A New Jersey shopper walked into Walmart and found the clothing aisles blocked off because selling them that day is illegal

Most Walmart stores sell just about everything seven days a week, but one corner of New Jersey still plays by rules written for a very different era. TikTok user @joselwees found that out on a Sunday trip to Walmart in Bergen County, where the clothing section was closed off to shoppers. His short video about it has drawn hundreds of thousands of views.

In the clip, the creator explained that he is new to New Jersey and had no idea about the rule. He told viewers that in Bergen County it is illegal to sell clothes on a Sunday, so at Walmart, “they basically close off all the clothes.” The footage pans across racks of coats and other clothing that shoppers could see but could not buy that day.

The creator ended the video by asking his followers for an explanation, saying “I need answers.” His caption was shorter and more pointed, calling the situation “petty,” while the on-screen text simply asked what was going on in Bergen County. The answer, as several commenters quickly explained, is a set of blue laws that has survived in the county for decades.

Bergen County’s blue laws still ban Sunday clothing sales

Bergen County is the last county in New Jersey to keep its Sunday sales ban. According to the Township of Wyckoff, the state law behind it bars Sunday sales of clothing, building supplies, furniture, home furnishings and appliances. Stores that sell those goods alongside groceries, like Walmart and Costco, stay open but rope off the restricted aisles.

The rules date back to laws meant to protect Sunday as a day of worship and rest. However, Bergen County voters have had chances to scrap them and declined, rejecting repeal efforts in 1980 and again in 1993, according to Wyckoff officials. Paramus, home to several major malls, enforces some of the strictest limits, and many residents have long defended the ban for keeping Sunday traffic down.

The issue has not gone away either. In 2025, Paramus officials sued the American Dream mall in neighboring East Rutherford for allowing Sunday clothing sales, as the borough argued the mall was breaking the county law. The mall’s owner countered that the blue laws do not apply because the complex sits on state-owned property, where Sunday retail sales have taken place for years.

Many commenters were just as surprised as the creator. Several people who said they grew up in New Jersey wrote that they had never heard of the rule, which drew a sharp reply from one viewer. That commenter noted that the creator clearly said Bergen County and argued that anyone living in North Jersey would already know about the ban.

The clip joins a long list of viral checkout frustrations, though most involve a store’s choice rather than the law. In one case, an Aldi cashier refused to sell loose onions to a shopper. However, the Walmart in the creator’s video had no say in the matter, as Bergen County’s blue laws apply to every retailer in the county.

Others had fun with the details of the law. One viewer pointed out that stores can still sell liquor on Sundays, while another joked that North Jersey and South Jersey are “two different places.” A commenter who said they are 66 years old recalled a time in the 1960s when stores across New Jersey were closed on Sundays, so shoppers had to stock up on Saturday night.

Unless county voters revisit the ban, Bergen County shoppers like the creator will likely keep finding clothing aisles roped off at Walmart every Sunday.