Have you ever wondered???

Why stores close early on Sundays? 

Stores are open until 9 or 10 Monday-Saturday but apparently people dont need to buy things after 6pm on Sunday. *sigh*

It seems awfully counterproductive since people are usually in a better mood and have more time to drop some serious dough on things we dont need. 

Picture it: Its Sunday. You've just left church. If you're Baptist like me its about 1:30pm. Pause. If your church is anything like mine, church does not end after the benediction because then you "fellowship" with members for at least another hour. If its first Sunday that could mean soul food cooked by the best grandmother in town (mine) at the church's huge kitchen on a different level. Oh you fancy huh? It is now 2:30pm.
Stores close at 6pm. Your shopping time: 3 1/2 hours.
Pause.
That doesnt take into account travel and finding a park. Lets say its a 30 minute drive from your church to your shopping destination.
Pause.
Your clothes are uncomfortable so you decide to rush home to change. There are four people in your party so that takes an hour. For those of you keeping count you are now down to 2 hours of shopping time. Now you find yourself wondering if your shopping trip will be worth the hassle.

*sigh*

I pondered this issue for a while today after I realized I wouldnt make it to the store. Of course I wondered why. What did I do? I googled for hours and found several options. None of which satisfied my intuition but I will still share what I found.

There appears to be dueling reasons why stores close early on Sundays. They are History vs. Economics.

History: Before the industrial revolution the wage labour force was a minuscule fraction of the population. The day of the Sabbath was viewed as one dedicated to God, not one of relaxation, and strict prohibitions on permissible activities were enacted. Many jurisdictions continued to enforce strict Lord's Day laws on Sunday which meant that most recreations, such as stores and theatres, were forced to close on that day. These regulations began to weaken in the years after the Second World War and Sunday also became a day of recreation for many. Stores have continued this tradition by closing early on Sundays or by not opening at all.

 
Economics: MONEY. Time is money. Money talks and that other stuff walks. Every hour your business is open costs money. If the people at the top thought there would be enough profit in staying open until 9pm on Sunday they would. But, for some businesses, people dont spend enough money to justify staying open.

Whats your take? Do you think its because of history or economics or a combo of both?