MASK UP

Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger to Require Face Masks in All Stores

About 65% of the retailer’s locations already had mask mandates due to local government regulations.

Customers shopping at Walmart and Sam’s Club will be required to don face coverings before entering the stores across the U.S. beginning July 20, the retailer announced Wednesday. About 65 percent of its stores already have mask mandates in effect due to local government regulations. Walmart is the latest in a line of retailers that are mandating masks across all sites. Kroger also announced Wednesday that masks would become mandatory. Best Buy’s mask mandate went into effect Wednesday, while Apple and Costco already had such requirements in place. Walmart announced Wednesday that it would create a health ambassador role specifically to police the face-covering requirement in stores, given the tensions that have emerged between anti-mask shoppers and employees attempting to enforce the policy.