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Tesco introduces permanent quiet hours to make shopping in stores less ‘overwhelming’
The supermarket retailer says the introduction of the quiet hours aims to improve accessibility for some customers.
Emily Sergeant -
28th October 2021 
Tesco has announced that it is introducing permanent quiet hours in all of its larger stores across the UK.
Following a trial period at selected branches, the supermarket retailer has now confirmed that the fixture is here to stay, and that every Wednesday and Saturday between the hours of 9am and 10am, stores will be dimming their lights and lowering checkouts noise.
The introduction of the quiet hours aims to improve accessibility for some customers.
Announcing the introduction of quiet hours, the retailer said in a statement: “Tesco is a place where everyone’s welcome, but we understand that our stores – with the loud noises, bright lights or strong smells, and volume of people – can be stressful for some of our customers.
“People can feel, see and experience the world differently, and for our customers with Autism, the shopping experience may sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.
“A calmer environment can also be better for our elderly customers, ones shopping with young children, or our customers who may be struggling with mental health.”
The supermarket – which has around 3,400 stores in the UK – says it will look to reduce the noise of its self-service tills and Scan As You Shop devices in the future too.
The quiet hour scheme is currently used in larger Tesco stores.
Claire Pickthall – Group Customer Proposition Director – added: “We know that almost 20% of the population in the UK have a disability and we want to be able to help our customers as much as we can.
“For some people, the shopping trip can be stressful.
“Not just for people with a disability, but for others looking for a calmer place to shop [too, and] we want everyone to know that Tesco is a welcome place for all.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
