LEADING RETAILERS SPEARHEADING MASK REQUIREMENTS NATIONWIDE
by John G. Baresky on 07/21/20
Privately-owned and publicly held retailers supporting mask requirements nationwide
Appliance & electronics, clothing, grocery, mass merchandisers, pharmacy and other retailers are requiring customers to wear masks on their premises while shopping. Their actions embrace the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They bring an extra measure of protection and safety to those persons in municipalities and/or states that do not have mask restrictions in place.
Some have exceptions for children and for those persons that have pronounced breathing difficulties while wearing masks.
Mask requirements in place regardless of metropolitan or state requirements
While several states do not have mask mandates, these retailers are still requiring consumers to wear masks in their facilities. By having universal mask wearing requirements across their stores, they protect their employees who are also wearing masks as well as customers.
This is a list of retailers with mask requirements that is steadily growing:
- Albertsons (plus all subsidiaries Jewel, Safeway, Vons, etc.) - NYSE: ACI
- American Eagle – NYSE: AEO
- Apple - NYSE: APPL
- Best Buy - NYSE: BBY
- BJ’s Wholesale Club - NYSE: BJ
- Costco - NASDAQ: COST
- CVS - NYSE: CVS
- Dierbergs Markets – privately held
- Kohls - NYSE: KSS
- Kroger (plus subsidiaries Dillons, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter’s, King Soopers, Marianos Ralph’s etc.) - NYSE: KR
- Publix – privately held
- Schnucks Markets – privately held
- Starbucks (at company-owned stores) - NASDAQ: SBUX
- Target - NYSE: TGT
- Walmart (plus subsidiary, Sam’s Club stores) - NYSE: WMT
- Walgreens (plus Duane Reed-branded stores ) - NASDAQ: WBA
Summer of 2020 has been challenging to manage for retailers
While numerous communities and states had shelter-in-place mandates and other rules such as mask requirements enforced earlier in 2020, many of these have been rescinded. Retailers want their employees and their shoppers to be collectively protected. The ongoing expansion of the list is good news that multiple stakeholders across the United States can play a leading role in the efforts to defeat COVID-19.
