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Why do places close/close early on Sundays?

There are several states that still don't allow purchases of cars on Sundays, which I find interesting. I don't know what the history is behind that one.
Sunday isn't a business day (typically meaning that government buildings aren't open), so you can't enter into most contracts on Sunday. You can sign it, but it won't be effective until Monday, if that's not a holiday.
 
There's a car mechanic I use who's always closed on Sundays despite his business hours sign claiming otherwise.
 
Besides the aforementioned religious and traditional reasons, I have heard several business owners say it helps their bottom line. I wish I could remember more clearly their reasons. But I remember it had something to do with renewal of both machinery and staff.
In both states that I have lived, Texas and Utah, a lot of people don't necessarily go out that often on Sundays anyway.
 
In SC they call it "Blue Laws" still, but it's really morphed into "Tax Collection Law". Counties that bring in the correct amount of "Hospitality Taxes" and generate enough funds for the State can be open Sunday mornings and sell beer and wine.

What's really amusing is that there is this small mall that straddles the county line. Half could open and half could not. Eventually it was decided that the entire mall could open.
 
Chick-Fi-La is closed for religious reasons. The founders were practicing Christians and did not believe in being open on Sundays.

Same with the retail chain Hobby Lobby.

In many areas, the volume of retail traffic does not justify being open early on Sundays. Late on Sundays is changing.
 
Still?

Are we still on some old Jonny Tremainian sabbath idea that if you have your store open on a Sunday so people can buy a DVD that God will have you dunk your hand in a smelter full of molten metal?

Seriously? Monday-Saturday most stores are open to 9 or 10pm, but apparently on Sundays people only need to buy things up uintil six in the evening? And some places don't even dare OPEN on Sundays at all!

Come-on! It's 21st damn century. Open the damn stores till late on Sunday!

Maybe so peopl;e could have some time off? :rolleyes:
 
Still?

Are we still on some old Jonny Tremainian sabbath idea that if you have your store open on a Sunday so people can buy a DVD that God will have you dunk your hand in a smelter full of molten metal?

Seriously? Monday-Saturday most stores are open to 9 or 10pm, but apparently on Sundays people only need to buy things up uintil six in the evening? And some places don't even dare OPEN on Sundays at all!

Come-on! It's 21st damn century. Open the damn stores till late on Sunday!

Maybe so peopl;e could have some time off? :rolleyes:


For the umpteenth time a sufficently staffed major business should have more than enough employees to run the store seven days a week and for each employee to have two days off.

Do you think people just work seven days a week otherwise?
 
Chick-Fi-La is closed for religious reasons. The founders were practicing Christians and did not believe in being open on Sundays.

No, they weren't.

Same with the retail chain Hobby Lobby.
Hobby Lobby is headquartered in Oklahoma City, which is where I live. Before you fawn all over the wonderful *Christian* founder (who is also a Billionaire) bear in mind that the truck drivers and other warehouse staff all work Sundays even though the stores are closed. I know someone who drove truck for HL for a little over a year and quit because their work demands were not in-line with their philosophy fed to the public. He quit and got a job with consistent hours that would allow for family time.
 
It's not a question of staffing or allowing employees time off. It's a simple cost-benefit calculation. For a store, like Best Buy (as an example), to be open late on a Sunday requires the cost of paying management, staff, running the lights, running the equipment / tech / gadgets, etc. On a traditionally slow shopping night like Sunday, it's not unheard of for a store to not come close to breaking even.

Same thing with restaurants. You've got to pay management, wait staff, bar staff, kitchen staff, you have the fixed costs of food (brutal if it's a seafood restaurant), and if you get three tables that night, you're out a few thousand bucks, at minimum. It's not good business practice.
 
Yeah watch out for Hobby Lobby. You agree to work there they try to get you to forfeit certain legal rights in exchange for the dubious "privilege" of working three.

Oh and the store may not be open to the public on Sunday, but they got people in there stocking and cleaning. :) My friend June got a job at the new one on Holt Road in Webster because of the "promise" of having Sunday free for church. She's been there a month now and missed every church meeting so far due to her hours... they have her and two others mopping the floor every Sunday from 7am to 1pm.


Sheetmetal plant I worked at last year asked some of us to work 7 days a week for three out of four weeks a month over the summer in addition to the 14 hour workday. That was a bit intense... but I volunteer'd for it based on the perceived "unending" workload at the time.
 
Yeah watch out for Hobby Lobby. You agree to work there they try to get you to forfeit certain legal rights in exchange for the dubious "privilege" of working three.

Misconception.

You can't agree to forfeit legal rights in an employment contract. No matter what a company says, no matter what you sign, any portion of a contract that is contrary to public policy (i.e., the law) is unenforceable.

It's like the signs on the back of rock hauler trucks here in Las Vegas where they claim that you must stay back 200 feet because they aren't responsible for broken windshields. Bullshit. Of course they're responsible if debris is falling off of their vehicle. The same goes for car washes or dry cleaners. You don't get to absolve yourself from liabilty because you put up a sign and you don't get absolve yourself from complying with public policy because your employee agreed to it.

It's not uncommon for employers to attempt this for this the same reason that that hauling companies put these signs on their vehicles. They assume that the person reading the sign or signing the contract is stupid enough to think that it carries any weight and they know that most people won't follow up to take advantage of their rights.
 
