Tesco is set to launch a permanent “quiet hour” across its UK stores to support customers with a learning disability. 

The Big 4 grocer will be dimming the lights and softening the noise from checkouts in its large stores from 9am to 10am every Wednesday and Saturday.  

It also announced plans to reduce the volume of tills and scan-as-you-shop services.  

Acknowledging that “loud noises, bright lights or strong smells” could be stressful for disabled customers, Tesco said that it aimed to make shopping a more enjoyable experience. 

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It added that the quiet hour would also be calmer for the elderly and parents with young children to shop around the store.  

“We know that almost 20 per cent of the population in the UK have a disability and we want to be able to help our customers as much as we can,” Tesco group proposition director Claire Pickthall said. 

“I know that for some people the shopping trip can be stressful and not just for people with a disability but for others looking for a calmer place to shop. 

“We are taking another step in being a more inclusive business by introducing quiet hour across all our stores.” 

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