NABMA have been provided with updated research from our High Street partner, Storecheckers. Their latest press release is below.
“Storecheckers’ latest research into the wearing of masks on the High Street showed a worrying increase in the number of people in shops without face coverings, despite the threat of fines.
Storecheckers’ Mystery Shoppers visited 165 shops in the same 10 town centres as had been reviewed in the summer to again assess the wearing of masks by both customers and staff.
Comparison with the previous survey revealed:
- Unmasked Shoppers rose by 5% (21% v 16% )
- Unmasked Store Staff rose by 6% (40% v 34%)
There was clear link between a drop in mask wearing in shops and the rise in COVID infections in some Northern cities:
- Bradford and Liverpool had 20% more customers not wearing masks, to 30% and 32% respectively
- Unmasked Staff rose from 57% to 76% for Bradford and from 24% to 37% for Liverpool
There appeared to be a growing reluctance to wear masks in shops, accompanied by a rising perception that this was acceptable. Shoppers appeared to have become more accepting of others not wearing masks.
- 64% felt ‘Very safe’ or ‘Safe’ whether all staff had masks on or not.
This could be further evidence of a growing trend of weariness of the regulations needed to halt the rise in COVID.
Results showed that stores needed to take a far more proactive role in encouraging customers to cover their faces to ensure 100% adherence to government policy on this issue. This highlighted the need for Head Offices to be effectively training staff to politely challenge non mask wearing customers, and to supply clear and relevant POS material in order to assist this end.
Storecheckers were delighted to see that this research was featured on P2 of The Times on 1st October.
NB. The visits took place after the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on 9th September introducing ‘the rule of six’ along with the mantra to ‘Hands, Face, Space’ and, with this, mask wearing was identified as a key deterrent in preventing the spread of COVID”.
For further information please email jeff@storecheckers.co.uk