MWR : Shopping Sabbath?

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Jan. 18, 2010 issue

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Shopping Sabbath?

More Lancaster stores open Sunday; others holding out

By Heidi Martin Mennonite Weekly Review

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LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — Shopping habits are changing, and Christian business owners are trying to keep up.

Opening the Oregon Dairy grocery store and restaurant on Sundays is “the toughest decision we’ve made,” says owner Curvin Hurst. — Photo by Oregon Dairy

In the past, some grocery stores and restaurants here did not feel a need to open on Sundays.

“Right now, with everyone’s busy schedules, grocery shopping is slid in between picking up a child from school and going to a sporting event,” said John Yoder, owner of Yoder’s Country Market. “Sometimes it happens that the only time they can leisurely shop is on Sunday. The busiest time at the grocery store is usually when people stop on the way home from church.”

Three family-owned grocery stores and restaurants are adding Sunday hours to their schedules beginning Jan. 10.

Yoder’s Country Market, Oregon Dairy and John Herr’s Village Market are part of Family Owned Markets, a group of 16 stores throughout central Pennsylvania, most of which already operate on Sundays.

“We’re being proactive before we wonder what happened to the business,” Yoder said. “With the competition looking to move into the area, we could wake up some morning and have lost part of our business. Then we would have to start downsizing and laying people off.”

According to research by Curvin Hurst, an owner of Oregon Dairy, 21 percent of customers shop on Sunday, compared to 17.8 percent who shop on Saturday and 14 percent on Friday. The remaining days average 11 to 13 percent.

“We are disappointed we had to make the change,” Hurst said. “We’ve been in operation since 1975, and this is the toughest decision we’ve made.”

Lifestyles were somewhat more simple in the 1970s, Hurst wrote in a memo to employees at Oregon Dairy, where two of the owners are Mennonite.

“The consumer’s shopping habits have slowly but drastically changed,” he wrote.

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Comments

One of the reasons the plain and conservative churches are so strong is that they spend entire Sundays together fellowshipping. Thisis a time when close bonding happens. Working on Sundays interferes with family life for non-Christian workers as well. Many Christians have to miss church because employers insist they work Sundays. As much as possible, we need to return to non-commercial Sundays for everyone's benefit. Maybe if the businesses have "Saturday Specials", people will patronize their businesses even if they aren't open on Sundays.

- Barbara Brooks (jan 5 at 11:57 p.m.)
I have a small family run business. People have told us we could have a lot of business on Sundays. We sure could use the money but I know God will bless us if we choose to continue to honor him! I admire businesses that choose to stand up for their beliefs such as Chik-fil-a!

- aleta kulp (jan 14 at 10:27 p.m.)
I have never shopped on Sundays and I never will. If I don't have time to do my work and shopping in 6 days, I am too busy and not serving the Lord. Then I need to prioritize my life. We seldom eat out on Sundays.

I wonder: if the competition did something unethical, will these store owners also do something unethical? It sounds like it. They have to follow their competitors. Who should set the standard? They could not make as much money if they were honest.

There is more to life than making money. Of what are we stewards? Will the owners go to church while their employees work?

It is so easy to justify our decisions and something that is not Biblical.

Jesus not only did not make a profit, but he was crucified for his beliefs and He has followers all over the world!

- Les (jan 15 at 4:52 p.m.)

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