Ron Courtoreille, general manager of the NWT Liquor Commission, said permission was given to liquor stores in Yellowknife and Hay River to open on Sunday -- normally prohibited -- in anticipation of a busy lead up to Christmas, which falls on a Wednesday this year.

"It's shopping convenience," said Courtoreille. "All the other stores are open, and of course, on Christmas Eve they (liquor stores) close at six, which is reduced from the normal work day.

Then they have two days without any sales."

Last year, Christmas Day fell on a Tuesday. Liquor stores in Yellowknife will open Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.

Courtoreille said the liquor commission will evaluate before-Christmas Sunday sales to determine whether the practice will continue in the future.

"Our experience, without crunching some hard numbers, is that it didn't really increase sales over Christmas, it was just spread out," said Courtoreille."Normally on the 24th they're just swamped, and this opening on the Sunday kind of alleviates that."

Yellowknife has two liquor stores: One on Old Airport Road, and the other downtown at 49 Street and 51st Avenue.

Ed Eggenberger, co-owner of the downtown liquor store, said while he couldn't provide any number, his sales generally double the week before Christmas.

A quick straw poll conducted across the street at Centre Square Mall found shoppers were generally in favour of opening liquor stores on the Sunday before Christmas.

"It's fine, let's get it done and over with, and let people get back to their homes," said Ken Tarbett.

Henry Adams said if you can get liquor at a restaurant on Sundays, then why not allow people to shop for it as well.

"I'm in retail, I'm open seven days a week," said Adams.

"Liquor is a retail product so why not."