Asda has announced it will implement 'quiet hours' four days a week at every one of its UK stores.
It will run from 2pm to 3pm on Mondays to Thursdays in a bid to help customers with hidden disabilities.
The supermarket giant, which is one of the six biggest in England, has followed similar initiatives from other supermarkets including Tesco and Morrisons, Birmingham Live reports.
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A number of Asda stores operate across the North East alongside its rivals like Sainsbury's, Lidl, Aldi, as well as M&S, Iceland, Waitrose, and more.
The supermarket will also be sponsoring the annual learning subscription service Purple Tuesday 365.
Mark Simpson, Asda's chief supply chain officer and exec sponsor for disability, said he hopes the quieter times will make stores "more welcoming and inclusive".
He said: "There are an estimated 14.1 million people with a disability living in the UK, and 80 percent of disabilities are hidden, so we hope that by introducing quieter times for customers to shop we will be able to make our stores more welcoming and inclusive for customers with additional needs."
'Quiet' hours have been launched by a raft of high street chains and supermarket giants over recent years.
The aim of such hours - which include dimmed lighting and quieter music, as well as less footfall - is to help customers who may have hidden disabilities cope better while doing their weekly shop.
