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Starting Friday, Walmart customers might notice things are little less noisy than usual during a morning trip to the store.
The retail giant announced Tuesday that, beginning Nov. 10, all Walmart stores in the U.S. will hold "sensory-friendly" hours from 8-10 a.m. every day, during which the overhead radio will be turned off, lights will be dimmed where possible and all televisions will hold a still image to make the environment less stimulating.
Customers shop at a Walmart store May 18, 2023, in Chicago. After testing sensory-friendly hours in stores earlier this year, Walmart has decided to make them a daily occurrence. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Walmart tested the concept of creating a quieter shopping experience in a pilot program earlier this year as part of an initiative to make stores more inclusive for customers with sensory disabilities such as autism.
In a trial run during the back-to-school season, the retailer held the sensory-friendly hours Saturday morning. Following overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees, the company has decided to hold the quiet hours every day and to make the move permanent.
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"From face-to-face conversations, emails, listening sessions, social media and our personal experiences in the stores, we have seen what these changes mean for our customers and associates," Walmart executives Denise Malloy Deaderick, Cedric Clark and Alvis Washington wrote in a joint blog post announcing the expansion of the quiet hours.
A Walmart store in San Leandro, Calif., Aug. 14, 2023. Walmart will now have daily sensory-friendly hours at all U.S. stores from 8-10 a.m. local time. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 88.24 | +1.05 | +1.20% |
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The blog included messages from Walmart customers and employees hailing the sensory-friendly hours.
"As a mother of a child with autism, thank you very much for recognizing needs, and being sensitive to them. Little things such as lighting, noise, etc., does make a difference," Andrea T., a Walmart customer, wrote.
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"Several associates expressed the desire to continue this program all year," Walmart store manager Tyler Morgan said. "We have associates with autism, ADHD, etc., in the store, and one associate made the comment that this is the first time the company did something just for him. I know we could all use some calm during the stressful holiday season, so I hope this program can continue."
Walmart is launching sensory-friendly hours at stores after a successful pilot run testing the concept. (James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"I have a child on the autism spectrum, so sensory overload is a lived experience in our house," Nuala O'Connor, Walmart senior vice president and chief counsel for digital citizenship, said in a statement. "ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and other forms of neurodiversity are often an invisible disability. It is meaningful to so many families that Walmart is implementing sensory hours."
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In the blog post, the Walmart executives said the company welcomes feedback on how the sensory-friendly measures in stores can be enhanced further.