How retail brands are tackling the challenges of new CDC mask guidelines

Recent mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caught many marketers off-guard. The new recommendations, which allow for fully vaccinated individuals to shed face coverings indoors, run counter to many of the mask and social-distancing mandates that stores have had in place for over a year. Several retailers, including both established chains and smaller businesses, are now scrambling to adjust signage and clearly communicate their mask positioning, all while continuing to keep customers happy. “It’s going to take a while to iron out,” says Mary Howard, who runs Penny & Ting, an independent toy store in Ossining, New York. Since most of her young clientele is unvaccinated, she plans to continue to ask customers to wear face coverings. Yet, she recognizes the dilemma. “You don’t want to get anyone upset,” Howard says, adding, “But I don’t know what the safety is for those children.” It’s a tightrope many brands have gotten used to walking as they navigate the ever-changing guidelines around the pandemic. A new Stop & Shop campaign released this week was created with flexibility in mind. The supermarket chain made two spots—for each one, there is a version with customers in stores wearing masks and a version of without masks. “It was important to capture it both ways, you just never know,” says Jasmine Dadlani, chief strategy officer at McKinney, which was named Stop & Shop’s agency of record late last year. The new commercials were filmed last month. “Everything keeps changing so rapidly,” Dadlani says, noting the comfortability of Stop & Shop customers and employees with masked environments. “Out of an abundance of caution, whenever we’re in the retail environment for right now, we will have shoppers with masks on.” The chain is continuing to require masks in locations where state and local mandates remain in place, according to Jennifer Brogan, a spokeswoman. She notes that in Rhode Island, “where mask mandates have been lifted, Stop & Shop will no longer require those who are fully vaccinated to wear masks in our stores, although we will continue to strongly encourage everyone to do so.” Similarly, this week, large chains including Lowe’s, Kohl’s and Target have switched out signage and communicated new store policies around masks to customers via social media. The American Hotel & Lodging Association said it was relaxing its mask guidelines for vaccinated guests at its hotels. “At this time, we are not asking hotels to require proof of vaccination status, but we do ask that all guests and workers, vaccinated or not, respect and honor these revised guidelines,” the Association said, adding that “unvaccinated guests should wear face coverings at all times and practice physical distancing.” A Kohl’s spokeswoman says the chain is updating signage where appropriate. The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based retailer said in a statement: “As of May 17, fully vaccinated customers are welcome to shop with or without a mask. We will continue to strongly recommend that non-vaccinated customers and associates wear masks in our stores.” However, many marketers are recognizing that not all shoppers will want to be in mask-free stores. Morning Consult recently found that 32% of adults are comfortable without masks at grocery stores. Earlier this week, Target communicated its new positioning on Twitter. Given the CDC’s updated guidance last week, Target will no longer require fully vaccinated guests and team members to wear face coverings in our stores, except where it’s required by local ordinances. More details here: https://t.co/dmDkYONnCF— Target News (@TargetNews) May 17, 2021 Some consumers immediately responded by voicing their concerns on the social media platform. I’m fully vaccinated & will still wear my mask in stores, specifically for the comfort of your other customers with compromised immune systems for which the vaccine may be ineffective. Plus children <12yrs old still aren’t eligible, & likely not until September.— Lassitude 🎆 ✨ 𓅓 (@jen98a) May 17, 2021 Not into this move at all. I guess Amazon gets more of my money. If I buy stuff at target for pick up and I need to return I have to go into the store. Makes no sense.— ashley gould (@ashleygould) May 17, 2021 In recognition of the unvaccinated, several smaller businesses are keeping mask mandates in place and explaining their positions via social media. Earlier this week, Hazel, a gift shop in Chicago, wrote on Instagram: “Just popping onto your feed to let you know Hazel will continue to require everyone wear a face mask while shopping in our stores. We will maintain the same safety protocols we have been for the last year, our top priority is still the safety of our customers and staff.” Similarly, Jacob Burns, an independent theater in Westchester, New York that only reopened this spring after being closed through the bulk of the pandemic, noted on its social channel that masks are required in its theaters “regardless of vaccination status for the time being.” Penny & Ting’s Howard says that customer concerns may end up temporarily keeping shoppers out of brick-and-mortar stores. “It may slow down shopping because people are so unsure and unclear on whether they should feel safe,” she says.

How retail brands are tackling the challenges of new CDC mask guidelines

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