Hungarians’ compliance in wearing masks in shops is better than the European average; keeping distance, however, is something domestic shoppers and employees should improve upon, according to research done by the Europe/Africa chapter of mystery shopper trade association MSPA.
A survey of keeping distance, wearing masks, using hand sanitizer, and displaying warnings was conducted in fifteen countries in October and November. Altogether, 5,800 stores in 15 different countries were inspected, among them 103 Hungarian locations.
Hungarian shops pretty much neared the average in available hand sanitizers (9% vs. 10%). But while mask-wearing deficits were reported in 25% of the European stores, Hungary performed a lot better in this matter (14%).
On the other hand, maintaining proper distance, is something that Hungarian store employees and customers alike should improve on, according to the survey. Such problems among employees was detected in 43% of the cases in Hungary while the overall average was only 22%. Keeping distance among Hungarian customers showed a similar tendency (44%, the average being 36%).
According to the comments of MSPA Europe/Africa director, if workers set a bad example and they don’t take the one-and-a-half-meter limit seriously, they can’t enforce it with customers either, potentially causing serious danger. Ignoring this not only risks fines from authorities, but also a loss in customer confidence and thus a reduced chance for long-term survival,” István Mózes added.
featured photo illustration by György Varga/MTI
