The ASDA store in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, will turn off all escalators, screens and music and will not use the tannoys for an hour on Saturday 7th May.
This means that for an hour, people with autism or disabilities can have a shopping experience that is different to their usual tough and stressful ones, away from the overwhelming atmosphere usually associated with shopping centres.
This will encourage a more positive light to shopping for those who have these disabilities and those who care for them. There are also many people who do suffer from anxiety and would appreciate the option to shop in a calmer version of the store away from triggers such as loud noises and busy crowds.
If this first dedicated quiet hour is a success, ASDA have said they will continue to trial it in more stores, hopefully paving the way for many more retailers to embrace this way of thinking. This will make shopping much better for those who don’t usually enjoy it, and will help to potentially eliminate this as a negative experience for many people.
With reactions already overwhelmingly positive, this seems set to become a refreshing trend across the country.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.