American Dream’s retail stores won’t be open on Sundays

There’s one more reason to avoid going to the American Dream mega-mall in East Rutherford. First, there was the 17-year building process, then was the fact that nothing had been done regarding the infrastructure needed to get people in and out of the area, and now it’s being pointed out that, since the mall is in Bergen County, the retail shops won’t be open on Sundays.

In an article on CNBC.com, they note that Bergen County is the only county in New Jersey (and one of the last in the country) to still observe “blue laws” that prohibit establishments from selling certain items on Sundays like clothes, furniture, electronics and hardware. Even though Bergen County is home to two of New Jersey’s largest malls (the Garden State Plaza and the Paramus Park Mall), residents there have voted down repealing the ban several times. Granted, more than 50% of the space at the long-delayed mall is being devoted to “entertainment” and most of the retail shops won’t even open until the spring (the Nickelodeon Theme Park and the ice rink are both opening Friday; no, really), but not being open on a busy shopping day can’t help business. Then again, both the Garden State Plaza and Paramus Park Mall have not only survived but thrived despite of the law.

Kudos to CNBC.com for explaining where the phrase “blue law” originates: the laws in America date back to the Puritans (who observed Sunday as a day of rest and prayer) who wrote their laws on blue paper.

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