Since the beginning of the pandemic, supermarkets have continued to change and update the way their shops work and operate. Their objective has always been to meet customer demands and desires, making it easier for Britons to shop during a difficult and uncertain period for the country.
“So, we hope that by introducing quieter times for customers to shop we will be able to make our stores more welcoming and inclusive for customers with additional needs.”
Asda is not the only supermarket to launch a quieter hour in its branches.
Tesco has recently made its quiet hour scheme a permanent feature in its stores across the UK.
The supermarket giant’s chosen hour is from 9am to 10am every Wednesday and Saturday.
Like Asda, Tesco reduces the volume of its music and dims its light to make shopping a more comfortable experience for elderly people and people with disabilities.
A spokesperson for the supermarket said: ““People can feel, see, and experience the world differently, and for our customers with autism, the shopping experience may sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.
“A calmer environment can also be better for our elderly customers, ones shopping with young children, or our customers who may be struggling with mental health.”
Tesco hopes to reduce the sound on its self-service and Scan As You Shop devices in the future too.
The quieter hour has been implemented in Tesco’s larger stores only, but may be rolled out to other branches soon.
Morrisons also has a quieter hour, which it introduced earlier this year.
The supermarket makes it easier for those with “sensory needs” to shop between 9am until 10am on Saturday morning, and during the first our of its stores opening on Sunday morning.
Morrisons wrote on Facebook back in March: “At Morrisons, we continue to support our customers with Quieter Hours, where we make the store environment quieter and calmer for customers with additional sensory needs, like autism.
“This is by dimming the lights, turning off the music, stopping announcements on the tannoy, reducing the movement of stock cages and turning off noisy machines.”
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