Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, is taking a significant step towards inclusivity by announcing daily "sensory-friendly" shopping hours in all its stores across the country.
The initiative, set to be implemented on November 10, aims to provide a more comfortable shopping experience for neurodiverse individuals with sensory disabilities, including customers and employees, as per 9News.
Walmart's Inclusive Sensory-Friendly Shopping
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 18: Customers shop at a Walmart store on May 18, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Walmart, the world's largest retailer, today reported first-quarter same-store sales growth that beat expectations and the company raised its full-year forecast.
This move follows a successful pilot program conducted during the back-to-school season, where Walmart tested sensory-friendly hours on Saturday mornings. During these hours, stores made several adjustments, such as setting TV walls to static images, turning off radios, and lowering lights where possible.
The feedback from this pilot program was overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the positive impact of these changes on the shopping experience for individuals with sensory disabilities.
Walmart's decision to expand these sensory-friendly hours to every day of the week reflects a growing trend among retailers and entertainment venues. They are increasingly recognizing the diverse needs of their customers and taking steps to create more inclusive environments. Movie theaters, restaurants, and retailers like Walmart are trying to accommodate these needs.
Burt Flickinger, a retail expert and the managing director of retail consultancy Strategic Resource Group, acknowledges the significance of this move by Walmart. He points out that, especially in the competitive retail landscape, these changes can not only foster goodwill with shoppers but also attract more customers and encourage them to spend more time shopping in Walmart stores.
During the pandemic, Walmart also introduced special morning shopping hours for older, vulnerable consumers, demonstrating its commitment to serving a broad range of customer needs, according to CNN.
Strategically Timed Sensory-Friendly Hours at Walmart
The selected time slot for the sensory-friendly hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time, is strategically chosen to cater to individuals with special requirements. This period is typically less busy than other times of the day, making it more comfortable for those who may find crowded stores overwhelming. Flickinger notes that the busiest times in Walmart stores tend to be from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., after school, during the evening rush hour, and on Sunday nights.
While this inclusive initiative will initially roll out in Walmart locations and not at Sam's Club warehouse locations, it reflects the company's dedication to enhancing the in-store experience for a broader customer base.
Walmart is one of many retailers embracing inclusivity. Its competitor, Target, offers an exclusive line of sensory-friendly children's home decor and furnishings. This demonstrates that creating a more inclusive shopping experience is a trend that extends beyond Walmart and is becoming increasingly prevalent in the retail industry.
Victoria's Secret, a prominent mainstream brand, announced in October that it would sell intimate apparel designed to meet the needs of women with disabilities. This intimate apparel features adaptive features such as magnetic closures and sensory-friendly fabric, showcasing how mainstream brands are also recognizing and catering to differently-abled consumers.
In addition to its commitment to inclusivity, Walmart has recently relaunched 117 stores in 30 states, including Massachusetts, with multi-billion dollar upgrades. These upgraded stores offer a range of improvements, including adding "dollar shops" within them, larger pharmacy areas with private screening rooms, more checkout lines, and grab-and-go food and drink offerings, CBS News reported.
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