Talking Point: supermarkets
Service with a smile and a natter could be back on the cards as a new initiative aims to make supermarket shopping less frantic
By Katharine Wootton
Supermarket shopping in the 21st Century can feel like a stressful and alienating experience. And this feeling can be even worse for anyone with a disability, anxiety or dementia for whom shopping might already be a challenge. Staff are often pressurised to get customers through the tills as quickly as possible and customers themselves can often be impatient. For some, just getting in and out of the shop as quickly as possible is important, but for those who want to take it a bit slower there’s no escape from the frantic pace. However, all that could be about to change as new research calls on supermarkets to rethink their provision for older shoppers and those who want a little more time, support or friendliness from their weekly shop. The research, from the University of Hertfordshire, recommends supermarkets install ‘slow’ checkout lanes for customers who want a more leisurely shop and a chat, saying this would ‘improve the shopping experience for those who enjoy the social aspect of shopping’. According to Age UK statistics, 2.5 million older people say going to the supermarket gives them a reason to get out and 600,000 say they’d otherwise have no one to talk to. Researchers also called on supermarkets to install more toilets and seating for customers to shop in comfort, as well as inviting older people to shop at quieter times by running special offers targeted specifically to them. While these changes have yet to be adopted nationally, they are being trialled by many local supermarkets to great success. The Forres branch of Tesco in Scotland, where ‘relaxed’ checkouts run twice a week has received terrific praise. And a charity called Slow Shopping has introduced slower-paced weekly shopping sessions into a handful of UK supermarkets. Katherine Vero, who set up the charity after finding shopping with her mum who has dementia increasingly stressful, says it provides a welcoming and safe environment not just for older people, but those with cognitive, mental, visible and invisible disabilities, too. “For an allocated time, usually Tuesday afternoons when stores are quieter, we have Slow Shopping hours with extra staff on hand to welcome people and help with things such as packing or reaching into fridges if needed. We also provide additional seating so people can take a breather and chat. “In the stores where we’ve trialled this we’ve found people love chatting to each other, staff enjoy getting to know customers and new people who were reluctant to shop before have started to come in – Sainsbury’s in Gosforth, Newcastle, where the scheme started, has seen a ten per cent increase in footfall due to the scheme.”