At a glance: Quiet Hour in Lobeda
- Location: REWE-Markt, Jena Lobeda-Ost
- Concept: Sensory-friendly shopping (“Quiet Hour”)
- Measures: Dimmed lights, switched-off radio music, no flickering screens
- Target group: People with autism, ADHD, migraines, or high sensitivity
- Background: First-time implementation in Jena’s food retail sector
Jena-Lobeda. Weekly shopping is part of everyday life for most people, but for some, the walk through the aisles becomes an ordeal. Bright neon lights, constant background music, announcements, and flashing advertising screens create a sensory backdrop that not everyone can process. In Jena-Lobeda, a first supermarket is now countering this trend: The REWE-Markt in Lobeda-Ost is introducing the so-called “Quiet Hour,” setting an important signal for inclusion in retail.
Quiet instead of sensory overload
The concept is as simple as it is effective: During a specified period, artificial stress factors in the store are reduced to a minimum. Specifically, for customers in Lobeda-Ost, this means that the typical “department store music” falls silent and announcements are largely avoided. Visual relaxation is also provided by dimming the lighting and turning off flickering screens.
What might only be perceived as pleasant silence by the average customer is often the prerequisite for people with neurological differences to be able to participate independently in social life at all. Those affected often report that the usual density of stimuli in modern supermarkets leads to massive stress, panic attacks, or complete exhaustion.
Background: Why the Quiet Hour is necessary
Modern supermarkets are often psychologically optimized: Music and light are actually intended to encourage purchasing and create a feel-good atmosphere. However, for people on the autism spectrum, individuals with ADHD, epilepsy, migraines, or general high sensitivity, this environment has the opposite effect. The brains of those affected cannot filter the multitude of impressions hitting them. The result is sensory overload.
The introduction of the Quiet Hour is not an entirely new phenomenon in the Saalestadt, but it is a premiere in the local food retail sector. The city of Jena had already tested the concept of stimulus reduction at major municipal events. For example, at the Altstadtfest and the Jenaer Weihnachtsmarkt, there were time windows in which rides and stalls dispensed with music and bright light effects to enable sensitive visitors to have an experience as well.
A model for all of Jena?
The fact that a major provider in one of the most populous districts is now following suit with the market in Lobeda-Ost could have a signal effect. Lobeda is characterized by a diverse population structure, and accessibility means not only the absence of steps but also the removal of invisible barriers in the mind and the environment.
It remains to be seen how the offer will be received by customers and whether other retailers in the city center or in Jena-Nord will follow this example. In other countries, such as New Zealand or Great Britain, the “Quiet Hour” has been part of the standard repertoire of large supermarket chains for years. With the initiative in Lobeda, this more inclusive approach to shopping is now also arriving in the everyday lives of many Jena residents.
For customers, this means: Those who prefer it quieter can now complete their shopping in Lobeda-Ost more relaxedly – without the otherwise omnipresent constant background noise.
Source:
Stille Stunde – Supermarkt testet reizreduziertes Einkaufen
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.