Blue Laws Hold Massachusetts and Rhode Island Back on Black Friday

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

J. T. Carstensen, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Consumers in Rhode Island and Massachusetts wanting to get in on Black Friday shopping are going to have to wait until, well, Friday.

The two New England states are among the very last in the country with blue laws preventing retailers from being open on Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day for that matter. (Only Maine has similar statewide restrictions, with a notable exception carved out for L.L. Bean.)

For many years, this presented no impediment to the unofficial kickoff of holiday shopping season, as stores would typically open at 6 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. In 2011, a slew of stores moved the goalposts by opening at midnight on Friday.

But it was just last year that big box retailers finally declared themselves open for Thanksgiving Day business, with Walmart led the charge. It’s a phenomenon that some are calling Black Friday Creep, and shoppers here are going to miss out that early action.

That’s fine with Stuart Loosemore, of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, and he doesn’t believe he’s alone.

When asked if local businesses have stated a desire for these laws to be overturned, he says “I’ve never heard anything from membership in my two years here.”

The desire doesn’t seem to be there on the part of shoppers either. “People aren’t clamoring to having the blue laws overturned.”

“I don’t think people are sitting around the table thinking ‘Oh, no, Thanksgiving is ruined!’ because they can’t go shopping.”

A Different View In Rhode Island

Not necessarily true, says Paul DeRoche of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.

“This is a time that teens and college students might want to get away from their families, and from football” he said of Thanksgiving evening. “It’s almost like a social event for them. It’s a very successful time for stores.”

Furthermore, he sees the state losing out on consumer money in communities like Westerly, where a quick drive will take shoppers to stores in Connecticut that are opening as early as 3pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Connecticut abandoned its blue laws, which dated back to the 17th century, in 2012. It’s a measure that their governor, Dannel Malloy, expects will result in an extra six to eleven million dollars annually (though this is primarily due to increased liquor sales, rather than extra Black Friday shopping time).

Black And Blue

Though, blue laws are commonly associated with the sale of liquor, their traditional purpose was to regulate conduct on Sundays and holidays. They have their origins in Puritan culture, which might help explain why such restrictive laws persist in New England to the degree they do, despite the rapidly changing face of modern commerce.

Still, though statewide restrictions on retail business are increasingly rare, they continue to endure in some unexpected places. Take for instance, New Jersey’s Paramus Park Mall. Despite its location in an affluent, densely-packed suburb of New York City, Paramus Park has been closed every Sunday since it opened in the early ‘70s. Residents there have had multiple opportunities to overturn the law via a voter referendum. Perhaps owing to the peaceful setting of a city where no shopping is taken place, the measures were defeated soundly each time.

The prevailing attitude doesn’t seem to be much different in these parts, at least not yet.

DeRoche says he doesn’t anticipate any change for “probably the next five years.”

“Rhode Island is a small, traditional state…I’ve done my research, talked to legislators, to consumers. The desire’s just not there right now.”

When asked if there was any urge for the state to ditch its blue laws before neighboring Massachusetts does, he responded flatly, “no.”

It would probably taken even longer up in Massachusetts anyway, according to Loosemore. If it ever happens at all.

“If the market demanded it, I’m sure there would be more talk about over turning it. If someone wants something, and the legislature is resisting it, there are ways to put a petition on the ballot. If society wanted it, it would happen.”

“I certainly don’t begrudge people wanting to shop,” he adds. “It’s a phenomenal shopping day. It’s a great money maker for businesses, it’s a great day for deals. And I’m glad it’s on the day after Thanksgiving. But let’s enjoy the holiday first, then move on to Christmas.”

“Sometimes, we all need to stop and smell the turkey.”

Blue Laws Hold Massachusetts and Rhode Island Back on Black Friday

A Different View In Rhode Island

Black And Blue

Related Slideshow: A Shopper’s Dream

Kittery Outlets

Kittery, ME

Church Street

Burlington, VT

Settler’s Green

North Conway, NH

Westfarms Mall

West Hartford, Connecticut

Providence Place Mall

Providence, RI

Yankee Candle Vlg. Store

South Deerfield, MA

Manchester Outlets

Manchester, VT

Newbury Street

Boston, MA

The Umbrella Factory

Charlestown, RI

Cape Cod

Massachusetts

L.L. Bean

Freeport, ME

Vermont Country Store

Weston, VT & Rockingham, VT

Wesleyan Potters

Middletown, Connecticut

Northeast Kingdom

Vermont

Bonus trip!

Fifth Avenue, NYC

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