Sainsbury's and Tesco have joined the bookseller, Waterstones, which has said customers should wear masks to protect staff and other shoppers.

[UndercoverToad]

Good.

@TheVampiresWife

Shops aren't supporting anyone. They're simply parroting what the government have said, ie that they recommend/encourage mask wearing in indoor spaces.

I'm really confused as to why the companies mentioned on this thread are getting all the 'well done' and 'good' and 'thank you for protecting vulnerable shoppers' stuff when they've literally said nothing that the government hasn't already said - but when the government said it, they were roundly criticized for passing responsibility to individuals.

Make it make sense!

It doesn’t make sense. You’re absolutely right, shops are just saying exactly what anyone would expect them to say - that masks are recommended but not enforced.

@Wanttocry

And then you have naive posters congratulating them and then their tills go, kerching!…. Well at least once anyway, but every penny counts I guess.

It’s a complete non story.

Bored now.

Roll on Monday.

[quote gardeninggirl68]@herecomesthsun how are shops supporting people though? what are they doing to support?[/quote]
How can shops support shoppers without chucking out people who aren't wearing masks?

let me see

For example, our local butchers

• perpsex screens

• signage asking for only 2 people in the shop at 1 time

• staff wearing masks

• hand gel with touch free dispensers

• doors with automatic opening from sensor bottons

Everyone is wearing masks

People are cooperating very happily

Business looks very good (they are excellent)

They have no plans to change any of this. Why should they?

They have lots of vulnerable customers as people retire to that village.

They also deliver (but people clearly are happy to come to their very safe shop as well).

I think that with rising cases and deaths shops are going to want to reassure customers, I guess we'll see how it pans out.

It is hard to see why anyone would object to people trying to make their shops safe for staff and customers.

But then I don't understand what the fuss is about over wearing a mask for a few minutes inside a shop, unless you have PTSD, COPD or some such reason not to wear a mask.

@Chillychangchoo

It’s a complete non story.

Bored now.

Roll on Monday.

Yes when in most places things will be pretty much the same.

[quote Chillychangchoo]@herecomesthsun

I stand by what I said. I am amazed that people have been conditioned (very well) to be so frightened of covid that they are willing to accept ongoing mandatory restrictions forever more (this was in response to a poster saying we shouldn’t be “allowed” the choice. Nowhere in that was I discussing the science of masks). I was referring to the blind acceptance of the “rules by government”. It’s not my problem you got the wrong end of the stick.

If people want to follow science and wear a mask then good for them but that’s not actually what I was even talking about.

Do you understand now, is that clear enough for you?[/quote]
IBut people following the science are not blindly following the government.

You still haven't got it [sigh]

I am amazed that people have been conditioned (very well) to be so frightened of covid that they are willing to accept ongoing mandatory restrictions forever more

So am I, though actually I'm more concerned about what it could lead to with other issues

Nobody suggests nothing should have been attempted, but there are aspects of this which seem like a mass experiment in just what can be got away with - hence my point above

@herecomesthsun

There’s nothing to get, I’m really not here for a mask efficacy debate.

If people want to wear masks then so be it. Good for them. I actually couldn’t care less, people do what they feel is right for them. I was responding to a poster saying we should not be allowed the choice and it was that, that I disagreed with. I have seen mask compliance hugely drop this week in supermarkets. Tesco and Aldi to be precise. So I don’t think things will be the same round by me. I think it will drop off even further come Monday and shops encouraging people to wear masks is nothing but lip service.

I mean come off it the local butchers near you is hardly representative of the majority of large chains in England.

@herecomesthsun thats your small independent store

this thread is about tesco/sainsburys/waterstones. they won't have most of what you mention from monday

[quote Chillychangchoo]@Wanttocry

And then you have naive posters congratulating them and then their tills go, kerching!…. Well at least once anyway, but every penny counts I guess.[/quote]
Well... quite. Tesco et all aren’t making this announcements due to social conscience or anything like that, it’s whatever they think will make them the most money. And judging by these responses, it’s working. They don’t have to actually do anything (they’ve even admitted they won’t be enforcing it in any way), they just have to release a pithy statement. And people actually fall for it!

