Supermarkets start a weekly ‘quiet hour’

 Supermarkets are introducing “quiet hours” to make shopping less stressful.

Morrisons has become the first major supermarket to introduce a permanent quiet hour on Saturdays between 9am and 10am, during which time checkouts will not beep loudly, no music or Tannoy announcements will be played and lights will be dimmed.

The initiative was prompted by the National Autistic Society to make shopping easier for people with autism, who can struggle with the loud hustle and bustle of busy shops.

Morrisons carried out a trial in three of its stores – in Lincoln, Woking and Gainsborough – to find out what improvements could be made and to find a convenient time each week for the quiet hour to take place. It found the initiative popular among customers, one in five of whom had a friend or family member with autism.

The National Autistic Society said around 700,000 people were on the autism spectrum in the UK.