There are still a number of Christian (mainly Baptist, Pentecostal, and non-Denoms) denominations that hold a principal worship service on Sunday nights. In some of these denominations, it is one of many offered that the members can attend, although in some others, it's one of many offered that the members must attend.

The Catholic Church, in some larger areas, is getting in on this too by offering Sunday Mass at 5:30, 6:00, or 7:00 pm.

Also... consider that just because you can do something, doesn't mean it's wise to do it. Best Buy may have the staff to stay open 24/7, but if they don't have the profit margin to do so, it's not wise to do it.
 
Yeah watch out for Hobby Lobby. You agree to work there they try to get you to forfeit certain legal rights in exchange for the dubious "privilege" of working three.

Misconception.

You can't agree to forfeit legal rights in an employment contract. No matter what a company says, no matter what you sign, any portion of a contract that is contrary to public policy (i.e., the law) is unenforceable.

It's like the signs on the back of rock hauler trucks here in Las Vegas where they claim that you must stay back 200 feet because they aren't responsible for broken windshields. Bullshit. Of course they're responsible if debris is falling off of their vehicle. The same goes for car washes or dry cleaners. You don't get to absolve yourself from liabilty because you put up a sign and you don't get absolve yourself from complying with public policy because your employee agreed to it.

It's not uncommon for employers to attempt this for this the same reason that that hauling companies put these signs on their vehicles. They assume that the person reading the sign or signing the contract is stupid enough to think that it carries any weight and they know that most people won't follow up to take advantage of their rights.

Oh I know, but the fact that they would put this on the application and make you sign prior to an interview... Well I'm employed now anyway so I don't have to worry about it. Just a heads up for other potential hires. :)
 
Chick-Fi-La is closed for religious reasons. The founders were practicing Christians and did not believe in being open on Sundays.

No, they weren't.
o.O That one I know. The guy who founded it is a Southern Baptist, they've been in the paper before because of that.

Cathy is a devout Baptist who has taught Sunday School for over 55 years. As an extension of his convictions, all of the company's locations (whether company-owned or franchised), are closed on Sundays — a rare policy within the food-service industry — to allow its employees to attend church and spend time with their families.[1] This is a policy that began when Truett was working 6 days a week, multiple shifts. He decided to close on Sundays to relax and recharge, as well as honor God. The policy remains intact today as the restaurants are closed on Sundays.
(Wikipedia)
 
Yeah watch out for Hobby Lobby. You agree to work there they try to get you to forfeit certain legal rights in exchange for the dubious "privilege" of working three.

Misconception.

You can't agree to forfeit legal rights in an employment contract. No matter what a company says, no matter what you sign, any portion of a contract that is contrary to public policy (i.e., the law) is unenforceable.

It's like the signs on the back of rock hauler trucks here in Las Vegas where they claim that you must stay back 200 feet because they aren't responsible for broken windshields. Bullshit. Of course they're responsible if debris is falling off of their vehicle. The same goes for car washes or dry cleaners. You don't get to absolve yourself from liabilty because you put up a sign and you don't get absolve yourself from complying with public policy because your employee agreed to it.

It's not uncommon for employers to attempt this for this the same reason that that hauling companies put these signs on their vehicles. They assume that the person reading the sign or signing the contract is stupid enough to think that it carries any weight and they know that most people won't follow up to take advantage of their rights.

Oh I know, but the fact that they would put this on the application and make you sign prior to an interview... Well I'm employed now anyway so I don't have to worry about it. Just a heads up for other potential hires. :)
And good on ya for bringing it up so people can watch out. It's the same reason that I provided the information that I did.

My personal take on it is: fuck it... sign whatever thy want but just keep in mind that it isn't worth the paper it's written on if it's a violation of public policy.
 
Maybe so peopl;e could have some time off? :rolleyes:


For the umpteenth time a sufficently staffed major business should have more than enough employees to run the store seven days a week and for each employee to have two days off.

Do you think people just work seven days a week otherwise?

Exactly, my local supermarket is open from 6am on Monday morning straight through to 10pm on Saturday night, and then only 10am - 4.30pm on a Sunday.

They employ hundreds and hundreds of people. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever apart from some ridiculous outdated religious laws for them not to be able to open 24/7. And it's not a cost/benefit thing either, nobody can tell me they make more money at 3am on a Tuesday than they would at 6pm on a Sunday.

They shut because the government tells them they have to, that is the only reason and it is firmly rooted in religious beliefs which are not my concern and should not dictate what time I can go shopping.
 
Maybe so peopl;e could have some time off? :rolleyes:


For the umpteenth time a sufficently staffed major business should have more than enough employees to run the store seven days a week and for each employee to have two days off.

Do you think people just work seven days a week otherwise?

Exactly, my local supermarket is open from 6am on Monday morning straight through to 10pm on Saturday night, and then only 10am - 4.30pm on a Sunday.

They employ hundreds and hundreds of people. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever apart from some ridiculous outdated religious laws for them not to be able to open 24/7. And it's not a cost/benefit thing either, nobody can tell me they make more money at 3am on a Tuesday than they would at 6pm on a Sunday.

They shut because the government tells them they have to, that is the only reason and it is firmly rooted in religious beliefs which are not my concern and should not dictate what time I can go shopping.

The government tells them too? :wtf:

My store is open 24/7. We're only closed on Christmas Day, we close early on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

Sunday evening/night is my department's busiest time -excluding times where there's upsurd sales that don't run throush Sunday.
 
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