'Quiet hour’ shopping to become weekly fixture

Saturday 06 January 2018

Islanders living with autism will now be able to shop during a ‘quiet hour' every Monday following the success of an initiative trialled in October with Autism Jersey.

Starting this Monday, the special hour will take place from 15:00 to 16:00 weekly.

Grand Marché in St Helier and St Peter took up the charity's offer to become friendlier environment to those with autism and, following feedback to the charity from those who participated, the two shops have decided to make ‘quiet hour’ a permanent feature.

During the hour, the Grand Marché stores in St Helier and St Peter will dim the lights, turn off the music, avoid tannoy announcements, and the bleeps of tills will be turned to the lowest setting. A number of staff who have undergone autism awareness training will also be available to help improve the shopping experience for those on the autism spectrum.

Shoppers who participated in the trial in October said that their shopping experience was much calmer during the dedicated hour. It is estimated that 1,000 people have autism in Jersey.

Rebecca Martin, a mum of two, said the trial was the first time that she was able to visit the St Helier store. Both Rebecca and her son have autism, and she said the visit was "like heaven." They were able to shop without feeling anxious, Rebecca didn't forget what she had come in for, and her son didn't have difficulties during the shopping trip.

Pictured: One mother praised the special hour as "like heaven".

Paul Sullivan, Autism Jersey Chief Operations Officer, commented: "We were delighted to work with the Co-op in October and we welcome the move to make this a regular feature. It just goes to show how some small changes can make a big difference to people with autism. An awareness and understanding of autism goes a long way to helping the people that we support on a daily basis. I hope other retailers will learn from the Co-op's fine example of responding to the needs and wishes of customers."

Colin Macleod, Chief Executive Officer of The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, added: "The Co-op is at the heart of our community and part of this involves us being aware and mindful of our customers’ diverse needs. When we were approached by Autism Jersey we thought that ‘quiet hour’ sounded like a fantastic initiative. If you consider the hustle and bustle of a busy retail store, you can appreciate how this could potentially be overwhelming to some people.

"Having seen the significant benefits of a lower key shopping experience to those with autism, it makes perfect sense to make this a weekly offering at Grand Marché stores. Staff have been very receptive to the ‘quiet hour’ idea and a number of colleagues have volunteered to undertake training so they can provide an extra level of support to customers and members. We have invested heavily to ensure our stores offer mobility scooters, on shelf magnifiers and hearing loops. In 2017 we also bought specialist trollies to be used by children with additional needs. This creates a shopping experience that is welcoming for all of our members and customers."