The supermarket’s announcement has received a mix response
Morrisons has unveiled a scheme to support customers with autism, but shoppers say ‘it’s not been thought out’.
The supermarket revealed this week that it will make sensory support boxes available in stores, letting children choose from a range of toys like fidget balls, spinners and squish mats which help encourage calmness and focus.
As part of World Autism Acceptance Month, the Morrisons Foundation has collaborated with the National Autistic Society to introduce the toys in a bid to help autistic and neurodivergent customers ‘have a positive shopping experience’.
But while the scheme has been welcomed as ‘a nice idea’ it’s also been criticised by those who say it ‘simply won’t work’.
Hundreds of people have responded to Morrisons’ social media post about the boxes, with many of them saying it will cause problems when the toys have to be handed back.
“It’s great that you’ve considered this, but not all autistic children have the level of understanding that they would understand why they have to give it back, so this would just result in further upset,” said one. “Maybe just promoting staff training in acceptance and understanding would encourage more families with SEND family members to shop with you.”
Another said: “Fantastic idea Morrisons, but the meltdown that might happen when the item has to be returned sort of ruins it.”
And a third added: “This is a lovely idea but won’t be fun when you have to try and give the toy back – that would cause a meltdown in itself and just not worth it. Plus for most asd children it’s the sensory overload of the lights, noise and busyness of a supermarket that triggers them. Hopefully it’s helpful to some though.”
Morrisons says it has ‘anticipated returning the toys might be challenging in some cases’ and that it’s ‘happy to support families where this happens’.
“We have lots of spares and are working with our suppliers to have the range available to purchase in store, with a portion of sales going to the National Autism Society,” the retailer responded.
Other customers welcomed the scheme though and said customers shouldn’t be so quick to jump on the retailer.
“Obviously people with autistic kids understand that they will find it hard to give the toys back but give them a chance to trial it and make changes rather than just slamming it down,” said one. “On a positive note at least times are progressing to make shopping inclusive for everyone.”
Another added: “This is a great idea! As a mum to a little boy with autism, shopping can be so tough so great to know there is some support if needed.”
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Figures show that more than one in 100 people are autistic and there are 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Routine activities such as the weekly shop can be difficult for neurodivergent people with loud music, bright lights and busy environments contributing to anxiety.
Joseph Clark-Bland, community manager at Morrisons, said: “It’s a priority for us to ensure all Morrisons customers feel welcomed and understood and we’re proud to be leading the way in creating a more inclusive shopping environment for autistic people, their families and all neurodivergent people across the UK.
“World Autism Acceptance Month has been a key moment for Morrisons for many years, as seen with the launch of Quieter Hour in 2018, and we look forward to supporting even more customers via our new sensory boxes.”
Peter Watt, managing director of National Programmes at the National Autistic Society, added: “The Morrisons Foundation Sensory Support Boxes are a brilliant initiative to support autistic and neurodivergent customers while shopping. Supermarkets are a key part of all of our lives, but for many autistic customers they can be a loud, bright and crowded environment, which can be overwhelming especially for those with sensory sensitivities.
“During World Autism Acceptance Month, it’s really important for all businesses and retail spaces to learn more about the changes they can make to be more inclusive and accessible for autistic and neurodivergent people. It’s fantastic to see Morrisons taking the time to understand and create a more welcoming space for autistic people and their families.”
Morrisons has introduced other initiatives to help neurodivergent customers. For example, in 2018 Quieter Hour was rolled out to reduce sensory experiences in store by turning off checkout beeps and dimming lights. These have proved successful with all customers and now run between 2pm and 3pm every week from Monday to Thursday.
The Morrisons Foundation was set up by Morrisons supermarket in 2015 and awards grants for charity projects which help improve people’s lives. Since launching, over £42 million has been donated to hundreds of charities across England, Scotland and Wales.