It's official: Walmart is now the biggest retailer to require customers to wear face coverings while shopping in stores across the United States. The company isn't alone in its demand: Starbucks made a similar announcement last week, as did Best Buy, Costco, Apple, Kroger and Kohl's.
Although most companies have been cautiously wary about asking patrons to don masks when indoors for fear of antagonizing them, the National Retail Federation—the industry's top lobbying group—has previously called on all businesses to introduce the policy to try and stop the spread of COVID-19.
"To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20," Walmart U.S. chief operating officer Dacona Smith and Sam's Club chief operating officer Lance De La Rosa said in an official blog post. "This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols."
The measure is taken as coronavirus cases rise all across the country and research shows that the vast majority of Americans believe that companies should "exact and enforce" policies that require both customers and employees to wear masks inside stores—at least according to a survey by Harris Poll.
Our own two cents: going shopping while wearing a mask might feel a bit uncomfortable but isn't that much of an effort. We're all in this together—let's try to be safe.
Most popular on Time Out
- Barbados wants you to move there and work remotely for a year
- This map shows which countries in the world U.S. passport holders can and cannot visit
- These US states require you to quarantine or present a negative test when visiting
- Hawaii plans to allow tourists in September—if they test negative
- Here is a list of destinations that will be open to U.S. travelers this summer