Grocery Stores Are Adding Sneeze Guard Barriers to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus

Hip2Save may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you via trusted partners and affiliate links in this post. Prices and availability are accurate as of time posted. Read our full disclosure policy here.

Sneeze Guards at Albertsons checkout lane

Retailers are taking more steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus

While many brick and mortar stores have closed their doors due to the coronavirus, essential retailers like grocery stores are taking steps to protect both shoppers and employees.

Many grocery stores have already reduced their hours of operation to make time for deep cleaning and restocking their shelves. Some have even added special shopping hours for senior citizens and other people who are at greater risk for contracting coronavirus.


floor decal instructing shoppers to keep 6 feet apart

If you have ventured out and into your local grocery stores, you may have noticed other changes taking place including “educational floor decals” reminding customers to stand six feet apart while waiting in line.

Some stores are taking even more steps by adding sneeze guard partitions at registers to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Walmart, Albertsons, H-E-B, Jewel-Osco, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club, and other major grocers have begun installing plexiglass barriers in checkout areas to help protect both shoppers and store employees.

Dacona Smith, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Walmart, said in a statement,

Staying safe and healthy is more important than ever for our associates, our customers and for us. Installing these barriers is another way Walmart is helping bring peace of mind that we are doing everything we can to keep our people and our stores safe.

Have you noticed these new precautions where you shop? Please share!


Looking for ways to support your community? Here’s how you can help from home!

Join The Discussion

Comments 44

  1. Jackie

    Yes! All our grocery stores have them here in Manhattan Kansas! Great idea btw. Those poor workers need to be protected also. They work with hundreds of customers every day.

  2. Amber

    Interesting, I’ll have to keep my eye out for them. I’ve been watching youtube skits, and there was one that said something along the lines of: We shouldn’t be so surprised we have to have reminders everywhere for people to cover their sneezes and wash their hands. It was only 3 years ago we had to tell people to stop eating tide pods. So true.

    • Erin

      People are just not taught to be hygienic and wash hands anymore. I see people leave bathrooms without washing hands all the time. My son’s friend always insists he doesn’t need to wash his hands before handling food because he “just” washed them (but also touched any number of things thereafter). Doesn’t matter, dude! In my house, we always wash hands whenever we come inside and before opening the fridge, preparing food, etc., and we are rarely sick in comparison to the people we know.

      • animity

        We are like this too. My kids always comment when we are in public bathrooms and there is always one or two people who walk out without washing…grosses us out! If people only knew….
        Plus my kids know the routine, walk in the house straight to the sink to wash hands. Everyone should get into that habit.

        • rochellemcgee

          Yes, even in professional environments, I’d see women come into the bathroom, do their business, and walk out without stopping by the sink. Yesterday at Lowe’s, a lady probably in her late 60s came in and did the same – it’s a bit maddening considering so much of what we’re doing is to help their age group. Makes you want to just throw up your (sanitized) hands.

    • jennifer

      😂

  3. Cassie

    Ok, but sneezing is not a symptom of Covid-19.

    • Amber

      It’s a symptom of 1000 other viruses, though. Let’s take what we can get 😉.

      It is said it can spread through sneezing, so that’s why they’re putting up the sneeze guards.

    • RNrightnow

      Then call it a “droplet guard”, because it’s spread through stuff that sprays out of ones mouth/nose when coughing/ sneezing. Either way, if it makes them feel better, thats important too. If it makes the employees feel valued, that’s all that matters.

    • Lulu

      While it may not be a common symptom of covid-19, asymptomatic people can spread the virus thru sneezing and allergy season is upon us.

  4. Ivan

    Good idea. Was at the grocery store yesterday and felt sorry for the college-aged cashier. They are really on the front lines and I was surprised store didnt’ give them gloves and a mask.

