Another high street store launches ‘quiet’ hour for autistic shoppers

Popular discount chain, Home Bargains, has joined supermarkets and other stores and introduced a ‘quiet hour’ to help create an easier shopping experience for its shoppers with sensory conditions, such as autism.

The initiative, which saw the chain team up with the National Autistic Society, aims to stop all music being played in store each Saturday between 9am and 10am.

Public spaces can be overwhelming for an autistic person, especially if they are crowded, loud and bright. Because of this, the National Autistic Society has found that many autistic people and their families give up trying to use the shops and services that most people use every day without a second thought.

The Quiet Hours initiative are shopping hours designed specifically for people who have sensory conditions. For the designated time during business hours, shops, cafes and other businesses turn down music and other noises, such as instore tannoy systems. Lights are also dimmed and members of staff are made aware of how the store, with it’s overwhelming displays and bright colours can be problematic for shoppers with autism and their families.

Home Bargains is the latest high street store to join the project. Speaking to reporters, they said that they are continually assessing where they can support each and every one of their weekly shoppers and that they understand that their stores can be potentially overwhelming.

See the full report here.