Sheffield Morrisons launches 'Quieter Hour' for shoppers with autism

Supermarket chain Morrisons has become the latest retailer to launch a quieter hour for shoppers with autism.
Morrisons in Sheffield.Morrisons in Sheffield.
Morrisons in Sheffield.

The firm, which has six stores in and around Sheffield, will turn down the lights in shops, turn both the tannoy and any music off, and mute all sounds of all tills every Saturday from 9am – 10am across all 493 of its stores.

“Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK,” said the National Autistic Society’s Daniel Cadey.

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“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.”

Posters will be placed around stores to make other shoppers aware of “Quieter Hour” and encourage them to reduce noise while they shop.

The move follows similar initiatives in other retailers including Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and The Entertainer while Marks & Spencer launched an autism friendly school uniform range in 2016.