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

I guarantee that I’ll be going into shops less!

I will wear one if I have to, but I'll be shopping less in actual shops. Less footfall = less money spent. I'd rather stay home and shop online so I don't come into contact with those who think they are invincible just because they have a mask on. I prefer to socially distance and wash my hands which I will continue to do.

It will be interesting to see of it actually gets enforced.

I’m not anti mask either but don’t want to wear one. I will if we have to but will eliminate where I go so I don’t need to. No need to shop in person if we don’t have to. Effect on economy is going to be disastrous.

It’ll make me far less likely to go to these places.

I don’t object to masks in the short term whatsoever, but I am really worried that this will become normalised for the future.

@Wankerchief I know what you mean, but I think personally while I might accept masks are a necessity, they aren’t particularly comfortable and therefore I would limit myself to only necessary shopping. Also, I must say as someone who works in a school the irony of having to wear a mask in a shop, yet come in to contact with a lot of pupils without one is not lost on me.

Won't make a difference to whether I go out or not.
I always carry a mask in my bag now just in case.

Off to France next week and will be wearing a mask in various places as it's already compulsory is some areas there, more so than here.

It will make me much less likely to shop. Definitely essential food shopping only now from next week. Just when things were starting to feel a bit better too :(

I don’t mind wearing a mask- if they had been introduced at the right time of the pandemic when scientific research suggested they were beneficial.

Right now they are being introduced for financial reasons only. To encourage more people to spend money. It isn’t at all about safety.

More likely, because I'll feel safer from others.

I blame elements of the US for a lot of the ranting about masks here. Every other country that uses them seems to be able not to lose their shit over FREEDOM.
If this helps prevent a second wave I'm all for it.

I'm assuming the neck gaitor style with filter pockets will be okay to wear too - they're more comfortable I've found.

And if your ears get sore, try an ear saver - you can get plastic ones or material ones. They make a big difference as well to their comfort.

I’ll be happier going into shops now that is mandatory.

Why? Because previously I wanted to wear a mask in shops and felt weird for doing so. Now, the government has finally caught up with the rest of the world (in particular, those countries that have experience in dealing with viral epidemics) and is doing the sensible thing.

This government is appalling though. Just putting it out there

I will wear one but its to little to late this should of been enforced back in march when lock down started surely.

No, less likely, something else to remember to do & reminder to scurry out of shop/premises as fast as possible.

I'm not afraid of virus but I'm quite scared of economic meltdown. I'm being forced to participate & condone the economic meltdown, so anything that reminds me of economic problems is distressing. Staying away with places with strange rules will help me put the disaster out of my mind.

I hope people will protect me by wearing a mask. My chances of dying from covid might not be that high, but there's a 2% chance I'd be hospitalised, roughly. But what worries me more is 'long covid' witj heart, lung, skin or kidney problems and sevwre chronic fatigue lasting months, possibly longer. And it's not well enough recorded to understand the risk. Of the four people I know that had covid for sure, the two oldest died, the younger two (one only in her 40s) remain unwell months later.

I think we might as well hold a funeral for the high street now.

It will make no difference to me, I don't go shopping often because I don't want to queue. Although if it puts people off or stops them faffing around, and the queues get shorter, then perhaps I will go more often.

I think retail staff should be able to choose to wear visors, having to wear a mask for an 8 hour shift is pretty tough-going. It's fine for people shopping as they're only in there a few minutes (or should be, unless they are still doing shopping for vulnerable family/friends, but I think I'd be looking for click and collect slots these days rather than doing it all myself).

I’ve been back into town a few times since shops started opening, but I’ll be much less likely to do that if face coverings are mandatory. I just don’t like wearing one, so I think I’ll plan in a shopping trip for the day before they become mandatory and then not go unless it’s essential. That’s what amazon is for.

I have never shopped unless I need something. DH and I tend to do two large shops a year to replace clothes, bulk buy cards etc. Have never had a wander round the shops by choice, guess I’m a retailers nightmare.

I wore a mask for years when nursing plus DH works in a lab sometimes so has worn a mask. He has work full protective clothing with some of the weird stuff he experiments on. The psychological impact just isn’t there for us but we are not shoppers anyway. We do miss going out for dinner though which we usually do every week.

However nothing would induce me to eat food out at the moment.

No I find it harder to breathe with one on (deviated Septum). I'd keep one on for a short medical appointment but apart from that I'll avoid shops and public transport.

I might have a practise going to Sainsburies local and seeing if I get out of breath or not because I want to go but DS1s first school shoes not just send DH.

It’ll be the end of the high street

I’ll be less likely to go out because I am partially deaf and rely on lip reading. I’ve already had issues at the local pharmacy where the staff were wearing masks. I wonder if a face shield (full plastic guard thing) would be sufficient? I have one of those.

I'm not afraid of virus but I'm quite scared of economic meltdown. I'm being forced to participate & condone the economic meltdown, so anything that reminds me of economic problems is distressing. Staying away with places with strange rules will help me put the disaster out of my mind.

This. It is absolute madness. People are too used to high employment, rich governments, and a functioning advanced economy. They have no concept of how awful it is going to be as business after business shed staff and go under.

We should be fighting hard for reasons to get back to the shops, not stay out of them. It is so damaging.

I don’t mind wearing a mask. I just don’t want to hang out where lots of other people are. That makes me much less likely, as a consumer, to spend money.

I went shopping in John Lewis Cambridge a couple of days after it reopened and it felt almost normal- it was great!
I’d say around 10-20% were in masks, I didn’t see any staff in masks and I think JL had tried to minimise the scary signs everywhere (looking at you, Tesco).
It was actually enjoyable!

JL and the rest of the big retail businesses must be tearing their hair out as this government slowly vacillates over everything and tries to govern by flawed opinion poll.

I thought the whole point of masks was to end the social distancing in shops so we could start going back to normal. Shops could have more people in, higher footfall etc. But it seems to be as well as the distancing, which doesn’t seem to make sense. 3 months ago at the height of the pandemic, we were walking around a socially distanced supermarket (well, socially distanced in front and behind, but people passing within cms in the aisle) and now the country is opening up and there’s less risk (which there is or we shouldn’t be opening up) and it is mandatory to wear masks. It is bonkers.

Nobody can eat wearing a face mask. There's no point in cafes reopening if customers have to wear masks.