Morrisons is to introduce a quieter hour for customers who would benefit from a calmer shopping trip.

Designed to help customers who currently struggle with music and the other noise associated with supermarket shopping, it will take place every Saturday at stores across Essex from 9am to 10am.

The Quieter Hour initiative has been created with the support of the National Autistic Society. Many people who are autistic or those with autistic children can find shopping in a supermarket an anxious experience.

So Morrisons carried out a trial earlier in the year in three of its stores to find out what improvements can be made and to find a convenient time each week for the ‘Quieter Hour’ to take place.

Listening to customers they found one in five had a friend or family member with autism and many appreciated the option to shop at that time on a Saturday.

During Quieter Hours the store will:

Dim the lights

Turn music and radio off

Avoid making tannoy announcements

Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets

Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down

Place a poster outside to tell customers it’s Quieter Hour.

Morrisons will also work to improve awareness amongst colleagues of the issues autistic customers face in store.

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

Liam Clarke at Morrisons, Hilton Road, Canvey, said: “Our initial trials showed there is a need for a quieter shopping experience. We hope that these changes make a real difference for some of our customers at our store.”

The new Quieter Hours will take place at the stores in:

Braintree Road, Witham

Limebrook Way, Maldon

Cooperfield Road, Chelmsford

Western Approaches, Southend

London Road, Hadleigh

Hilton Road, Canvey

Northwick Road, Canvey

St John's Way, Corringham

Waterglade Retail Park, Clacton