Sainsbury’s supermarkets are rolling out a scheme designed to enhance the shopping experience for people with hidden disabilities. Shoppers will be able to pick up a sunflower lanyard at participating Sainsbury’s stores, which will act as a discreet sign to alert staff to customers who may need additional help whilst shopping.
The lanyards are free, and customers can keep them to wear each time they shop at the store. Launched initially in Sainsbury’s Barnstaple and rolling out to more stores this month, the scheme helps people with ‘hidden’ disabilities such as autism, dementia, visual or hearing impairment.
Staff will be happy to provide extra support such as opening a new checkout lane, assisting with finding shopping items or simply giving customers more time at the checkout.
Sainsbury’s is the first supermarket to test the initiative, following Gatwick Airport’s successful launch, in which over 10,000 lanyards have been collected to date. By using the same sunflower lanyards as the airport, Sainsbury’s hopes to encourage other retailers to follow suit, meaning customers have the option to wear their lanyard in shops across the UK.
Tim Fallowfield, Company Secretary & Corporate Services Director for Sainsbury’s, said: “We want to be the most inclusive retailer and we understand that a busy supermarket environment can present challenges for some of our customers. As the first retailer to offer this service, this initiative is just one example of the steps we are taking to give our customers the best possible experience.”
Although stores in Sheffield have not been included yet, if successful the scheme will be extended nationwide. You can read more about it here.
