Tesco introduces permanent Quiet Hour to make shopping less ‘overwhelming’ for autistic and vulnerable customers

Tesco has announced that its ‘quiet hour’ scheme designed for vulnerable customers is now a permanent fixture across its UK stores. 

The scheme, which the supermarket says is designed to help elderly customers and those with disabilities and special needs, was used as a trial in a number of the larger Tesco stores and proved to be a massive success.

So, going forward, the supermarket will now be dimming the lights and lowering the noise of its checkouts from 9am until 10am every Wednesday and Saturday at its larger stores.

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Announcing the introduction of quiet hours, the retailer said in a statement: “Tesco is a place where everyone’s welcome, but we understand that our stores – with the loud noises, bright lights or strong smells, and volume of people – can be stressful for some of our customers.

“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

Claire Pickthall, Tesco Group Customer Proposition Director added:“We know that almost 20% of the population in the UK have a disability and we want to be able to help our customers as much as we can.

“So I am really proud that at Tesco, we are taking another step in being a more inclusive business by introducing Quiet Hour across all our stores. I know that for some people the shopping trip can be stressful and not just for people with a disability but for others looking for a calmer place to shop.”

“We want everyone to know that Tesco is a welcome place for everyone to come and shop or work with us.”

For more information, visit the Tesco website.