Overview:
,
Woolworths has expanded its low-sensory Quiet Hour to five days a week, designed to reduce anxiety and sensory stress for customers with specific needs.
During Quiet Hour, most Woolworths stores will lower lights, turn down music or radio, turn off beeps at the register and turn off oven buzzers for an hour, every Monday to Friday between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Quiet hour was developed in consultation with disability service provider Life Without Barriers and launched in 2019 one day a week to meet the need in the community for a low-sensory shopping experience. Since then, the initiative has rolled out to over 900 stores across Australia, providing customers with a less stressful shopping experience and increasing their independence.
Woolworths director of stores, Jeanette Fenske said it continues to receive positive feedback from customers on the initiative, as teams ensure stores are quieter and less stressful for customers during this time.
“Quiet Hour is now an integral part of how we aim to assist independence in our stores, in addition to the opportunity provided by Direct to Boot and delivery options for many customers.” The expansion of Quiet Hour to five days a week was trialled over busy shopping periods including Christmas.
Quiet Hour runs from 10:30am – 11:30am every Monday to Friday in most stores nationally. During this hour, temporary changes are made to the store, including:
· Turning off bakery ovens or chicken cooker buzzers
· Reducing volume on store phones and registers on the trading floor
· Clearing store entry ways
· Reducing lighting and in store music
· Removing roll cages from the shop floor
· Stopping all PA announcements (excluding cases of emergencies).