Morrisons in Coventry and Leamington launch “Quieter Hour” for shopping

Morrisons branches in Coventry and Leamington Spa will provide customers with a “Quieter Hour” for supermarket shopping.

It was introduced in all Morrisons stores and will take place every Saturday from 9-10am, to help customers that struggle with music and other noise.

During the slot, stores will dim the lights, turn off music and the radio, and reduce the movement of trolleys and baskets.

Furthermore, announcements will be avoided, the volume of electrical noises such as checkout beeps will be lowered, and customers will be notified of Quieter Hour by a poster displayed outside.

Trials earlier this year in Lincoln, Woking and Gainsborough Morrisons stores precipitated the nationwide launch, where the best time period for the hour was tested.

During the trials, the supermarket chain found that one in five customers had a friend or family member with autism.

Angela Gray, Morrisons Community Champion at Woking, commented: “I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found that these changes made a real difference.

Morrisons ‘Quieter Hour’ is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle

– Daniel Cadey

“The trial showed there is a need for a quieter shopping experience for some customers.”

The move was also supported by the National Autistic Society, as people “who are autistic or those with autistic children can find shopping in a supermarket an anxious experience”.

“Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK,” said Daniel Cadey, the society’s Autism Access Development Manager.

“This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way.

“Morrisons ‘Quieter Hour’ is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle.”