the staff of the Ridgewood blog
East Rutherford NJ, a recent promotional email from American Dream Mall has reignited the long-standing debate over Bergen County’s blue laws, which prohibit the sale of nonessential retail items on Sundays.
American Dream’s Sunday Shopping Push
On Thursday, March 13, American Dream’s marketing team sent an email to shoppers with the subject line: “Sundays are for shopping.” The email encouraged customers to browse their favorite brands and enjoy weekend retail shopping—despite Bergen County’s strict blue laws that ban retail sales on Sundays.
Local Officials Call It a Violation
East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier criticized the mall’s move, calling it a blatant disregard for county laws.
“That’s basically rubbing it in your face, what they’re doing down there now,” Lahullier said.
However, American Dream spokesperson Gregg Schwartz defended the mall’s marketing efforts, stating:
“Of course we’re going to promote our businesses that are open and let our customers know they can shop on Sundays. That’s standard business.”
Does State-Owned Land Exempt American Dream?
Mall officials have long argued that American Dream operates on state-owned land, meaning it should be exempt from Bergen County’s blue laws—a stance that was previously supported by former Governor Chris Christie. They compare their situation to MetLife Stadium, where Jets and Giants merchandise is sold on Sundays.
However, this argument was previously rejected by local authorities, and officials are now calling for the New Jersey Attorney General’s office and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to weigh in. So far, both agencies have declined to take a stance.
Retail in Bergen County: Thriving Without Sundays
Despite the county’s Sunday shopping restrictions, Bergen County remains a retail powerhouse, home to five major malls, including those in Paramus—one of the highest-grossing retail zip codes in the country.
With nearly 1 million residents and a median income exceeding $91,000, Bergen County retailers thrive while remaining closed one day a week.
Potential Legal Action
Following NorthJersey.com’s report that American Dream was operating in defiance of the blue laws, Paramus officials have begun exploring legal action against the mall. However, no lawsuit has been filed yet.
What Are Bergen County’s Blue Laws?
Bergen County’s blue laws date back to the 18th century and prohibit the sale of nonessential items, including:
✅ Furniture
✅ Clothing
✅ Appliances
Exceptions include groceries and pharmacies, which are allowed to operate on Sundays.
What’s Next?
With increasing pressure from local officials and potential legal challenges, the debate over whether American Dream can legally operate retail on Sundays is far from over. Whether the state will intervene or a lawsuit will be filed remains to be seen.
👉 What do you think? Should American Dream be exempt from Bergen County’s blue laws? Let us know in the comments!
Hoffa Search Leads Back to the King of Con https://theridgewoodblog.net/hoffa-search-leads-back-to-the-king-of-con/#NJFilm,#NJFilmIndustry,#NJFilmProduction, #NJFilmmakers, #FilmedInNJ, #equitycrowdfunding,#Wefunder,#startupfunding, #venturecapital, #invest
Should be exempt. The area is really considered New York just like the NFL teams that play there. The law needs to go anyway. Does not accomplish anything and only benefits neighboring counties.
“Despite the county’s Sunday shopping restrictions, Bergen County remains a retail powerhouse, home to five major malls, including those in Paramus—one of the highest-grossing retail zip codes in the country.”
Totally agree with James on this.
If you want it exempt, annex it to NY just like we want to annex Canada to the US.😄
Get rid of the law before the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to NY.
Don’t need to get rid of the law. Just make some kind of waiver for the duration of FIFA.
Should be the same if there’s a Super Bowl at the Meadowlands.
Leave it to the market to figure out. Less regulation.
It’s time for that law to go bye-bye, it’s 2025 not 1970, these stores are losing a tremendous amount of business due to that stupid law. I know many people own stores in Paramus that tell us that the business they lose on a Sunday to other areas Are hurting our local economy, big time. Because there’s no business Monday, Tuesday Wednesday are pretty much working at a 35 to 45% of business it’s Thursday Friday Saturday that makes up the business. Just look at the business at these other areas on a Sunday. Look at the money that they’re making You know what they should do a trial basis of opening on Sundays, especially from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. They will find plenty of people that will work even if they closed up shop on a Sunday at 7 o’clock hey listen if you’re on the store it should be your option. If you wanna open up on a Sunday you’re paying the rent think about that.
Reading is fundamental “Despite the county’s Sunday shopping restrictions, Bergen County remains a retail powerhouse, home to five major malls, including those in Paramus—one of the highest-grossing retail zip codes in the country.”
Question is—— how many of the business owners in Paramus actually live in Paramus next to the highways and major back roads? Paramus residents deserve peace and quiet from the traffic , air pollution and noise one day of the week. If the business owners you are talking about don’t like the blue laws, perhaps they should relocate their businesses to a county that doesn’t have blue laws.
Yes, please remove blue laws. Who needs a stinkin quiet sunday, it’s so old fashion. Possibly make the stores also 24×7, all of them. I want libs to feel the real pain of what it means to live again in a metropolitan area. Perhaps they will value the old fashioned suburbs though it will be too late.
I’m proud that we have retained the blue laws.
People who live in Paramus deserve a day off from the rest of us.
Sunday is the only day to drive into the city without major traffic hassles. Eliminate that and forget it.
A useful county law should not be repealed for the sake of one misbegotten mega-mall.
A mayor of Paramus once said the blue laws would be repealed over his dead body.
Just give your business to Bezos.
Blue Law needs to stay. Still too much traffic and should be expanded to ban all shopping, restaurants, movie theaters, town sporting events and parking.
No lawsuit has been filed because the county and state would lose, easily, given the religious underpinning of the law. If they’re being consistent, they should close on Friday for Muslims, Saturdays for Jews and Sundays for Christians. See where this goes?