It’s not new
Customers getting upset and acting out at stores nothing new. But the pandemic has given people something fresh to be at odds about.
“Some of these incidents come with the nature of retail,” said Erik Rosenstrauch, CEO of the retail marketing firm FUEL Partnerships. “You’re always going to have an occasional issue with shoppers getting mad,” but lately most seem to be about people at odds over how they perceive their civil liberties.
Some people who don’t want to wear masks argue it’s their right not to. However, retail stores are private property. So, just as they can require you to wear shirts and shoes, they can require you to wear masks.
Grocery store workers have complained for months that customers refuse to follow the rules.
In April, UFCW, a food and retail union that represents over 900,000 grocery workers, surveyed 5,000 of its clients, and 85% said customers are not practicing social distancing.