St George’s Shopping Centre to introduce ‘quiet hour’ during weekdays

The Friargate entrance to the shopping centre Pic: Blog Preston

St George’s Shopping Centre is to introduce a “quiet hour” once a day.

It has been announced that there will be a one hour slot between 10am and 11am where there will be no music played over the speakers.

The lights will also be put onto a low setting so it won’t be as bright in there as usual in the shopping centre in Preston city centre.

The “quiet hour” is available for anyone who would like to shop in a quieter and less bright shopping centre.

A spokesperson for St George’s said: “One in five people, or 20% of the population in the UK have a disability. St George’s is a place where Everyone’s Welcome, but we understand that our stores – with the loud noises, bright lights and volume of people – can be stressful for some of our customers.

“Several of our shoppers have different ranges of disabilities including hidden disabilities. We thought it would be a good idea to introduce this hour to help these customers feel more relaxed and welcome within the centre.

“The new ‘Quiet Hour’ in our stores will last between 10am-11am every weekday and will see reduced noise levels in our stores and around the mall to make visits more accessible for customers with additional needs. We will also be lowering all the lights during this hour to also help make the experience a better one for those with access needs.”

They added: “People can feel, see and experience the world differently, and for our customers with Autism, the shopping experience may sometimes feel a bit overwhelming.

“A calmer environment can also be better for our elderly customers, one’s shopping with young children, or our customers who may be struggling with mental health.”

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