Tesco has announced it will make its "Quiet Hour" a permanent fixture across all its larger stores across Scotland.
The supermarket giant initially launched the scheme as they recognised that some of the loud noises, bright lights, strong smells and volumes of people could be overwhelming for some customers with Autism.
The Quiet Hour will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9am - 10am where it will see Scottish stores dim the lights and lower checkout noises.
20 per cent of the population in the UK have a disability and Tesco wants to ensure that their supermarkets remain a place where "everyone's welcome", but they recognise that some customers experience shopping differently.
The scheme will provide a calmer shopping environment for all customers, including elderly customers, those shopping with young children and others that may be struggling with mental health.
Claire Pickthall, Tesco Group Customer Proposition Director said: “We know that almost 20% of the population in the UK have a disability and we want to be able to help our customers as much as we can.
"So I am really proud that at Tesco, we are taking another step in being a more inclusive business by introducing Quiet Hour across all our stores.
"I know that for some people the shopping trip can be stressful and not just for people with a disability but for others looking for a calmer place to shop. We want everyone to know that Tesco is a welcome place for everyone to come and shop or work with us.”
Tesco have also said that, in the future, they will be looking to centrally reduce the noise of self-service tills and Scan As You Shop devices, too.
The permanent Quiet Hour fixture comes after the supermarket initially began trialling the scheme over a six week period back in 2017.
The Quiet Hour will be permanent across all stores across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
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