While shoppers prepare to wake up early on Black Friday, the Bay State’s blue laws may prevent some retailers from opening their doors at midnight.
State blue laws impose restrictions on commercial activities on Sundays and certain holidays, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.
Retail businesses in Massachusetts cannot operate on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas without obtaining a permit from their town or city, according to the EOLWD. Businesses cannot force employees to be available on holidays – employees must volunteer to work.
The law presents a problem for stores planning midnight openings because they are unable to schedule employees to work prior to midnight to set up for the store’s opening.
To accommodate these laws, some retailers plan to open Massachusetts locations later than in other states. Others, including the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, are sticking with the advertised midnight opening.
Some stores, such as Banana Republic, advertised midnight openings for certain locations only.
The Banana Republic on Newbury Street will be opening at 8 a.m. on Black Friday, according to a store employee, offering a number of deals including 40 percent off the entire store starting at 1 p.m.
Because of the later opening time, employees said they were not restricted by blue laws.
“It’s definitely not [an issue] at this location,” said a manager, who asked to remain anonymous. “It probably would be an issue for some others.”
The Best Buy on Newbury Street will open at 1 a.m., according to window advertisements. Store management declined an interview and said they did not have clearance to talk to the press.
Other stores are opening earlier than usual to accommodate the Black Friday rush.
Urban Outfitters on Newbury Street advertised a 5 a.m. opening, but store management would not discuss the details.
The Prudential Center will officially open at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than usual. Individual stores in the building may open even earlier.
Blue laws also affect supermarkets, meaning any large locations would be required to have a permit to stay open on the holiday.
An employee at the Star Market in Allston said that store employees would have a break from the 24-hour schedule when the store closes at midnight on Thanksgiving. The store will not reopen until 6 a.m. on Friday.
Shoppers still have the option of shopping with online retailers such as Amazon.com, which started offering Black Friday deals yesterday as part of its “Black Friday Deals Week” campaign.
Some shoppers said they were disappointed by later openings. Anne Sullivan of Brookline said she never has enough time to hit all her favorite stores on Black Friday.
“I think midnight openings are great because they give shoppers more time,” Sullivan said.
Meg, from Dorchester, who asked to keep her last name anonymous, said she thought Black Friday shopping should be “as crazy as possible.”
“I think a midnight opening is lame,” she said. “You’re already awake, you don’t have to camp out or anything like you do for a 4 a.m. opening.”
Meg said that while she enjoyed Black Friday shopping with her mother last year, she probably would not do it again.
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