Food Retailers That Have Implemented Mask Mandates

The list grows. In an effort to slow transmission of COVID-19, more than 20 food retailers have joined Walmart—the first major grocer to make the announcement—in requiring customers to wear face coverings at stores regardless of local and state mandates.

Some of the most recent announcements come from Southeastern Grocers, Ingles Markets, Aldi, Natural Grocers and Coborn’s. Many retailers are also encouraging those who don’t want to—or can’t—wear a mask to shop online and order delivery where available.

At least some major food retailers—Lidl U.S. and Dollar Tree among them—have said they won’t require masks, but instead are encouraging states and localities to require them, citing concern over putting employees in the position of enforcing the rules, according to a letter signed by their CEOs published by CNN this week. 

What follows is an evolving list (in alphabetical order) of retailers that are requiring masks, effective dates and exemptions, and remarks from some top executives.

• To be added to this list, contact Senior Editor Kristina Peters at kpeters@winsightmedia.com.

UPDATE: Cub Foods added July 22; Save Mart added July 23

Retailer: Albertsons Cos.
Effective date: July 21
Exemptions: N/A

“Throughout this pandemic, the health and safety of everyone who walks through our doors has been our top priority. We require our associates to wear masks, and across a majority of our stores we already require customers to wear face coverings to comply with local ordinances,” the Boise, Idaho-based retailer said in a release online. “We appreciate everyone’s diligence, cooperation and support as we all work together to get through these difficult times as safely as possible.

Retailer: Aldi
Effective date: July 27
Exemptions: N/A

“The health and safety of our employees, customers and the communities we serve will always be our highest priority,” the Germany-based company, which has 2,000 stores across 36 U.S. states, said on its website. “Our new face covering policy is an enhanced safety measure intended to help limit the spread of COVID-19. All Aldi employees will continue to wear face coverings, as they have for months.”

Retailer: Associated Food Stores
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: N/A

“As local grocers, we feel a responsibility to help our communities battle this unprecedented illness. We also recognize our stores are primary gathering spaces in the community and want to do our part to encourage overall public health,” said David Rice, president of Salt Lake City-based Associated Retail Operations. “This new requirement is based on our desire to do everything in our power to help slow the spread while keeping our team members and customers safe.”

Retailer: BJ’s Wholesale Club
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Children under age 2 are exempt.

“The health and safety of our members, team members and communities continues to be our top priority,” the Westborough, Mass.-based retailer said on its website. “The use of a facial covering does not replace social distancing guidelines. All posted safety measures, including social distancing and the requirement of a facial covering, should continue to be adhered to while shopping in any BJ’s location.”

Retailer: Coborn’s
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Children under age 5 and customers who are unable to wear a mask due to health reasons may shop without a mask.

St. Cloud, Minn.-based Coborn’s announced a phased-in approach to its new requirement that all customers of Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods supermarket and liquor stores wear masks. Implementation of the policy began with Minnesota and Wisconsin locations on July 20.

“Guests wearing masks while they shop is appreciated by our employees and could help to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the communities we serve, ultimately helping us to continue to fully staff our stores and serve our guests for the duration of the pandemic,” said Chris Coborn, president, CEO and chairman of the board, said in a release.

Retailer: Costco
Effective date: May 4
Exemptions: Children under age 2 and individuals who are unable to wear a face covering due to a medical condition are exempt.

“Costco employees are required to wear face coverings, and now we are asking that Costco members do so too. We know some members may find this inconvenient or objectionable, but under the circumstances we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” Craig Jelinek, president and CEO of Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco said in a letter online. “This is not simply a matter of personal choice; a face covering protects not just the wearer, but others too.”

Retailer: Cub Foods
Effective date: July 28
Exemptions: Children under age 2 and those who are unable to remove a mask themselves are exempt, according to a TwinCities.com article.

“Kindness is about looking out for each other, and that means doing what we can to protect one another,” Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Cub Foods said on Facebook. “We appreciate your cooperation in this effort to keep customers and staff safe.”

Retailer: CVS
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: N/A

"With the recent spike in COVID-19 infections, we're joining others in taking the next step and requiring all customers to wear face coverings when entering any of our stores throughout the country,” said Jon Roberts, chief operating officer of CVS Health for Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS, in an online statement. “To be clear, we're not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer. What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering."

Retailer: Dierbergs
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Children age 9 and under and individuals unable to wear a face covering due to a medical condition are exempt. For those with a medical condition, the retailer is asking them to consider alternatives such as a face shield.

“As a business serving thousands of customers each week, it is important that we take every precaution possible to protect the safety of customers and associates while inside our stores,” the Chesterfield, Mo.-based retailer said in a statement online.

Retailer: Festival Foods
Effective date: July 24
Exemptions: N/A

“Our company is committed to creating a safe environment for our guests and associates, who have been wearing masks for weeks,” the De Pere, Wis.-based retailer said in a statement online.
 

Retailer: Hornbacher's
Effective date: July 27
Exemptions: N/A

Fargo, N.D.-based Hornbacher's is owned by Coborn’s. It has eight grocery stores in the Fargo/Moorhead area.

Retailer: Ingles Markets
Effective date: July 21
Exemptions: Young children and customers with medical conditions who are unable to wear a face covering are exempt.

“In addition to requiring a facial covering, we are continuing our enhanced sanitation practices and regularly cleaning all high-touch surfaces to help reduce the spread of COVID-19,” the chain said in a release. “Our one-way aisles to encourage social distancing remain in place as will our plexiglass sneeze guards.”

Retailer: Kowalski's Market
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Kowalski's Marketsaid on Facebook that for those who cannot wear a mask, it will have face shields available for purchase.

