Boycott Shaws for one shopping day
That's right, Borderline is calling for a consumer boycott of Shaw's Supermarkets. For one day, any day, of your choosing, in the next month.
They've played a pretty nasty trick, tattling on competitor Whole Foods for daring to open on Thanksgiving. According to the Boston Globe, Shaw's, which wasn't planning on opening on Thursday, decided to remind the Massachusetts Attorney General that there is a Blue Law which forbids markets opening on Thanksgiving. The office of Attorney General Thomas Reilly issued a legal opinion saying that it would be breaking the law to open on Thanksgiving.
Never mind that the Blue Laws are a relic from a different age, and that there thousands of ancient laws on the books that are never enforced, either through official ignorance or deliberate inaction. Whole Foods wanted to stay open, was willing to pay its staff extra to come in on that day, and many consumers in Newton and Waltham may have wanted to go there to buy a last-minute something for Thanksgiving dinner.
Shaw's letter is a nasty, underhanded business tactic. They are the dominant supermarket chain in both Newton and Waltham. But in the next month, consider taking one of your regular shopping expeditions elsewhere as a response -- I know I will. Whole Foods has at least two branches in Newton (Washington Street, and Newton Four Corners) and Waltham has a Hannafords (Main Street) and Costco (on the other side of Rte. 128). Add a comment here if there is another Shaw's alternative that I missed.
They've played a pretty nasty trick, tattling on competitor Whole Foods for daring to open on Thanksgiving. According to the Boston Globe, Shaw's, which wasn't planning on opening on Thursday, decided to remind the Massachusetts Attorney General that there is a Blue Law which forbids markets opening on Thanksgiving. The office of Attorney General Thomas Reilly issued a legal opinion saying that it would be breaking the law to open on Thanksgiving.
Never mind that the Blue Laws are a relic from a different age, and that there thousands of ancient laws on the books that are never enforced, either through official ignorance or deliberate inaction. Whole Foods wanted to stay open, was willing to pay its staff extra to come in on that day, and many consumers in Newton and Waltham may have wanted to go there to buy a last-minute something for Thanksgiving dinner.
Shaw's letter is a nasty, underhanded business tactic. They are the dominant supermarket chain in both Newton and Waltham. But in the next month, consider taking one of your regular shopping expeditions elsewhere as a response -- I know I will. Whole Foods has at least two branches in Newton (Washington Street, and Newton Four Corners) and Waltham has a Hannafords (Main Street) and Costco (on the other side of Rte. 128). Add a comment here if there is another Shaw's alternative that I missed.
posted by Borderline at 11/20/2005 09:46:00 AM
4 Comments:
I already boycot them entirely, actually, ever since they installed those g-dawful video screens in the checkout lanes. I shop at the local markets in Watertown on Mt. Auburn St: Kay's for produce, Coolidge provisions for meat (though a visit to the meat spot in Watertown Square is even better), and Arax, Massis, and Sevan for ethnic goodies... When I need something not at one of those I make a bi-monthly trek to Trader Joe's (Newton, Arlington, or Cambridge).
There are two Stop-n-Shops in nearby Watertown; one on the Newton line (Watertown Street/Rt.16 in Nonantum) and one on the Waltham Line (Pleasant Street, less than half-a-mile inbound from the River Street Shaws).
I actually had to laugh at Shaw's official complaint. It seems that Whole Foods staying open somehow reduces consumer choice. Excuse me? So no markets open mean more choice? Ah the joy of political/economic double-speak.
Oh--don't forget Trader Joes as another alternative.
:)
ljcohen
It shouldn't matter what Shaw's said about the whole situation. It was Thanksgiving. NO ONE should be open on Thanksgiving. You say that the blue law was created in a different era. Well Thanksgiving was started many era's ago as well, should we forget about Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a day for American's to celebrate the joining of the early American's and Native Americans. We should honor that. I would boycott Whole Foods for making their associates work on such a holiday!
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