@MyGardenSanctuary

How many of you mask lovers were wearing them before Boris told you to wear one? Practically no-one. Didn't bother you before did it!

Just because someone may choose to continue to wear a mask in certain settings doesn't make them mask lovers

And I say the above as someone who worked in marketing for 20 years. Genuinely they do not care who wears a mask in their stores and who doesn’t. They care who spends money in their stores. That’s literally it. Their marketing bods will have devised their statements based on public opinion. Nothing to do with ‘safety’, or virus control.

@herecomesthsun

Business looks very good (they are excellent)

They have no plans to change any of this. Why should they?

Your butchers sounds fantastic. The big change is that mask wearing will no longer be compelled by law, but businesses will be able to require it if it makes commercial sense for them to do so. Market forces take over from regulation.

From what you have said it makes good commercial sense for your butchers and their customers are onboard with it. It probably doesn't make good commercial sense for supermarkets. But it's an interesting question.

Genuinely they do not care who wears a mask in their stores and who doesn’t. They care who spends money in their stores.

To be fair, that is the legal duty of the directors under the Companies Act - to maximise shareholder value. While the law compelled mask wearing it was different and the decision was made for them. But as of Monday it would be legally difficult for directors to justify turning business away to their shareholders if people without masks were sent down the road to the competitor with the more relaxed approach.

@MurielSpriggs my point was just really that their marketing team are doing their job well. By releasing this statement they’re making the more cautious think that they’re concerned about their well-being. Simultaneously making it clear they won’t be doing anything to enforce it reassures those who don’t want to continue wearing masks. It’s a win win situation. That’s why they pay their marketing team lots of money.

[quote Chillychangchoo]@herecomesthsun

There’s nothing to get, I’m really not here for a mask efficacy debate.

If people want to wear masks then so be it. Good for them. I actually couldn’t care less, people do what they feel is right for them. I was responding to a poster saying we should not be allowed the choice and it was that, that I disagreed with. I have seen mask compliance hugely drop this week in supermarkets. Tesco and Aldi to be precise. So I don’t think things will be the same round by me. I think it will drop off even further come Monday and shops encouraging people to wear masks is nothing but lip service.

I mean come off it the local butchers near you is hardly representative of the majority of large chains in England.[/quote]
Marks and Waitrose have been very covid secure all the way through from March 2020(though I admit I didn't go there when I was advised to shield).

Aldi is fine at 8.15am which is when I have been in person. Tesco's and Sainsbury's have improved a lot, if they say they are supporting mask wearing and covid measures then presumably they plan to keep things that way.

I imagine they plan to keep things as safe as possible, while factoring in that some people don't plan to wear masks.

Hey, that's what they are doing now.

I guess that have some practice then.

I think that the more places make it compulsory, the greater the number of people who will develop exemptions.

TfL may be making it a "condition of carriage" but there are a lot of people who don't wear them now, or who wear them under their noses.

Honestly, it all seems a bit pointless. Grubby little bits of fabric which most people are using and reusing and reusing again. Do they really make much difference?

@Chillychangchoo really racing to the bottom I see 🤣

@Jourdain11 it isn’t pointless. Masks do minimise all sorts of spreads.

@Fangsalot89

Oh my. .

Honestly have you nothing at all constructive to contribute to this discussion other than lots of laughing emojis.

You’re embarrassing.

@Chillychangchoo and yet you responded by making a pun on my name. 🤣

[quote Fangsalot89]@Chillychangchoo really racing to the bottom I see 🤣

@Jourdain11 it isn’t pointless. Masks do minimise all sorts of spreads.[/quote]
Really? I'm willing to accept that proper medical-grade masks do. Fabric chin-straps, not so much.

@Fangsalot89

It clearly bothered you 🪝 🎣.

I suggest you move on and try and forget about the pun. 🤣

Come on now, have a little word with yourself it’s getting late.

@Jourdain11 of course if you are wearing them round your chin then no 🤣 But logically, anything in front of your face will lessen droplets compared to nothing at all.

@Chillychangchoo It’s bothered me because I mentioned it? 🤣

@Fangsalot89

That’s generally what happens when people are bothered yes. They ruminate over it.

Oh look, another emoji. Predictable.