Retailers require staff to wear masks
Retailers continue to adjust around shelter-in-place restrictions and how they operate stores during the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the latest moves include a reversal of some earlier action — such as H-E-B increasing previously limited store hours — but also include more stringent rules being added such as employees (and sometimes shoppers) inside stores being required to wear face masks.
Walmart, for example, has made it a requirement for all employees to wear a face covering, as have Publix and Walgreens. Nearly every retailer is asking shoppers to wear a face covering of some sort while inside a store but some stores like Fresh Market are requesting that shoppers to wear a face cover.
Another strategy that continues to ramp up is an increase in retailers limiting the number of shoppers per store. Some stores such as Aldi are following a guideline of having a minimum of five shoppers per 1,000 square feet.
Perhaps a sign of things improving though, H-E-B has increased its shortened store hours by a couple of hours with stores now being open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Lastly, retailers continue to open their hearts and wallets:
- Albertsons announced it is donating $50 million to hunger relief organizations across the more than 2,200 neighborhoods it serves in 34 states and the District of Columbia through its Nourishing Neighbors Community Relief campaign;
- Publix announced it will be buying produce and milk from farmers that are being forced to discard much of what they due to school closings and hotel clients that they were serving. Publix will buy from the farmers and donate product to Feeding America.
- Kroger has shared a kit full of guidelines and creative assets for retailers and other businesses to use to help manage safety in stores; and
- The Giant Co. is looking to add 3,000 more employees on top of the 4,000 temporary workers it’s already nabbed to help with demands put on by the pandemic and help those out of work.
For more, follow Store Brands’ retailer roundup.