Booksellers prepare for introduction of mandatory face masks

Booksellers are preparing themselves for customers’ mandatory use of face masks in shops from 24th July, expressing some misgivings, particularly should they be required to enforce the government’s new rules.

The Booksellers Association said it welcomed the measures but "urgent clarity" was needed from the government on how it will work in practice.

The new guidance was officially issued in the Commons yesterday afternoon (14th July), outlining that face masks will be compulsory in shops and supermarkets from 24th. Health secretary Matt Hancock said the move would “give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops”.

The new rule will bring England into line with policy in Scotland, where this has been situation for the past month. Exemptions extend to children under 11 as well as to those with certain disabilities.

Laura McCormack, head of policy and public affairs at the BA, commented: "The BA welcomes measures from the government to keep bookshop staff and their customers safe. However urgent clarity is needed on how this measure will work in practice in order to allow for consistency across the high street. We would urge the government in Westminster to follow the approach of the Scottish government in allowing exemptions for staff who are able to operate with two metre physical distancing or who are serving behind perspex screens."

The Bookseller spoke to bookshop owners who had mixed views on the new development, with some concerned the measure may be introducing yet another deterrent off-putting to potential customers.

Andy Barr, owner at Belgravia Books in west London, said his conversations with customers led him to believe face masks are a “more divisive” issue than measures such as social distancing and using hand sanitiser. “People willingly go to hand sanitise,” he said, “but the people who come in asking, ‘Do I need to wear a mask?’, are visibly relieved when I say 'No’ .... Another thing about this is that people don’t really like being told what to do.”

Emma Corfield from Bookish in Crickhowell said in anticipation of the same measures being rolled out in Wales that she was concerned what it could mean for communication in store between staff and customers.

"Assuming it will be announced here, we will be putting a sign up. We obviously have a screen around the till and I have masks for all my staff so they can mask up if they need to come out from behind the screen to deal with customers," she said. “But my main concern with face masks, other than visors, is that we have a lot of older customers. Either they wear glasses or they are hard of hearing. I am partially deaf and I am really struggling to hear what people are saying with face masks on. I hadn’t realised how much I depend on lip reading. That is going to be a concern. For some people it might put them off going into shops, because communication is so important to everybody.”

She added: “But, at the end of the day, if someone feels safer wearing a face mask, and if that’s what the science is leading us to, if we’re told by the government that this is what we need to do to keep ourselves, our customers and our staff safe, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Corfield said she found it odd the government wasn’t bringing the rules in with immediate effect, arguing this potentially sends “a mixed message. I find it a bit silly they’re not just saying ‘you need to do it now’. I don’t really see what’s going to be the difference between now and the 24th for England. People are going to have to get in their stocks and supplies, so there can be a bit of leeway on that, but most people have got face masks now. It sends a mixed message.”

In contrast, Julie Ward from The Book Nook, Brighton and Hove, said it didn’t feel they had very long to prepare. “We will be getting spare masks in,” she said, “it is just locating them before the 24th, which isn’t long.”

Ward added she had some apprehension about the masks as the owner of a children’s bookshop in case wearing them might frighten children, but an idea might be to use masks with fun designs they might like. “As a children’s bookshop, you don’t want to go about scaring children and making them feel uneasy. But you also want people to feel comfortable in the shop as well," she said. "I’d say 90% of our customers don’t wear them at the moment, so it will be quite interesting to see what happens.”

Richard Drake, owner of Drake the Bookshop in Stockton, said of the new rules that, on the upside, the benefits would be “the same for everyone” meaning “it may be easier to "police" in the shop.

The downside, he conceded, is “how many people will be put off shopping just at the time we need people back on the high street. I have already seen mention of the fact that people wearing them all day for work won't want to be wearing them for longer so will be going back online or doing all their shopping at the supermarket.”

He added: “All we ask [from the government] for is clarity and consistency. We will await to see if this is likely!”

Responding to the suggestion shopkeepers could be held responsible for ensuring customers wear face masks in their shops, after Hancock said shops "can refuse [customers] entry and can call the police if they refuse to comply", booksellers were divided on whether this would worry them.

“Reading between the lines, I’m really hoping they don’t say we have to demand people wear them before coming into the shop," said Ward. "That’s my concern, because I don’t want to police it. At the moment you want to encourage people to come into the shop; you don’t want a reason for them not to come in!”

“I don’t think it’s really up to us to enforce it,” agreed Corfield.

Hazel Broadfoot of Village Books, Dulwich, however said she was fine with it. “I haven’t got a problem with it at all,” she said first of the new rules broadly. “We’ve been using the plastic visors since reopening that were supplied by Gardners and I think they’re very good because you can see somebody’s facial expression; you feel as though you’re talking to a normal person. As a shopper, for example in M&S whose staff have them, I didn’t find it changed the shopping experience at all. I’m going to be providing extra cotton face masks for our team here and we are just going to get on with it.”

On the issue of enforcement, she said: “I’m not overly worried about it. [The masks] give the message ‘I’m doing this to protect you’ so it carries a mutual awareness.

“I can’t imagine we’re going to have people responding badly to it. We’ve had such a fantastic response to the safety procedures put in place already. They’ve been so thrilled we are open again we have had no problems. Everyone has been sensible and co-operative.

“It all seems a bit weird to me, because it has been compulsory in Scotland and there’s been no hoo-ha there about it at all.”

Drake was similarly optimistic how customers would react should he need to insist they wear a mask before entering his shop.

“We have some disposable masks we could make available if people didn't have a face mask or had forgotten it,” he said. “Alternatively we could turn the shop back into the ‘speakeasy’”-whereby people can collect their books at the entrance-"and help from the doorway".

He added: “In general people have been pretty good at self policing when it comes to hand-sanitiser and even when asked they have politely complied. I'm hoping the same will happen when it comes to masks. We have a contact number from the council for any concerns and I will be getting in touch again to ensure someone on the other end of that number will be available still.

“Fingers crossed things will continue to be smooth, but only time will tell.”