CVS open, but restricted by Thanksgiving blue laws?

[ron_newman]

On my way out of town on Tuesday, I walked by the Davis Square CVS. It had a paper sign saying that it would be open on Thanksgiving, but that because of Blue Laws, they are allowed to sell only certain products on that day.

I didn't take notes or a photo, so I don't remember the whole list, but it included prescription and over-the-counter medicines, food, beverages, and "batteries for emergency use only".

Has anyone else seen these signs? If you took a photo, can you post it here?

I don't know how they can actually enforce these restrictions, given the prevalence of self-service checkout machines.

Do any other chain stores have such restrictions posted? I'm curious about 7-Eleven, Tedeschi's, Walgreen's, and Rite Aid.

Comments

[rmd.livejournal.com]

Huh! It used to be, when blue laws were much bluer than they are now, that in some stores only certain products could be sold on Sundays. I haven't seen anything like that for years, though.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Bergen County, NJ, where I grew up, still has general-merchandise blue laws prohibiting most stores from opening Sundays. Every so often someone floats the idea to abolish the blue laws, especially since such laws don't exist in any neighboring county in NY or NJ.

Paramus, which hosts three major shopping malls, is often the strongest proponent for keeping the blue laws. Residents there like having one day a week when they can get out on the roads without getting obliterated by shopper traffic.

Grocery stores and drugstores are allowed to be open, among other things. That's one reason why we have drugstores that sell tons and tons of what might be considered "general merchandise"--it was a loophole in the blue laws in NJ.