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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sainsbury's and Morrisons

113 replies

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 11/01/2021 21:05

I feel sorry for the staff enforcing it, will probably get lots of aggravation, but great news that Sainsburys and Morrisons are banning entry to shoppers without masks unless they are medically exempt - and Sainsburys getting tougher on shopping in groups.

Great news, will be switching where I shop unless the others follow suit.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55618408

OP posts:
RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:08

but that rule has existed all along....whats changed?

BananaPop2020 · 11/01/2021 21:09

This is little more than supermarkets grabbing a bit of free publicity...as you say, nothing has changed!

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:10

the 'vaccines minister' is concerned stores aren't enforcing rules? i'm sorry, is he expecting staff to contravene the equality act then? idiot!

'unless exempt'.....they all currently say 'i'm exempt' and in they go....what will change?

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:11

shopping in groups....so they queue separately behind each other.....whats new ??

LIZS · 11/01/2021 21:11

@RetailGail

but that rule has existed all along....whats changed?
Level of enforcement and self discipline changed.
onyourway · 11/01/2021 21:11

The others don't enforce it or are not insistent enough.
The security guard at our Sainsbury's is fearsome, which gives me a great deal of comfort. At Tesco's today, there were at least three couples who were wandering around without masks and obviously I don't know if they are exempt, but I would have hazarded a guess, they weren't

SchrodingersImmigrant · 11/01/2021 21:12

Probably stricter enforcing.
I was surprised last week how many couples were both exempt...

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:14

@LIZS level of enforcement....hows that changed??

sofiaaaaaa · 11/01/2021 21:14

@RetailGail

but that rule has existed all along....whats changed?
Supposedly they are starting to challenge customers from Monday - currently they don’t bat an eyelid to customers in groups/without masks on. Supposedly they’re banning people who refuse (as opposed to refusing entry on that occasion? Hmm)

Time will tell whether they actually implement any changes

Clymene · 11/01/2021 21:15

Good. Supermarkets and general shopping seem to be used as opportunities for family and couple days out.

One NT adult is perfectly capable of shopping alone (I remember when we were in tier 4 that a lot of posters protested that they enjoyed shopping with their partner so were going to carry on doing it Hmm)

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:16

i usually do an hour a so a day on the door at our store as a 'door marshall'

come on, what should i be doing differently??

maskless shopper comes along...."Hi,do you have a mask with you or would you like a free one"??

customer 'no thanks i'm exempt'

what next??

Rosebel · 11/01/2021 21:17

They want minimum wage staff to challenge customers?
If they bring that in where I work I won't be challenging anyone. Get enough abuse already.

Norwayreally · 11/01/2021 21:18

People just claim to be exempt to get away with it. No idea why they don’t want to wear one, uncomfortable maybe? Can’t be arsed? No clue but that’s the way many people get around it.

Whammyyammy · 11/01/2021 21:18

I've not seen many not wearing masks, see plenty with nose over the top....

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:19

banning? staff change constantly....its cold and tiring and takes you away from your proper job. so a customer is banned....how is that communicated to 90 staff members then?

the man with the blue jeans and black hoody with brown hair and brown eyes is now banned. he's about this high, and roughly 30-45 years. yeah, he's banned

Rainb0wDrops · 11/01/2021 21:20

Don't see much changing, people will just say they're exempt.

Fair enough to challenge groups but hope they still allow more than 1 person together (single parents with children/elderly or disabled people who need support for example.)

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:20

meant to add its cold/tiring so staff tend to do an hour or so then swap. same with security, they change constantly

SchrodingersImmigrant · 11/01/2021 21:20

@Norwayreally

People just claim to be exempt to get away with it. No idea why they don’t want to wear one, uncomfortable maybe? Can’t be arsed? No clue but that’s the way many people get around it.
Freeeddoooooom and liberties😐
RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:21

@Rosebel

They want minimum wage staff to challenge customers? If they bring that in where I work I won't be challenging anyone. Get enough abuse already.
as your manager i wouldn't even ask you to!
Tanith · 11/01/2021 21:34

"The others don't enforce it or are not insistent enough. "

Our local Waitrose won't let you in the shop if you're not wearing a mask, unless you're exempt. They also insist on one person entering, anyone else in the group has to wait outside. I don't know if they allow carers in, though.
Local FB has been complaining that Tesco and Sainsbury's are not as strict, so they'll be pleased to see the announcement.

Original poster
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 11/01/2021 21:36

Hopefully they'll just be more challenging about it.

I was really surprised - I was outside London in December (when it was still allowed to travel), and the supermarkets were a lot more challenging than the ones near my home.

I interpreted "banning" as telling them to bugger off unless they put a mask on.

The only issue I have with my local sainsburys is that the have about 20m of queue control barriers - I've only ever seen about six people max. in the queue.

OP posts:
doublemix · 11/01/2021 21:37

The abuse received by retail staff is increasing daily. I work in a opticians so we are very close to people and touching there faces etc and the amount of grief we get for asking people to wear a mask/ wear one properly/ saying no we can't see you for a routine eye test is happening now on a daily basis. Everyone where I work is at the end of the line with it. We get minimum wage and haven't been closed at all except for a few days in March and all we get it abuse.

RetailGail · 11/01/2021 21:39

yes its getting to the point where i dont even speak to those with no mask....no i'm not looking at your phone to see if i know where that item is,'m not going anywhere near you. i'm not taking anything out to your car either

TonMoulin · 11/01/2021 21:41

How do they know people are exempt from wearing a mask?

How do they know that the person with them is a carer?

Is it all done on how the person look? I’ve had that in the first lockdown. Got a mouthful of abuse for not following a rule I couldn’t physically follow. Cue I either took all the abuse, ignore or explain to someone who thought they just ‘knew’ my whole health history. In front of a queue of customers. How is that ok??

Original poster
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 11/01/2021 21:42

I think all the chains vary from branch to branch.
Out local co-op is quite funny - they have a notice saying to wait for a customer to come in, but the door isn't always manned when it's quiet.
This often leads to longish queues outside the shop, and nobody inside other than the staff Hmm

OP posts:
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