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Original poster

Why are Sainsbury's (and others) asking for continued mask wearing?

447 replies

jowly · 26/01/2022 23:22

To keep their staff well? ( many don't wear one even now)

To give customers a sense of security?

I'm very willing to wear one if there's a reasonable reason to.. and I get all the theories why we may be wise to. But why are supermarkets going for this request? Why is it in their interest?

Am I missing the obvious?

OP posts:
SockFluffInTheBath · 28/01/2022 21:57

Been to Aldi and Tesco tonight (rock & roll Friday night) and almost everyone was wearing masks.

eastegg · 28/01/2022 22:28

@chocolateorangeinhaler

They are not making people wear masks they are asking them to.

Other supermarkets have responded saying they won't ask people to wear them.

Not sure what sainsburys is trying to achieve, if they read the posts on here they would see the majority won't wear them when not mandatory.

Just show them you don't support it by shopping elsewhere. They'll change their tune if it starts to affect sales.

Show them you don’t support what? Asking people nicely if they’ll wear a mask if they don’t mind? Which is all Sainsburys are doing.

And OP didn’t say they don’t support it.

CallmeBadJanet · 28/01/2022 22:34

@jowly So they don't have loads of staff off sick with Covid. So they can stay open. So you can do your shop.

LouBan · 28/01/2022 22:56

It's not all branches of Sainsbury's. I went into my local one the other day and completely forgot to put my mask on. No one said anything and it was only towards the end of my shopping trip that I realised I had forgotten it. Whenever I go there I see several people without their masks and no one stops them.

wentworthinmate · 28/01/2022 23:01

Sainsburys and all the others can do one. I won't be wearing one if Boris says I don't have to. Expect me to dump my trolley and go elsewhere if you even ask me to put one on.

Original poster
jowly · 28/01/2022 23:07

Thanks. Some really interesting answers.

Just to be clear, I'm not adverse to wearing masks, esp for the sake of others who may be more vulnerable. I was interested in what you felt was the motivation behind Sainsbury's request.

I don't really think it's some great public service/ we know better/ thing. I tend to agree with it being to give a sense of security to shoppers and lure them in.

If it was to keep their staff in work I think they'd be making their staff wear one, and they're clearly not.

OP posts:
Tigger1895 · 28/01/2022 23:35

When you add “many don’t wear one” into your comment it just comes across as you are looking for validation not to wear one.

2X4B523P · 29/01/2022 00:16

No one needs validation. Those who want to wear a mask are free to do so. Those who don’t want to wear a mask are also free to do so.

User7698365 · 29/01/2022 04:47

We went through all of this last time and there were many threads saying people would be thrown out of shops but not one shop I went to were actually physically asking you to wear a mask, there were signs up in some windows but that was all. Either wear one or not, your choice.

GirlInACountrySong · 29/01/2022 05:30

@LouBan

It's not all branches of Sainsbury's. I went into my local one the other day and completely forgot to put my mask on. No one said anything and it was only towards the end of my shopping trip that I realised I had forgotten it. Whenever I go there I see several people without their masks and no one stops them.

Well nobody stops them because even when they were law it wasn't staffs job to police it!

Who did you expect to tell you to put a mask on?? Liz from the veg section?

chaosmaker · 29/01/2022 08:43

Because it makes sense and afaik it's only England where they've said to stop wearing masks in indoor spaces. Why not keep something in place that also reduces colds when the wearer has one? Don't understand all the resistance to it tbf.

Rosscameasdoody · 29/01/2022 10:39

I agree that it’s probably a combination of trying to keep staffing levels stable and making vulnerable people feel a bit more protected. However there was a thread on here a few weeks back - the OP was CEV and having home deliveries from Sainsburys. She noted that the delivery drivers weren’t wearing masks and asked one to do so, explaining that she was vulnerable. He refused. I have had experience of this too, so I think if they’re going to take this stance in the stores then they should make sure their delivery drivers are up to speed.

MrsSkylerWhite · 29/01/2022 10:46

wentworthinmate

Sainsburys and all the others can do one. I won't be wearing one if Boris says I don't have to. Expect me to dump my trolley and go elsewhere if you even ask me to put one on.“

Oh well, if Boris says it’s fine, it must be true. Thanks for clearing that up 🤣🤣

Againstmachine · 29/01/2022 11:35

delivery drivers weren’t wearing masks and asked one to do so, explaining that she was vulnerable. He refused. I have had experience of this too, so I think if they’re going to take this stance in the stores then they should make sure their delivery drivers are up to speed.

Delivery drivers are outside so that arguement makes no sense, also your mother should have stood back and wore a mask if was that concerned.

allbartwo · 29/01/2022 12:19

@MrsSkylerWhite

wentworthinmate

Sainsburys and all the others can do one. I won't be wearing one if Boris says I don't have to. Expect me to dump my trolley and go elsewhere if you even ask me to put one on.“

Oh well, if Boris says it’s fine, it must be true. Thanks for clearing that up 🤣🤣

I do laugh at the posters saying they are ignoring Boris because he lies all the time.

So next time he tells us masks are mandatory again, are you going to stop wearing them?

IcedPurple · 29/01/2022 12:57

@chaosmaker

Because it makes sense and afaik it's only England where they've said to stop wearing masks in indoor spaces. Why not keep something in place that also reduces colds when the wearer has one? Don't understand all the resistance to it tbf.
They haven't said to 'stop' wearing masks. Just that it is no longer legally required that you do so. Denmark has also announced that masks will no longer be mandatory from February 1st, and I expect most other European countries will do the same within weeks or months.

Those who believe that masks 'make sense' are of course free to continue wearing them as long as they wish.

GirlInACountrySong · 29/01/2022 13:13

Delivery drivers need to wear masks???

Er, no! Nobody outdoors has ever needed to wear a mask! Ridiculous and over the top!

Those bothering with wearing masks today have let them migrate under chins and noses here.... I'm observing customers in/out our store with interest!

Mask wearing has dramatically dropped

treeflowercat · 29/01/2022 13:28

As I mentioned the other day, I'm thinking the answer is for those who feel the need for masks to wear one that protects them rather than expect others to do so, presumably forever as Covid won't disappear.... It seems cloth masks don't make much difference compared to N95/FFP2 masks.... (the times need decreasing to take account on the increased transmissibility of omicron)



bossyrossy · 29/01/2022 14:40

Sainsbury’s said they would continue to encourage mask wearing in their stores, Morrisons said they wouldn’t, so I will now only shop at Sainsbury’s.

southeastdweller · 29/01/2022 14:52

There was no encouragement at all today in the big Sainsbury's I was in. it was about 50/50 - staff and customers.

bossyrossy · 29/01/2022 15:39

I went to Sainsbury’s yesterday and I would say 90% of customers wore masks.

msbevvy · 29/01/2022 16:03

@Againstmachine

delivery drivers weren’t wearing masks and asked one to do so, explaining that she was vulnerable. He refused. I have had experience of this too, so I think if they’re going to take this stance in the stores then they should make sure their delivery drivers are up to speed.

Delivery drivers are outside so that arguement makes no sense, also your mother should have stood back and wore a mask if was that concerned.

Delivery drivers aren't always outside.

Not everybody lives in houses.

Our front door is in very much indoors and the space outside is quite confined. As an extremely vulnerable immunocompromised person I am very grateful for delivery drivers wearing masks.

Oysterbabe · 29/01/2022 16:57

They're virtue signalling.

Remmy123 · 29/01/2022 17:30

Large Sainsbury and hardly any staff or customers in a mask - nice to see people's faces!!!

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