For some Orange County auto dealers, asking them to back a proposal to close on Sundays is like asking them to shoot themselves in the foot.
But three weeks ago, the California Motor Car Dealers in Los Angeles boldly did just that, sending out a proposal to its 1,500 member dealers statewide to see if they were interested in supporting a bill that would require closing on Sundays.
It’s just one more way to conserve energy as well as give employees time off on weekends, said Jay Gorman, executive vice president of the California Motor Car Dealers.
“The state is having a severe energy shortage, so any assistance will help cure that,” said Gorman, citing some dealerships that have seen electricity bills go up tenfold in the San Diego area.
“If people are going to buy a car, closing one day a week won’t keep them from doing that,” Gorman said. “There are blue laws in other states and there is no indication that they impact car sales.”
Blue laws banning Sunday shopping are on the books in some 27 states, but they vary among cities and counties. Among those states that have laws are Nevada, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan (including Detroit, where some dealers close all weekend).
The California proposal comes on the heels of an executive order by Gov. Gray Davis that requires auto dealers and other retailers to cut energy usage after hours by at least 50% or face misdemeanor charges and fines.
So far, the dealers’ association has received roughly 600 survey responses showing an early consensus in favor of closing on Sundays, according to Gorman. Ten years ago, the association hired J.D. Power & Associates to conduct a similar poll. So far the numbers haven’t changed much, he said.
But in OC, some dealerships are less enthusiastic about the proposal.
“It makes no sense at all,” said Garth Blumenthal, general manager of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach. “It’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve heard yet. Sunday is the most convenient time for clients to shop. On Sundays, during the daytime, the lights are not on anyway, which is most of the power drain besides air conditioners.”
Fletcher Jones sells more cars on weekends than any other day of the week, Blumenthal said. “It’s not fair to impose this on car dealerships,” he said.
OC is home to some of the nation’s top dealerships, particularly when it comes to luxury cars. Fletcher Jones ranks as the No. 1 Mercedes-Benz dealer, House of Imports is second and DaimlerChrysler AG named Mission Imports in Laguna Niguel the fastest-growing Mercedes-Benz dealer.
“I’m opposed to it,” said Pat Bolter, general manager of Mission Imports. “It goes against our individual philosophy of taking care of customers. The bottom line is that if all dealers close, we could save money operationally. But operations costs are less on weekends, so I don’t see that as being a huge benefit.” n
