The majority of Morrisons stores will offer lower levels of lighting, turn music and radio off, avoid making tannoy announcements, reduce movement of trolleys and baskets and turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down
Morrisons is extending its quiet hours initiative for people who may struggle with music and other loud noises.
The supermarket currently operates quiet hours between 9am and 10am on Saturdays, and the first hour of trade on Sundays. This will now be extended to include 2pm to 3pm every Monday to Thursday. The announcement coincides with World Autism Acceptance Week, which runs from April 2 to April 8.
Morrisons first introduced its quiet hour scheme in July 2018. During quiet hours, the majority of Morrisons stores operate lower levels of lighting, turn music and radio off, avoid making tannoy announcements, reduce movement of trolleys and baskets and turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down.
Posters are also placed outside stores to notify customers when a quiet hour is running. Charlotte Exell, Business Sponsor of Ability at Morrisons, said: “The weekly shop can be a daunting task for those who may struggle with noises associated with it, from the crashing of trollies to loud voices and music. At Morrisons we are always looking for more ways to support customers, the Quieter Hour is incredibly popular in our stores across the nation so we have listened to customers and will now help more shoppers in our extended times.”
Tianna Cowan, Corporate Partnerships Lead at the National Autistic Society, said: “It’s fantastic that Morrisons is extending its Quieter Hour initiative to support more customers while shopping. For some of the more than 700,000 autistic people in the UK, the loud, bright and crowded environments of supermarkets can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s vital for all businesses to learn more about the often-small adjustments they can make to be more autism friendly. It’s great to see businesses like Morrisons taking the time to understand and create a welcoming environment for autistic people and their families.”
