Wearing a face covering in retail outlets including supermarkets in England is to become mandatory from 24 July 2020. Failure to comply with the new rule will see a fine of up to £100 issued, the government announced this week.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it would: “give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops.” The move will bring England into line with Scotland and other major European nations including Germany and Italy. Since mid-May, the public have been advised to wear a face mask or some form of covering in enclosed public spaces, while it has been compulsory to wear a mask on public transport since 15 June 2020. Children under 11 years old and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
PreschoolNews.net spoke to a selection of preschool product retailers to get their views on how it would affect their stores and consumer experiences therein:
Jason Heller, co-founder, Huggle – London.
“We have been operating a face mask policy since we reopened in June so are well set up for this already. Since opening we have insisted that all customers wear a mask on entering the store and if they do not have one already, we have been providing this free of charge along with hand sanitiser and gloves if they wish to touch products. Most customers have been accommodating and appreciate the extra safety measures (especially those that are heavily pregnant) but there have been some that have been reluctant to follow this procedure. Unfortunately in such situations we have refused entry and operated a zero tolerance strategy. It is something that we have felt was important to protect our customers, staff and ultimately our business and this will continue until we are all through this pandemic.”
Fran Bishop, founder, The Pud Store – Sheffield, Newark, Doncaster, Mansfield.
“I think it’s a case of too little too late – we asked our customers via social channels and saw a heated debate, some five hundred comments. The problem is that everyone’s views are so passionately different. Matt Hancock has asked us as retailers to call the police if someone isn’t wearing a face mask. A global pandemic isn’t laughable, but Matt Hancocks’ comments are – we can’t even get the police to turn up for shoplifters! I think the Police could end up overwhelmed. The team in my stores have been given the option to wear facemarks or face shields, the latter is preferred for comfort and some opt not to use anything. My job as the owner is to make them feel safe and make sure that social distancing is maintained in stores, that to me is the key aspect. The government keep changing the goalposts whilst we’re just trying to be safe but trade – one minute it’s two meter rule, then one meter – after we’ve invested in the corrected signage and re-arranging stores. Us retailers have been closed for months and we need every last sale we can get, we just need to be trusted to safely get on with that. Some could view that as putting profit before safety but with adequate spacing and hygiene I don’t think that’s the case. If this was announced back in March it may be fine, but as it is – too little, too late and I personally will continue to make sure my customers can shop safely.”
Bhav Patel, managing director, Toy Galaxy – St. Albans – Ealing – Barnet – Witney – Hatfield
“With customers forced to wear face masks in all retail environments by the 24 July, I feel it is a necessary step albeit much later than it should have been implemented. As retailers, we are already dealing with reduced consumer confidence therefore we are unable to see the footfall levels we were previously accustomed to and with social distancing measures in place, we are further limited in experiencing those footfall levels in the store. Consumers are gradually returning to the high street so I do feel that at this moment in time, it is a small setback for retailers given everybody has to comply with this new guidance and the current price of PPE is somewhat inflated. Overall it is positive as the safety of staff and customers is our highest priority.
Get in touch with your views on the subject – comments welcomed.
