With several announcements, supermarket customers are prepared for what is coming: calm. Dimmed lights, quiet checkouts and a more peaceful atmosphere are intended to enable autistic and sensitive people to shop more relaxed – even during the busy Advent season. “Silent hour” is the name of the concept that comes from New Zealand and is being practiced in more and more supermarkets in Germany.
Of course it’s not really quiet on this December day in Konstanz’s Edeka Center Baur. “Not everything can be stopped completely,” says Sabine Seibl, managing director of Edeka Baur. A normal supermarket is not designed for something like this. But there is a noticeably quieter atmosphere that has existed in the market every Tuesday since March.
The suggestion for the “Silent Hour” came from a customer with autistic children, says Seibl. “It was only through her that I became aware of the need and need that exists.” That was an insight into a whole new world. “It was inconceivable to me that someone would rather not eat than give in to the stress of shopping,” said the managing director. “Participation” was the magic word that Katrin Zorn used to convince her.
Zorn herself is grateful and at the same time can’t quite believe that she was able to win over the market for the idea. Her children are thrilled, says the mother. “We had years when our daughter only ate rice – morning, lunch and evening. It would have been helpful to take her to the supermarket to show what was available.” Because of the overstimulation, it was not possible to go to a normal supermarket with her at the time.
“People on the autism spectrum often find the bright lights in supermarkets painful in their eyes,” says Zorn, who is also the chairwoman of the autism network in the Lake Constance city. “Noises are sometimes perceived much more clearly.” The reduced size of the “Silent Hour” makes a lot of things easier. Shopping is an important everyday skill for autistic people because it means living independently.
More and more markets in Germany are catering to the needs of autistic and sensitive customers with “Silent Hours”. The initiatives are scattered across the country, but the offer is not yet comprehensive.
Rewe, for example, said that they have great understanding for customers who want things to be a little quieter. “The volume of the music can therefore be regulated individually in each store without being tied to specific shopping times,” said a spokesman. The volume of the cash register signal cannot be regulated. Other chains were also somewhat cautious.
“The demand and popularity of customers will determine whether such an offer will become established nationwide,” explains Stefan Genth, general manager of the German Trade Association. The feedback has been good so far, which is why the offering has grown.
“It doesn’t work through coercion,” says Fabian Diekmann from the German Autism Association. The initiative must come from the supermarkets themselves. “More and more markets are participating.” The association does not know exactly how many there are nationwide.
Offers like the “Silent Hours” sometimes occur regularly, sometimes on specific occasions. Shopping is particularly stressful in the run-up to Christmas. Everywhere is busier and louder than usual. Dimming the lights and turning off the music doesn’t cost the supermarkets anything. But it helps people. “It’s rarely that easy to get points on your karma account.”
The ability to go shopping without having to worry about sensory overload is particularly important for autistic people. “Otherwise you run the risk of drifting into isolation and loneliness.”
According to the association, autism is a complex and diverse neurodevelopmental disorder. There are no statistics about the frequency in Germany. However, it is assumed that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are affected, explains Diekmann. “Not everyone is diagnosed.”
The reaction from customers on Lake Constance has been almost entirely positive, says Seibl. Only a small proportion complained about the dimmed lights. “That you can no longer see the price labels so clearly.” But the background music is not missed.
The effort for the two “quiet hours” from 3 p.m. is limited, adds center manager Marko Peic. Because the market is large, people go from corner to corner to turn off the light switches. “It takes a good 20 minutes – if you’re quick.” The lighting is not centralized. “A total of 16 fuses have to be taken in and out.”
Before the initiative started in Konstanz, there were a number of attempts, says Seibl. The tests took place during ongoing operations. “One time a customer shouted ‘Help! Attack!” because it was getting dark,” reports Seibl.
There is no dimmer. The effect works with a few lights switched off. “The wine and spirits department initially had almost a bar atmosphere, which encouraged some people to do something that we didn’t really want.” Poor lighting is an invitation to walk past the checkout. “Spots on the shelves and at the checkout helped.”
