Will face masks make you more likely to shop and eat out?

[CamDram]

I understand the reasons for making face masks compulsory. But I’m not sure whether I’ll want to go out into the shops or restaurants and spend money on the high streets unless I really need something specific once everyone’s faces are covered.

Will compulsory face mask make you:

YES - MORE likely to go out shopping/ eating out on the high street

NO- LESS likely to go out shopping

W

If we didnt need to wear them in March, why do we need them now?

@weepingwillow22

:) indeed. You have to wear a mask when you enter and if you go to the bathroom. At your table you can take the mask off but the waiting staff keep it on. Apart from making it harder for me to understand them, the mask is now pretty much like a uniform. Also you have to leave your details for contact tracing (which I imagine might be a tougher sell in UK than masks!) and often tables are left empty to socially distance occupied tables.
To be honest it’s a dream come true: your fellow diners are further away, they staff are less likely to bother you with the “is everything ok” so much, and you get appreciated again w bit more as a patron in regular places. It’s a middle age persons dream :)

For ice cream stalls / pretzel stalls you do not have to wear a mask (or leave details).

It’s glorious not to have washing up so much! I was beginning to get worried about our dishwasher ( with 2 dc and a new cup/plate every 5 min!)

If we didnt need to wear them in March, why do we need them now?

Because we know much more about the disease and how it's transmitted now.

@HoldMyLobster

If we didnt need to wear them in March, why do we need them now?

Because we know much more about the disease and how it's transmitted now.

Or because in March they needed us locked away but now their priority is to get us all out spending money we don’t have, on things we don’t need

If we didnt need to wear them in March, why do we need them now?

Because the economy is fucked and people need to start getting out there and spending again. The fearful people will feel better with masks being compulsory so are more likely to venture out.

I’ve always warn one. Have no probs with doing it. If it decreases risk even if just a bit, it’s worth it.
It won’t make me shop more or less though.

I’m not sure what would get me back into the shops tbh. I used to be a spendthrift but have certainly seen the errors of my ways since lockdown. I just don’t have the desire to splurge anymore.

I have nothing against wearing a mask, but as long as I have to queue to get in a shop and can't just nip in and out and have a browse, I'll be staying online.
As masks don't apply when you are eating and drinking, I will continue to support local restaurants as I have been. No pubs or bars though.

No. I won't be going out more. I wear a human and wearing a mask will make me look like a 'post box' as per our prime minister's words! I will stick to online shopping. But how can you wear one in a restaurant?

Hijab not human

Eating out whilst wearing a mask seems strange, are we expected to put the mask back on between sips/bites?

I'll be wearing a mask, making washable ones from an old sheet etc etc. I'll be doing it to reduce the chance I won't infect others. I will still be distancing, using hand sanitisers and washing my hands. Have never liked shopping so my disappearance from clothing stores won't be missed anyway. I did like a cup of coffee but during the summer I can do that outside anyway. I would dearly love a meal out but can order in locally if I dare.

It will make me less likely to shop, essential shopping/online only for me in the near future. Will eat out/go to the pub as face masks not enforced there at present, but would stop if they were.

We are wearing them as is my whole family including my children. I’m happy to protect myself and others. We have very low numbers here and are moving towards fuller reopening. I’d like to keep on the same track, unlike our U.S neighbours. It’s uncomfortable but it’s manageable.

Probably won't make much difference. If compliance is good I'll be less annoyed with the number of people not covering their face (because that number will be less).

I've been covering my own face in shops since shortly after it became advised. If I need or want something I don't hesitate to go and buy it. But I've been doing very little idle browsing.

I visited my local John Lewis yesterday- it has just reopened after lockdown. I think they need a BIG rethink on what their staff are wearing, particularly on their faces, and particularly the men.
Many of them had a large, fitted, solid-looking black mask, black shirt, black trousers, black shoes and each floor had a staff member waiting at the top of the escalator. Only one of these spoke which was to ask shoppers to move clockwise around the floor.
They certainly looked like something out of the hunger games or secret police!
Apparently their face masks are being made by Herbert Parkinson, their curtain subsidiary.
They should definitely use some less intimidating fabric.

CamDram. Probably similar to the masks that Trump and his people were wearing on the TV the other day, I immediately thought of the film Reservoir Dogs but in masks, the black ones can look quite menacing with black suits

I've been wearing a mask in shops since the middle of April (although I was only going to the local supermarket then.) I'm in Scotland and would say that from my area we're at around a 95% compliance rate in shops. I work in retail and opened a week ago in a non-essential shop, we've been busy to pre-Christmas levels of sales. The local high street probably isn't as busy as normal but I've definitely seen an increase this week compared to last week.

I got my masks from etsy - I have a 'sensible' grey mask, one with unicorns and one with cats although I've seen plenty of disposable and homemade ones too.

I'm in the ME & we've been wearing them in all public places for months.

I am less likely to go for a mooch round the mall. Dd2 is off to play laser tag with a mate tomorrow (seems an odd thing to have re-opened but whatevs), so I shall take the opportunity to do a supermarket shop in the same mall. We've definitely been having the bulk of our groceries delivered online, though.

It's more of a concern that we are missing our bi annual trip back to the U.K. to see family & stock up on clothes - we would usually spend a few grand which would be going into the economy, but now we are staying here & resigned to looking a bit threadbare until Xmas.

For eating out, here the deal is that you remove your mask only when seated at your sanitised, distanced table. The waiters wear masks & keep their distance, & lots of places have ordering apps so the waiters only need to deliver your food & clear away when you leave - you order & pay via an app, so no handling of menus, bank cards, cash etc.

To;dr: yes, we have found we do a lot less 'leisure shopping' & a lot more online buying essentials only.

As someone with bad anxiety who suffers from panic attacks, wearing a mask makes me feel very stressed and suffocated. I completely understand the need for them though, so will be limiting my trips to absolute essentials and utilising online shopping.

Thing is, the planet will be better off for everyone buying essentials only, it's just the economy and thus individuals that won't unfortunately. We have backed ourselves into a corner because don't know how to live any other way than being producers and consumers of so much non-essential stuff. All those tribes had sustainable living down pat, it's westerners who have contaminated their way of living and made them want all the Western goods and the damage that goes along with producing them.

Will the planet be better off for all the disposable masks being made, bought, and ending up in landfill, or the sea? Lots of them have been fished out already, according to a BBC article.

@Givingup123456 Good move. We need to be sure to throw our glorious leader's words back at him.

Why do we need them now, when we didn't in March? Because the government needs a new thing to play "divide and conquer" with. First it was those who didn't "stay the fuck at home", then it was those who didn't clap for the NHS, now it's masks.

I don't understand the logic of some Tory ministers that masks = more customers, I think it will have the opposite effect. It will be interesting to see what happens in retail but thank god there will be no masks in offices.

I also agree with @wanderings that disposable masks/ppe are crap for the environment but any other cause of death & destruction apart from Covid-19 is obviously irrelevant to most people at the moment.

Shop and enjoy outdoor activities, yes? I’m in a mandatory mask area at an outdoor family fun center right now. Masks required on the paths and such where you encounter people. Would not have come pre-mask mandate.

Eating out is Take-out only because people can’t wear masks while eating.

I am going to stick to shopping online. Yes i will have to wear a mask for food shopping but i really hate masks as they make me really uncomfortable. I am not been uncomfortable for the sake of leisure shopping. I only want a few books which i can buy on my fire tablet so i have no need to make myself uncomfortable in a face mask for the sake of visiting a book shop.