  5. Amyarlene

    I don’t think it’s just a sneeze guard. Could help with accidental spit from talking when speaking and it helps with the 6 ft for social distancing. Plus, if you are carrying the virus and not showing symptoms then sneeze, you can still expose that way, even though the sneeze itself is not a symptom of the virus. Happy to see people are trying to help stop the spread where they can. This is such a worrisome time for a lot of people. My mother is in a nursing home and we can’t visit and my heart is breaking. I am very concerned for her health. Positivity and prayers to all out there during this difficult time!

  6. Cristine

    I saw a Pressure Washing Company near us had the supermarket put all their carts outside and the company came in the morning before opening and bleach cleaned all the carts using their spray equipment. What a great way for them to help and keep people safe!

    • StephB

      That’s awesome! Love to hear stories like these!!👍🏼

    • annie

      They are charging/getting paid to clean them but it IS a wonderful step to take to help with this disease that is being spread so quickly. They are now finding out (with new information coming from testing on cruise ships) that this virus can live on some surfaces much longer than the originally thought 3 days.

  7. betty

    None of my poor cashiers look that happy…maybe it’ll work 🙂

  8. tracey

    I’m hoping some of these measures last, like the clear guards in the stores. Why are we not normally protecting everyone prior to all of this?! I just had a cashier sneeze all over at the checkout a week ago and then tell me it was just allergies. No one really knows if they are contagious or not when the sneeze jumps out!

  9. Brian Berger

    They were installed at my local Albertsons yesterday.

  10. ohjodi

    Aldi’s is in the process of doing this, according to an email they sent out.

  11. Carrie O.

    My 19 yr old son works at HyVee and I’m very thankful to him and all the rest of the grocery store workers. I appreciate that they continue to show up to work every day so we can buy the essential items we need right now. A lot of them are overwhelmed too because they’re doing triple the business they’re used to. Although the temporary glass might not be a perfect solution, I’m glad Hyvee installed them at their check stands.

  12. cielo0

    I’ve seen from Instagram stories that some grocery stores in other countries have added a hand washing station before entering the stores.

    • jennifer

      A hand washing station should have been done years ago for basic sanitation. But I guess only if people use it 🤷🏻‍♀️

  13. nikis22

    Glad to see

  14. K

    I hope that once we’re past this, that many of these practices and measures last. There’s flu and other bugs that these things can be helpful in preventing as well

  15. MJ

    I was at target yesterday and my cart gave me a good measure of social distance in the self checkout line. However the person behind me was breathing down my neck holding their basket. It would have been awkwardly close in any circumstance, especially now. It’s not like the more you cram into the line the faster your checkout will go. It felt like impatience too me. On the other hand my husband was at Office Depot stocking up and was annoyed at the social distancing line markers. While I was thinking YES! This is brilliant and we should social distance FOREVER. I love it! Get on it Target!!!

  16. Shoppingfan

    I work for H-E-B grocery store & we have the screens up. We also have haulted returns on the most common items. We wipe the register, card machine, bag racks, etc after each transaction. We have distance markers on the floor so u observe space while in line. We also wipe every cart before customers get it. As you walk up, it’s wiped down then given to you. At the bathroom you are given a wipe to open the door & handle the stall. Once u exit, you are offered sanitizer same as when u leave the store. This is handled by a live person. We are serious about fights this! If you haven’t been to an H-E-B store, visit when you can!

  17. Beth P

    In the tri state area of where I live, NY, NJ and Pa we are running low on all PPE and have already worked using a mask twice and even w/o one. New Jersey numbers stand at 4,442 convid 19 patients as of today.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It's not your Grandma's coupon site!

Sign up for a Hip2Save account (it's free) to access all of the awesome features!

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot Password

Don't have an account? Register

Become a Hip2Save Insider

Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! Once you join, you'll be able to save & share your favorite deals, rate posts and recipes and add items to your HipList and Cookbook! What are ya waiting for?!



Already have an account? Login

Thank you for rating!

Would you also like to leave us a comment?