Asda Living in Cheetham Hill, Manchester has been praised for its plan to host a ‘quiet hour’ to make shopping easier for autistic and disabled customers.
According to ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk, from 7 May, the store will be nearly silent for one hour every Saturday morning, with the escalators, instore music and display TVs turned off, making the shop a better space for people who may be troubled by loud noises.
As well as keeping the noise levels low, the store will give autistic and disabled customers a map of the store featuring pictures instead of words.
Manager Simon Lea told ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk that he had the idea for the 'quiet hour' after seeing a child with autism struggle to cope on the shopfloor.
The incident prompted him to speak to a member of staff who also had an autistic child, as well as disabled customers, to see if he could improve the shopping experience for them.
"It’s all about helping people really. Six months ago I would have said 'control your child' even though I’ve got children. But speaking to people with autism and disabled people has helped me think about how I can make it a better place to shop," he explained.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jenny Whelan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
