Grocers Are Lifting Mask Mandates after CDC Issues New Guidelines
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s June 2021 Newsletter
As the nation loosens public safety restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, grocers are removing mask mandates for customers and in some cases employees who are fully vaccinated. Retailers including Wegmans, Kroger-owned stores, Trader Joe’s, Harris Teeter, Publix, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreen’s, Target, Meijer, Aldi, Costco and others are removing face mask requirements based on new guidelines issued on May 13 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which stated that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to cover their faces indoors.
"Starting May 20, fully vaccinated customers and most fully vaccinated associates no longer need to wear a mask in our facilities, including stores, distribution centers, plants and offices, unless otherwise indicated by state or local jurisdiction," said the Kroger Co. in a statement on the company’s website. "If there is a state or local mandate, please follow that requirement and timing,” the company added. Kroger will continue to require that non-vaccinated employees wear a face mask, and the grocer requests that non-vaccinated customers continue to wear a face mask. Employees will need to provide proof of vaccination to work without masks, the grocer said. Associates in its pharmacy and clinic locations will be required to continue to wear a mask due to CDC’s guidance for healthcare settings. Kroger added, “We will continue to respect the choice of individuals who prefer to continue to wear a mask.” In addition, Kroger is offering a $100 one-time incentive payment to associates for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Whole Foods Market announced in May that Whole Foods team members and Prime shoppers are required to wear face masks, reported WRAL in Raleigh, NC. However, customers who are fully vaccinated can now shop without a mask.
Trader Joe’s was the first major national retailer to announce a change in its mask-wearing policy in mi-May after the CDC issued new mask guidelines.oHoe
Natural Grocers on May 24 updated the natural retail chain’s mask guidelines, as follows: “We require customers who are not fully vaccinated to wear face coverings in our stores per the most recent CDC recommendations. We will not be asking customers to prove their vaccination status to shop in our stores, unless required to do so by government mandate; we will be relying on the honor system for compliance. We understand that certain of our customers subject to our policy may be unable to wear a face covering while shopping in our stores. Under these circumstances, we are pleased to provide curbside pickup and delivery through Instacart to allow continuing access to our goods and services,” Natural Grocers said. The company requires employees to wear face coverings at all times, and added that currently, the state of Oregon requires that customers provide proof of vaccination to go maskless indoors, the grocer said.
Sprouts Farmers Market also updated its face mask policy, stating on Instagram, “Vaccinated customers are now welcome to shop without a mask! We’ll continue to encourage non-vaccinated customers to wear face coverings while shopping and will continue to follow state and city mask ordinances where masks are required.”
Some grocery workers have expressed concern that CDC’s new guidelines put them back in the center of the face mask debate. Fox News reported that “now, some workers say the end of mask mandates has put them in a new position of having to explain their employers' mask policies, manage anxious shoppers and assess whether unmasked customers are indeed vaccinated, all while potentially risking their own health.”
Why Amazon Fresh Stores May Rock Some Boats
Photo: Pexels
This article originally appeared in Presence Marketing’s April 2021 Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
Now that he’s had a chance to study the Amazon Fresh grocery store concept, first opened last summer, supermarket industry analyst Bill Bishop offered some ideas on how grocers can view this new competitor, “one that appears to offer a dual threat to both online and in-store business,” reported Supermarket News. With store locations in high population densities with above average median income and high daytime populations, the prominent physical presence is meant to provide high visibility and consumer confidence, Bishop noted. Also, because Amazon Fresh stores have smaller footprints than most newer supermarkets and often make “second use” of existing buildings, Amazon Fresh stores can be opened with a lower capital investment and a lower occupancy cost, meaning Amazon Fresh stores can stay profitable at increasingly competitive margins. As such, Bishop advised grocers to continually find ways to take costs out of their business without sacrificing their value propositions so they can operate profitably as competition heats up. Also, at a time when many grocery retailers are promoting curbside pickup (delivery costs can be high for retailers dealing with local online orders), Amazon Fresh is aggressively promoting delivery as a benefit of Amazon Prime membership, Bishop said. “Amazon is focused on a fulfillment option that many customers would prefer if it didn’t include an added cost,” he wrote. In addition, due to the store’s smaller size, “but with all the brands most shoppers would want,” Amazon is making its Fresh stores “time-effective to shop,” Bishop noted. Price-wise, while Amazon says it’s Fresh stores will be affordable, the extra 10% discount Prime members receive reinforces a perception of value, while Amazon captures valuable purchase data. Technology, too, while in the background, will be an important feature of Amazon Fresh stores, Bishop observed. “From a shopper’s point of view, this store has a lot to like. It will probably appeal most to Millennial shoppers who sense how the layout of the store and products tilt toward their lifestyle preferences — think of it as bigger than a Trader Joe’s but smaller than a typical supermarket with enough product and brand choice to satisfy most customers, along with more technology-delivered customer service,” Bishop described. Bishop predicted that Amazon Fresh stores pose a dual threat to more traditional grocery retailers operating around them. To counter its online offering, grocers must find ways to lower the cost of delivery or risk letting Amazon dominate that market segment. To counter its in-store offering, it will be necessary to invest in technology that gives their customers who want the opportunity to skip the checkout lane or at minimum, speed up the regular checkout process so that it is a pleasant service experience, Bishop advised.
Researchers Find 20% of Grocery Workers Tested Positive in May for Covid-19; Most Were Asymptomatic
Photo: Pixabay
This article originally appeared in the December edition of Presence Marketing’s Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
In a study published on October 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 20% of 104 grocery workers tested at a store in Boston in May tested positive for Covid-19. In addition, three out of four workers (76%) who tested positive showed no symptoms.
This was a significantly higher rate of infection than what was seen in the surrounding communities at the time (0.9 – 1.3%), said the Harvard University researchers who conducted the study entitled “Association Between SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Exposure Risk and Mental Health among a Cohort of Essential Retail Workers in the USA.”
The study authors added that grocery workers who had a customer-facing role were five times as likely to test positive for Covid-19 as co-workers in other positions. Those in supervisory roles were six times more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than co-workers in other types of roles, after accounting for potentially influential factors such as the prevalence of Covid-19 infections where they lived, the researchers said.
While the study sample was focused on just one store, “This is the first study to demonstrate the significant asymptomatic infection rate, exposure risks, and associated psychological distress of grocery retail essential workers during the pandemic,” the authors stated.
“In this single store sample, we found a considerable asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among grocery workers. Employees with direct customer exposure were five times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2.” In addition, “those able to practice social distancing consistently at work had significantly lower risk of anxiety or depression,” the researchers concluded.
According to the study, workers who were less likely to practice social distancing consistently at work and more likely to commute to work on public transport or shared rides were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Those able to walk or bike to work or drive their own car were less likely to report depressive symptoms.
Since the study was conducted, many retailers have implemented mask requirements, plexiglass barriers and other social distancing practices. “I do think for stores and states with mask mandate, we most likely would not see this kind of numbers,” Dr. Justin Yang, one of the study’s co-authors, told Fox News on October 30. “But for stores and states without a mask mandate, this scenario could very well happen in other stores as well.”
The study’s authors believe their findings support "the policy recommendations that employers and government officials should take actions on implementing preventive strategies and administrative arrangements, such as methods to reduce interpersonal contact, repeat and routine SARS-CoV-2 employee testing, to ensure the health and safety of essential workers." In addition, the authors stated, "Our significant mental health finding calls for action in providing comprehensive employee assistance services to help essential workers cope with the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic."