h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That bit at the beginning is slightly off, really. There would be laws, as it varied from place to place, either by state, county or even individual municipality. Some places still have laws, though mostly any more they apply only to times when alcohol can be sold and when those sort of stores can be open. Often referred to as blue laws, though I don't know why. I know they used to keep certain kinds of stores (other than just alcohol sellers) closed on Sundays back when I was a kid.

From my limited travels, the idea that the vast majority of shops are open until 9-10pm every night including Saturday and also at least 5-6 hours on Sunday is still fairly unique to the US. I never noticed that in Europe, for instance, or even in Japan. In Japan, the ATMs close at 7pm of all things (or they did when I was there a few years ago). The most useful stores are now often open 24 hours. Around here that includes the gas station/convenience store (typical 7-Eleven type operation), many food supermarkets, some Wal-Marts and most recently a couple of Home Depot stores. (Home Depot is a large home improvement hardware/lumber yard store.) I always forget this last one at all those times when I really need to buy power tools at 2am.

In Texas, the laws were pretty weird years ago. The supermarket could be open Sunday, but they could only sell food. So many of the aisles were roped off - e.g. toys and other non-food items. The only remnant of the law in the supermarkets is no beer sold before noon Sundays. So the T-shirt "Beer: Its Not Just For Breakfast Anymore" is literally true in Texas on Sunday.

Sunday trading laws in the UK were relaxed 5 or 6 years ago, thus ending the crazy situation of being able to buy a porno mag on the sabbath, but not a bible! Small shops (except for licenced premises) can open at any time they please on a Sunday, but stores over a certain square footage are only allowed to trade for 6 hours, and most of them open between 10am and 4pm. The 'Keep Sunday Special' brigade still do their best to stop any more incursions into the "traditional British Sunday", whatever that may be, but they're fighting a losing battle. They say that all of the people who now have to work on Sunday should be able to spend time with their family, but - just like the rest of us - don't they use electricity, water, and gas on a Sunday, buy petrol for the car, watch tv, listen to the radio, go to the flicks, to a show, or a museum? All the things which they've been able to do for years, and at which people have to work on Sunday to provide?

Regular trading hours have also been relaxed, so now there are 24 hour supermarkets all over the country. That was something which was a real boon to me when I worked nights and I could get my shopping done at 4am when the place was virtually empty, but geez, I wish they'd turn the lighting down a little at night! Ow, my retinas

Yup, the 24 hour supermarket, a great thing for those of us who keep odd hours. The problem is, the prices are higher than the 12 hour a day grocery store that is closer. But, the 24-hour store has a branch of my bank, open about 10 hours a day. Complicated. I end up going to the 24 store to use the bank, then stopping on the way home to buy groceries. My friends say I'm so tight I squeak.

I wondered what that noise was

Actually, I'm talking about the major supermarkets - Safeway, Sainsbury's, Tesco - rather than small convenience stores. It's quite a culture shock doing your shopping in the middle of the night for the first time, and sometimes you can't get the full selection because they're in the middle of re-stocking the shelves, which is what they used to do through the night before someone sitting in an office a million miles from the shopfloor had the bright idea to fill up the store with customers just when the staff need it to be empty.