Dive Brief:

• Southeastern Grocers announced Monday it will require customers to wear face coverings in all of its stores, including Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más, Bi-Lo and Harveys Supermarket according to a company release. 
• The decision came after the retailer faced swift public backlash for stating Sunday it would not mandate mask wearing inside Winn-Dixie stores because it didn’t want to cause "undue friction" between customers and associates. The new policy will go into effect July 27.
• The reversal comes as chain grocers across the country have said they will require shoppers to wear masks inside their stores. In its statement, Southeastern Grocers said it believes the enforcement of masks should be the government’s responsibility and not be a burden to frontline employees.

Dive Insight:

A day after receiving negative feedback for its refusal to enforce mask-wearing by its shoppers, Winn-Dixie is joining competitors like Publix, Kroger and Walmart in requiring customers to cover their faces. 

Although the company initially tried to swim against a wave of mask-wearing mandates imposed by grocers, its reasoning for doing so reflected widespread concerns among shoppers and other retailers over how to enforce these policies. Winn-Dixie's apprehension may have stemmed from the very real possibility that there could be altercations between associates and customers who refuse to wear masks.

Winn-Dixie, which said that it "strongly encouraged" shoppers to wear a face covering before adjusting its course, is not alone in being worried about enforcement. The Fresh Market told Grocery Dive that while associates are required to cover their faces, the chain opted to just strongly request that customers do so and planned to tell people who refused about its e-commerce options.

"We have not denied entrance to guests without a face covering, as we do not want to place our team members in a confrontational situation that could result in unintended consequences during an already trying time for many," Meghan Flynn, a spokesperson for The Fresh Market, told Grocery Dive in an email.

However, many grocers have enacted face-covering mandates. Deb Bell-Versluis, director of communications at Smart & Final, which has been requiring customers to wear masks since mid-April, told Grocery Dive that if a customer enters a store without a mask, a staff member will politely ask the shopper to put one on or leave.