About five years ago, Ottawa retailer NU Grocery implemented sensory-sensitive shopping hours, following a request from a customer. Now, co-owner Valerie Leloup says she hopes other grocery stores and businesses will help the initiative catch on.
NU Grocery, a zero-waste grocery store on Main Street, began offering sensory-sensitive shopping experiences at its first location, which was located on Wellington Street West.
“At that time, we had a refill wall and a customer came to us and said she had a hard time seeing the refill spigots. She had a visual impairment and because they were white spigots on white tile, she couldn’t see,” Leloup told OBJ. “She wondered if there was any way we could add some contrast and we said, ‘Yes, of course.’
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“We got chatting with her to see what we could do and she told us there were some stores — at that time, not many, truth be told — that offer sensory-sensitive hours,” said Leloup. “We thought it was a really cool concept, we talked about it and thought it was easy to implement, we could do it right away, so we basically made the decision overnight.”
Sensory-friendly options make shopping easier for people with disabilities who can be sensitive to busy or overwhelming environments.
At NU Grocery, implementing sensory-friendly hours began with dimmed lights and homemade black construction-paper squares to place behind the spigots and create more contrast.
Now, at NU’s primary location on Main Street, sensory-sensitive shopping is offered every weekday from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. and features dimmed lighting and a quiet atmosphere with no music. A newly designed refill wall was built to be high contrast for more visual inclusion, Leloup said.
Immediately, Leloup said the sensory-friendly hours received a “great response” from customers.
“I think the interesting thing is that these hours benefit, of course, people who have sensitivities, but they’re also very beneficial for people who don’t,” she said. “They still enjoy the calm, they still enjoy shopping in a zen store where there’s no music blaring in their ears, it’s not as bright and aggressive.
“We feel that the people who take advantage of these hours are not necessarily people who have some diagnosed special needs, but also people who just enjoy the calm atmosphere,” Leloup continued. “It’s a win for everyone.”
Sylvain Charlebois, professor and senior director of the agri-food analytics lab at Dalhousie University, said consumers are increasingly seeking sensory-sensitive options, whether for dining, retail or grocery shopping.
“For most, visiting public spaces like grocery stores or restaurants is a routine experience,” Charlebois wrote in a newsletter published July 15. “While some people seek out intense sensory experiences, with loud music and vibrant lights, for others — such as parents of autistic children, seniors yearning for tranquility while engaging with their community, or anyone desiring a serene environment for daily tasks — the world can seem distinctly unwelcoming.”
The loud music and flashing TV screens, not to mention interactive elements or vibrant displays, are intended to draw in consumers but have instead created a “barrage of sensory input,” said Charlebois.
“While these efforts aim to make customers feel valued and connected, the sheer volume of sensory input can sometimes have the opposite effect, inducing fatigue and decision paralysis,” explained Charlebois. “Consequently, the very strategies designed to build loyalty and attention can inadvertently alienate some customers.”
For Leloup, feedback on the sensory-friendly hours has been nothing but positive.
“We have people telling us they really enjoy these hours and it’s easy to implement, it’s just dimming the lights, not putting music on, and speaking quietly,” she said. “The only downside I’d say is that because the lights are dimmed, sometimes people walk by and say they think we’re closed.
“We’ve had that confusion sometimes. But that’s truly the only downside and it’s only for two hours.”
When NU Grocery started offering these hours, Leloup said there weren’t many others in Ottawa who were making sensory-friendly decisions. But after the past few years, which have included a growing conversation around inclusion, she said she hopes it will gain momentum.
“I think more and more people are aware of the need to accommodate and to be more inclusive,” Leloup said. “I think, yes, absolutely it should catch on and I think it will.”
In recent weeks, large corporations in Canada have been announcing sensory-friendly experiences and options.
At Walmart Canada, the sensory-friendly experience, launched earlier this month, will come into effect every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at its 403 stores. Toy chain Mastermind, grocer Sobeys and movie theatre chain Cineplex have also been dabbling in the practice.
Sobeys addressed many of these issues when it piloted sensory-friendly shopping hours in P.E.I. in 2018 that featured reduced lighting, announcements, department noise and scanner sounds, spokesperson Karen White-Boswell said.
The program has now expanded across the country and includes some stores under the Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods, and FreshCo banners.
Walmart Canada’s decision to launch sensory-friendly hours evolved over the past year. In early 2023, the chain started taking measures at its U.S. stores to create a less stimulating environment for a couple of hours each Saturday. By back-to-school season, TV screens were being changed to static images, the radio was turned off and lights were lowered, where possible.
Then, in November, Walmart took the experience even further, launching it every day between 8 and 10 a.m. local time at all U.S. and Puerto Rico stores.
To prepare Walmart Canada to join the mix, Lina Nadar, Walmart Canada’s accessibility program manager, said the company consulted with Sensory Friendly Solutions, a business helping organizations become more inclusive.
“They humbled us into making us realize this is a journey and we’re just starting,” said Nadar.
When Cineplex started offering a similar experience at 12 theatres in February 2015, it also had to consider the brightness in auditoriums. Spokeswoman Michelle Saba said sensory-friendly screenings are now held up to 10 times a year at 36 theatres with a “lights up/volume down” atmosphere.
The screenings are programmed for the morning, when fewer guests are around and noises from arcade games in the lobby can be minimized. A separate auditorium is designated as a quiet area for guests, if they need a break from their screening.
– With files from The Canadian Press
