Morrisons launch “Quieter Hour” for shoppers affected by noise

Stone’s Morrisons supermarket will be a quieter place on a Saturday morning as a new designated ‘Quieter Hour’ is introduced.

The initiative is being rolled out to all Morrisons stores and is designed to help customers who would currently struggle with music and the other noise associated when supermarket shopping.

Quieter Hour will run from 9am to 10am on a Saturday morning when Morrisons stores will:

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• Dim the lights
• Turn music and radio off
• Avoid making tannoy announcements
• Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets
• Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down
• Place a poster outside to tell customers it’s Quieter Hour

The move has been welcomed by the National Autistic Society who said:

“Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK. This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way. Morrisons ‘Quieter Hour’ is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle.”

Morrisons took onboard customer feedback which that one in five had a friend or family member with autism and many liked the idea of being able to shop in more comfort during 9-10am on a Saturday morning.

Angela Gray, Morrisons Community Champion at Woking said: “I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found that these changes made a real difference. The trial showed there is a need for a quieter shopping experience for some customers.”