Sainsbury's trials 'slow shopping' concept

Supermarket Sainsbury’s has become the first retailer to trial a new concept called ‘slow shopping’ designed to help the most vulnerable shoppers.

The ‘slow shopping’ concept will be on trial at Sainsbury’s Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne store every Tuesday from 1pm to 3pm and will assist elderly customers and those with disabilities. The concept works by having a Sainsbury’s staff member assist customers with their shopping. In addition, the store will place chairs at the end of the aisles to enable people who struggle to stand all the way round the shop to have a rest, and have two help desks to offer assistance and samples.

The idea was championed by Katherine Vero who lives in Newcastle and used to find it hard to go shopping with her mother who had dementia. Research published by the Alzheimer’s Society has found that eight out of ten of the 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK list shopping as their favourite activity. However, since being diagnosed, one in four have given up shopping.

Vero said: “My mum used to love shopping but as her dementia developed it became increasingly difficult and stressful for us both. But I didn’t want her to stop going out and become isolated. I wondered if there was a way to help us enjoy shopping.

“After she passed away I was inspired to come up with the idea of Slow Shopping and was delighted when Sainsbury’s agreed to help me trial it. I hope other retailers will follow.”

Sainsbury’s also notes that it has invested over 50,000 hours over the past year in training store staff on how to help customers with visible disabilities and non-visible disabilities like autism and that customers can request assistance with their shopping at any customer service desk in any Sainsbury’s store.

Image: courtesy of Sainsbury’s