Surely, the American Dream Mall down there in New Jersey is a big one and pretty famous too, but right now, it is famous and being talked about in the headlines for a different reason, actually. True, this mall has all the shiny and fun things like indoor skiing, roller coasters, a giant water park, and big-name stores, but this issue is regarding something else. What exactly? Well, it might sound like a small thing that this mall is allowing Sunday retail shopping, but now it has turned into a big issue in the country because that is simply not allowed there. Now it has taken the shape of this American Dream Mall Sunday Sales Lawsuit, which is pretty serious as well, so let’s just talk about it for a sec.
So, You Really Can’t Shop on Sundays There?
That’s true. Bergen County has what is called “blue laws,” and for those who don’t know anything about it yet, well, these are old regulations that have been around for a very long time and were initially made to ensure that Sundays remain peaceful and relaxing. So, it is prohibited to sell clothes, furniture, or any other similar items on Sundays.
How Did the American Dream Mall End Up in This Situation?
Well, if you read the details of this very case, you’ll find out that it was clear from the very beginning that the mall was going to adhere to the blue laws when it opened in 2019. On Sundays, only the entertainment venues were permitted to operate, whereas the retail stores were expected to stay closed. That was how the consensus was.
Nevertheless, it was stated by the officials that the mall began to secretly permit retail stores to open on Sundays from around January 2025. And? Well, surely, customers were buying as on any other day, although the regulations of the county were very clear in forbidding those sales. But now, presently, the leaders of the neighboring towns and the county think that this is a source of the mall’s unfair competition and therefore, they have resolved to litigate the issue.
Who Filed the Lawsuit?
After a few months of all this going on, this lawsuit was actually started out in August 2025. And for those who don’t know a bit about this case yet, well, it was a legal action by the borough of Paramus, the mayor of Paramus, and Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. Besides them, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the borough of East Rutherford, where the mall is situated, were included as plaintiffs, too.
What Is the Mall’s Response?
So far, the case has progressed a little bit, and the owners of the mall claim that the lawsuit is without merit. They maintain that the blue laws are not applicable to them as the mall is located on state-owned land. In addition, they emphasize that retail has been carried out there on Sundays for years and that there have been no significant problems.
Wanna know what they think about this whole scene? Well, in their view (and they have expressed it pretty clearly), the case is only a matter of the local competitors wanting to be protected under the guise of the enforcement of the blue laws.
The Promises Made, and the Evidence
Well, if you keep on going through the details of this case, see, during a public meeting in 2011, a mall developer mentioned that they would adhere to blue laws and not operate retail stores on Sundays. Now, the authorities consider that statement as the definite confirmation of their pledge.
The mall’s owners, according to Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, were also on their word, and they made the same promise to him. Hence, the county perceives this not only as a matter of law but also of their integrity.