Silent hour - REWE store Zawisza kicks things off in Waldeck-Frankenberg
The Silent Hour is now also available in Waldeck-Frankenberg. At the beginning of March, the REWE supermarket Zawisza in Bad Arolsen became the first retailer in the district to launch the programme. The Quiet Hour takes place in the REWE store Zawisza every Wednesday from 3 - 4 pm. An initial summary shows: The store was well prepared and the measures were implemented in an exemplary manner. The Deputy District Administrator, First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese, and Bad Arolsen Town Councillor Ludger Brinkmann, representing the mayor of the residential town, were convinced of this at the launch of the offer.
During the quiet hour, stimuli are regularly reduced for a certain period of time when shopping. People with invisible impairments and chronic illnesses in particular benefit from this, as do people who are sensitive to external influences. The quiet hour should take place at least once a week and create a calmer atmosphere. A number of measures can be taken to achieve this, e.g. minimising or completely switching off music and announcements, using checkout tones only minimally, refraining from stocking goods or dimming the lights.
The next providers of the Silent Hour have already been announced: from 14 April, the REWE stores Sperlich in Willingen and Jürgens in Usseln will be taking part, each Tuesday from 3 - 4 pm. On 22 April, Edeka-Markt Schmidt in Sachsenhausen will start the offer, on Wednesdays from 2 - 3 pm. The Quiet Hour offers many advantages for both customers and stores. It primarily serves inclusion, but also creates a more pleasant atmosphere, strengthens customer loyalty and brand image and can open up new customer groups.
The initiators of the Silent Hour in Waldeck-Frankenberg would like to thank the four inclusive and committed markets that are making a start in the district in March and April. We would also like to thank the other supporters: retired Colonel Jürgen Damm, honorary spokesman for the Barrier-Free Living campaign in Bad Arolsen, Reinhold Lohmar as Chairman of the Disability Advisory Council of the municipality of Willingen and Alex Kauk from Authaven e.V., the "port of call" for the autism spectrum in Twistetal. All traders in the district are invited to take part in the Silent Hour. Further information is available from the district's Women and Equal Opportunities Service at alexandra.koeck@lkwafkb.de or by calling 05631 954-1625.
Caption: Pleased about the first offer of the Silent Hour in the district (from left to right): Beate Friedrich, Head of Women's and Equal Opportunities Department, Waldeck-Frankenberg district; retired Colonel Jürgen Damm, Aktion für behinderte Menschen Waldeck-Frankenberg; Bad Arolsen Town Councillor Ludger Brinkmann; Alexandra Köck, Municipal Disability Officer, Waldeck-Frankenberg district; First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese; REWE store manager Michael Zawisza. Photo: District of Waldeck-Frankenberg
Experiences of companies that have already implemented the concept: Many customers not only enjoy the relaxed atmosphere during the quiet hour, they also stay longer, browse more and don't just rush through. It has been shown that the quiet hour not only helps those affected, but also increases the quality of stay for all customers, especially for families with small children or senior citizens. Employees also enjoy the peace and quiet. They find working during the quiet hour more relaxed than usual. Dimming the lights and switching off the music is easy to implement and does not incur any costs for retailers. In a competitive market that often relies on sensory overload, a retailer with a quiet hour stands out positively. This is why the Hesse Retail Association is supporting the initiative to make bricks-and-mortar retail in Hesse more inclusive. The aim is to make it easier or even possible for people with a high sensitivity to sensory stimuli to participate in public life without stress. "Retail sees itself as a place of participation and encounters for all people; inclusion is therefore a natural aspect of everyday business for retailers," says Funda Bakan from the Hesse Retail Association.
Initial summary and recommendations from store manager Michael Zawisza: "I thought the launch was very, very successful. We've had really great feedback. We've noticed a slight increase in footfall. However, I can only say more definitively after three months. The challenge is to get the store as quiet as possible. Recommendation for other stores: Before implementing the quiet hour, good preparation (advertising) and possibly a checklist (inform employees, switch off the music and turn down every till, dim the lights, don't move any goods, etc.) can be helpful."