, I can now extend my capitalist bliss by getting more bargains on Cyber Monday. Unfortunately, there is an abrupt halt to my shopping escapades due to the existence of the Blue Laws.
The mentality of many college students, it is frowned upon in society. Unfortunately, the Blue Laws is based on religious beliefs, which is problematic in a country that prides itself on the separation of church and state.
Never heard of the Blue Laws? That is probably because they barely affect you. Also known as Sunday Laws, they restrict or ban certain Sunday activities. For example, many states impose a ban on the sale of alcohol, most often on purchases before noon. Since this is a matter of states’ rights and up to their discretion, the level of strictness of the Blue Laws varies across America.
Bergen County is a quaint area in New Jersey that is right by the George Washington Bridge.
New Jersey is home to the most stringent Blue Laws. Specifically, Bergen County, through a referendum, bans the sale of clothing, shoes, furniture, and appliances. For those of you not from Bergen County, imagine how frustrating it would be to not be able to do almost any form of shopping on your day off from school/work. Not going to the mall on Sundays is antithetical to the American existence. Moreover, due to the area’s substantial religious demographic, the sting of the Blue Laws in Bergen County is especially pronounced. Many living there are observant Jews who cannot go shopping on Saturday. That there is not just one, but two days in which they cannot shop creates a tremendous burden.
Naturally, consumers respond to shocks in the market by shifting their behavior. When I was younger, my family’s Sunday activity involved driving to Monsey, New York, where we would go shopping. Great minds think alike: we frequently bumped into others from our neighborhood. As a result, I was never familiar with the Garden State Plaza, a nearby mall complex that is colossal and host to my future Black Friday deals, until I was a licensed driver and went while on vacation from school.
Just to clarify, I am NOT referring to people who go shopping on 5th avenue, a block with stores selling the priciest designer labels.
Interestingly enough, as I flocked to New York to shop, the people there raved about their shopping experiences in my home state. They made the trek because New Jersey does not have a sales tax on clothing. In New York, purchases over $110 face a series of taxes. The rationalized that the cost of gas was still less the total amount they would have to pay on taxes for their shopping spree. While our money streamed into New York’s economy from our Sunday excursions, the local Bergen County economy similarly benefited form the inflow of cash from out of state shoppers.
This type of traffic could arise if people could shop on Sundays. We see evidence of this in other counties in New Jersey as well as in other states.
Would it not be in Bergen County’s best interest to get rid of the Blue Laws so consumers could shop more? Not necessarily. It is important to analyze the marginal benefit of this extra day of remaining open. Keeping a store open for an additional day is only worthwhile if the benefits, such as increased foot traffic and revenue, outweigh the costs of overhead. Proponents of the Blue Laws argue that by keeping stores closed on Sunday, shopping is more efficient on Saturday. That is, for the same overhead fee as a regular day of remaining open, they make proportionally more in sales. Also, from the perspective of welfare economics, there is significantly less traffic on the roads, and they are better off. People argue that they enjoy the brief respite from the incessant noise and traffic of the incoming cars.
This parking lot for the local mall is normally empty on Sunday. During Sandy is was noticeably filled ( It was not packed because many still had to deal with the damage done to their homes.)
Many argue that they are content with the status quo and cannot imagine a Bergen County any other way. Public memory is notoriously short-lived, as there was a case in which Bergen County proved capable of functioning without the Blue Laws. When Superstorm Sandy hit, I remember wondering how badly local stores would be battered, both physically and financially. Besides having their inventory destroyed, stores were impacted by plummeting sales. In an unprecedented move, Governor Chris Christie suspended the Blue Laws for one day, a week after Superstorm Sandy hit. I felt strange and almost wrong walking into a shop that was traditionally closed on Sunday. And yet, I also felt that I could become accustomed to this. It would make my life infinitely easier.
Lately, hashtags on social media have been incredibly effective in raising awareness and implementing change. Perhaps this could be the new viral hit?
Unfortunately, I do not anticipate the Blue Laws being abolished anytime soon. The only hope for change is if a legitimate grassroots initiative would arise, with the support of all the diverse demographics in the area. For now, I will simply have to focus all my efforts on Black Friday shopping!