“We hope that these added precautions will help to keep our customers and employees safe and healthy in these unprecedented times. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,” the Woodbury, Minn.-based retailer said on Facebook.

Retailer: The Kroger Co.  
Effective date: July 22
Exemptions: Small children and customers with medical reasons are exempt.

“We are taking this extra step now because we recognize additional precautions are needed to protect our country,” the Cincinnati-based grocer said in a statement. Kroger was one of the first retailers to announce a mask mandate.

Retailer: Lunds & Byerlys  
Effective date: July 31
Exemptions: N/A

“These unprecedented times have called for equally unprecedented measures so we can continue providing you with food and other essential products in the safest environment possible,” said Tres Lund, president and CEO of Minneapolis-based Lunds & Byerlys, in a note online. “As we follow guidance from local and national health authorities, I assure you every decision we make is done to ensure the safety of our staff and customers. And we will continue to take any and all steps necessary to do just that.”

Retailer: Meijer
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Customers with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing face coverings are exempt.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer said its new policy was enacted “to help ensure the continued health and safety of its team members and customers.”

Retailer: Natural Grocers by Vitamin College  
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: The retailer’s policy only applies to customers 10 and older, or per the age limit established by state or local ordinance are required to wear a face covering. It also exempts those with underlying medical conditions.

“From the beginning of the pandemic, we have made every decision with the safety and health of our crew and our communities at the forefront of our minds. The CDC has made it very clear that wearing face masks, along with social distancing and frequent hand washing, are our greatest defenses against the spread of COVID-19," said Heather Isely, EVP of Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers, in a release. "As an essential business, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to continue providing fresh, high quality natural and organic groceries to the communities we serve, while at the same time keeping our crew and customers as safe as possible. For all these reasons, we have implemented this new policy for all of our customers."

Retailer: Publix  
Effective date: July 21
Exemptions: Young children and people with medical conditions are exempt.

“We believe requiring face coverings in our stores is another way we can do our part to help protect our communities,” said Maria Brous, director of communications for Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix.

Retailer: Save Mart
Effective date: Timeline unknown
Exemptions: N/A

“For over 60 years, you have trusted our teams at Save Mart to provide fresh and healthy products for you, your family and your home—and I want you to know we won’t let you down now,” said Nicole Pesco, CEO of Modesto, Calif.-based Save Mart, in a note on the retailer’s website. “In this time of uncertainty, I want to assure you we are going to extra lengths to keep your family safe.”

Retailer: Schnuck Markets   
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: Young children and those with medical conditions who are unable to wear a face covering are exempt.

“From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we moved quickly to respond to the ever-changing environment and prioritize safety and cleanliness in our stores,” said Todd Schnuck, chairman and CEO of St. Louis-based Schnucks. “We have been monitoring this situation closely, and given the escalating number of positive COVID-19 cases in the regions we serve, we believe requiring masks for teammates, vendors and, now, customers is in the best interest of public safety.”

Retailer: Southeastern Grocers (parent company and home of Bi-Lo, Fresco y Mas, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie)
Effective date: July 27
Exemptions: N/A

“At Southeastern Grocers, we put people at the center of each and every decision we make for our stores. Our decisions have always been shaped by listening to our people and our communities,” said Joe Caldwell, director of corporate communications and government affairs for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Southeastern Grocers, in a release. “As we have navigated through the complexities and challenges of the pandemic, we have progressively shaped our operations and are continuing to update our policies to best protect all those who depend upon us. This unprecedented period requires a willingness to be adaptable and flexible to ever-changing circumstances, and we will continue to adjust as needed over time. … Our communities count on us, and we are counting on our customers to show kindness as we go through these challenging times together.”

Retailer: Target 
Effective date: Aug. 1
Exemptions: Young children and those with underlying medical conditions are exempt.

Minneapolis-based Target said more than 80% of its 1,871 U.S. stores already have mask requirements in compliance with local and state mandates.

Retailer: Trader Joe’s
Effective Date: Timeline unclear
Exemptions: Young children and with medical conditions who can’t wear a mask are exempt.

“We require customers wear a face covering while shopping in our stores,” Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe’s said in a July 20 update on its website. “As the coronavirus COVID-19 affects our communities, our work as your neighborhood grocery store continues. We are vigilant; heeding all federal, state and local health advisories; and where it makes sense, adjusting efforts to safeguard the health and safety of our crew members and customers, as always guided by integrity and focused on doing what is right.”

Retailer: Walmart/Sam’s Club
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: While it didn’t cite specific exemption, Walmart said it will train associates on exceptions “to help reduce friction for the shopper and make the process as easy as possible for everyone.”

The first grocer to announce a mask mandate, Walmart stressed consistency across its stores and safety for employees and customers as reasons for the policy.

“Currently about 65% of our more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings. To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering,” Dacona Smith, Walmart’s U.S. chief operating officer, said in a blog post published July 15. “We know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities.”

Retailer: Whole Foods Market/Amazon stores
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: N/A

“We will keep evaluating how to best support our teams and communities, and will continue rolling out measures to protect the health and safety of every person helping customers get what they need during this difficult time. Taking care of our employees as they step up for their communities will remain Amazon's No. 1 priority,” Seattle-based Amazon said in a blog post

Retailer: Woodman’s
Effective date: July 20
Exemptions: While exemptions were specifically cited, Woodman’s said, “We understand there are situations in which certain customers are unable to medically tolerate a face mask and have trained staff to handle those situations.”

“We ask our customers do their part as we work together to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” the Janesville, Wis.-based retailer said on Facebook.