ALDI has made a change to its shopping hours, following in the footsteps of Tesco and Asda.
Many shoppers seem happy about the change but others seem less than impressed.
The discount supermarket is introducing "sensory friendly" shopping hours to some of its shops on a trial basis.
It will see shoppers at around 100 shops offered a quieter shopping experience every Tuesday between 6pm and 8.30pm.
Among the changes being trialled during the two and a half period are stopping tannoy announcements, quieter till scan sounds, and signposting the dedicated times to customers.
The move is designed to help people with autism and anxiety, or who prefer a quieter shopping trip.
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The trial will run from now until the end of October at stores across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Vicky Metcalf, diversity and inclusion director at Aldi, said: “Our new sensory-friendly shopping hours aim to help those who prefer a quieter shopping experience or struggle with noisy environments.
“We are committed to ensuring we are as accessible and inclusive as possible – both for shoppers and colleagues – and we look forward to receiving customer feedback on this trial to help inform our approach on a national level.”
Shoppers have reacted to the news on social media, with many being pleased about the change.
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One wrote: "Sounds good…wish other shops would stop the loud music."
Another said: "Can they just do that all the time? That would be fantastic."
A third posted: "Time that all shops and supermarkets turned down their sound.
"What is it with loud music in stores, talk about sensory overload I can’t hear myself think with so much loud noise."
And a fourth commented: "I love this!"
Some shoppers were less impressed though, with some urging the shop to focus on other areas of the shopping experience.
One said: "Who on earth thinks up this sh**e."
Another wrote: "Aldi is getting too big for it's boots as they say.
"But you better be careful as there are already other businesses out there that will be so glad to accept your unsatisfied customers. Period."
A third shopper commented: "I’ll be avoiding that, why don’t they branch into operating libraries…"
And a fourth said: "I wish Aldi would trail having more than ONE f***ing cashier on at a time. I reckon that would be a huge success."
Others felt the time period wasn't practical for them.
One woman commented: "Why can’t it be morning time? When majority of women do there shopping with younger children.
"I never did my shopping from 6.30pm to 8.30pm because the shelves are empty."
Another posted: "Great….but that’s only handy for adult shoppers not for parents of autistic children who’ll be getting ready for bed at 6.30pm!"
Aldi's move follows the likes of supermarkets like Asda and Tesco in recent years.
Tesco first started the scheme in 2017 with the aim of helping those with autism who can become overwhelmed by loud noises.
Now, the scheme is extended to every one of Tesco's more than 2,000 stores in the UK.
Quiet hours take place on Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 10am.
Meanwhile, early afternoon hours between 2pm and 3pm are "quiet hours" at all of Asda's 630 stores.
The supermarket's quiet hours run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Morrisons introduced quiet hours to all its stores on Sundays between 9am and 10am in October last year after a similar trial.
Lidl has "Autism Aware" quiet evenings on Tuesday from 6pm until 8pm.
While tech retailer Currys also brought in the change earlier this year, introducing a "quiet hour" for shoppers.
For the first hour of the day and until 11am, the electrical retailer reduces noise in-store, keeping lights low and making sure there are no flashing screens to ensure a calmer place to shop.
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