British store launches 'quiet hour' for shoppers with autism
LONDON -- Shops aren't always the quietest of places, but one in Manchester will soon be falling silent for a "quiet hour" designed for shoppers with autism.
The Asda Living store in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, will refrain from using the tannoy, will turn off escalators, in-store music and display TVs to create a friendly environment for people with autism.
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According to the National Autistic Society, people with autism can be sensitive to loud noises, and can have trouble cutting out background noise.
The idea for a "quiet hour" came from store manager Simon Lea who decided to introduce it after seeing a boy with autism struggling to cope with in-store noise a fortnight ago.
“Following the incident, I’ve been speaking with colleagues and customers about how we can help shoppers with autism or disabilities," said Lea in a statement.
"It’s all about helping people really."
"I suffered for many years with anxiety and I used to absolutely hate going into busy stores. If we can make a few small changes to give these customers a better shopping experience and make them comfortable then I know the store will be a better place to shop for everyone.”
“When we open the doors you will be able to hear a pin drop. That’s the plan,” Lea told the Manchester Evening News.
A spokesperson for Asda told Mashable that it will be monitoring feedback from the trial to see if it can be rolled out to other stores.
Local autism groups and families will be able to try out the 'quiet hour' on Saturday, May 7 at 8am.
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Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
