Utah Retailers Come Together and Require Masks for Customers

While politicians continue to "hand wring" about state-wide mask mandates, Utah retailers have come together to protect their employees, customers and communities. During the course of the past several weeks many of the association's members have made the operational decision to require face coverings for all customers. While face coverings have always been mandatory for employees, the association now has over a dozen companies or brands that are requiring face coverings for customers. This was a difficult operational decision in which retailers were required to balance individual liberties and public safety concerns.

Several weeks back the association sent a request to our members to consider a mandatory mask requirement for customers and at the same time sent a letter to the Governor urging him to implement a state wide mask requirement. It is critical from a business perspective that we keep the economy open for business and universal mask wearing will help in that effort. To that end, we have partnered with other business groups in the Stay Safe to Stay Open campaign.

We are grateful to those retailers that have elected to take the Stay Safe to Stay Open pledge and those who have chosen to make masks mandatory for customers. We are proud to represent and industry that is leading out on important health issues in our communities. As we are notified, the association is tracking companies that are implementing mask requirements for customers. We have attached a link to the most current information that we have, however the list is growing on almost a daily basis. We apologize if we have missed any companies but did want our members to know that if they decided to make the operational decision to require masks for customers they would not be all alone on an island.

Thank you for all you are doing to keep your communities supplied with essential food and supplies. If you have specific questions please feel free to reach out to a member of the association staff.