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Summarized by Michael Nielsen
LDS Firms Are Closed Sunday -- Quite Happily
SPRINGVILLE, UTAH -- "From a financial point of view, it doesn't make
a lot of sense." So says Dave Davis, Macey's attorney and human
resources director, about the policy of closing its Utah stores on
Sunday. Macey's loses nearly $3 million by the practice, which runs
counter to the prevailing trends in retail.
Although some stores close on Sundays for religious reasons, Davis
says that an important benefit is that it results in better,
well-rested employees. "The company feels like it's the right thing
to do for the employees. That's a factor in recruiting good people.
We fell like everybody needs a day off to worship if they choose, or
spend time with their families," he said.
Ken Macey, chairman of the board of directors, tells how the store
came to close on Sundays.
In 1960, "Joseph Fielding Smith shopped at our Rose Park store for
awhile - but he didn't know we were open on Sunday at that time."
Smith spoke with Walt Macey, co-owner of the store then, and told
him, "I didn't realize you were open on the Sabbath. I won't be
back." Although that prompted Macey's to reconsider its Sunday
policy, it was four years before concerns that changing the policy
wouldn't result in the store's demise.
Now, the Sunday closure policy is such a part of Macey's that when
the stores were for sale last year, it was part of the contract. Most
prospective buyers said that they would open the stores on Sundays,
but Associated Foods told Macey's that they would abide by the
decision to keep the stores closed. Associated Foods got the contract.
The decision to open or close businesses on Sunday is a hotly debated
one. Some Dairy Queen stores in Utah decided to open. Irene Huber,
co-owner of the Orem Dairy Queen reports that "We had so many
requests that we decided to open our store nine years ago, and we've
never regretted it. I've talked to many women who've come in and
said, 'The only day we can take our family out is Sunday.' " In
contrast, the owners of Dairy Queen stores in Centerville, Layton,
Sandy and West Jordan close their stores.
One of those whose store is closed is George Nichols. He determined
to close his business's doors on Sundays in 1963, when he heard his
bishop say, "'The only thing worse than having a business open on
Sunday is the owner sitting in church while his employees are down
there working." At the time he was sitting in church, and one of his
fellow ward members was working at his restaurant. Since then, his
Centerville Dairy Queen has been closed on Sundays. "Within two
months of closing on Sunday, we were making more money in six days a
week than we ever had," said Nichols. He reports that people see the
words "Closed Sundays" on the store's sign, and patronize the store
in an effort to support the policy.
Some other Utah stores are closed on Sundays for legal reasons.
Highland's "blue law" prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sundays;
consequently Smith's grocery store is closed on Sunday. A new state
law mandating car dealers close one day a week has resulted in most
dealerships being closed on Sundays. Rod Rowler, who manages the
Larry Miller GM-Subaru dealership in Midvale, says that customers use
this as a chance to look at the cars without salespeople around. "A
lot of people like to come down and look at cars without having to
talk to a salesperson."
Source:
LDS Firms Are Closed Sunday -- Quite Happily
Deseret News 22Jul00 B4
By Diane Urbani: Deseret News staff writer
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