Lidl to introduce autism awareness quiet evenings in all 194 stores

Expect to see this in all stores from May.

Lidl has announced it will implement Autism Aware Quiet Evenings in all 194 stores in Ireland from April 2 to mark World Autism Day. The supermarket chain announced the news today that they will be rolling out the initiative after the success of last year’s trial which was widely praised by customers. Lidl stores will be amended to facilitate the new evenings with all changes expected to be completed by May. The Autism Aware Quiet Evenings will run every Tuesday between 6pm and 8pm and will feature:

• Reduced lighting,
• No in-store announcements,
• No music,
• Priority queueing for customers dealing with autism as well as extra assistance upon request,
• Till scan sounds lowered,
• And autism assistance dogs always welcome.

Lidl has also created an in-store map for children to plan and organise their shopping trips to lessen the stress. “Public spaces can be overwhelming for anyone with autism. "We would like to support our customers who are struggling to manage tasks such as the weekly shop, by providing a calmer environment and the security of knowing that additional assistance is available if necessary,” says the head of corporate social responsibility for Lidl Ireland, Deirdre Ryan.