Supermarket Eases Stress For Elderly

31st August 2016

Our elderly customers welcome this news

There’s been a news story out this week that Sainsbury’s is trailing a ‘slow shopping afternoon’ in its Gosforth store in Newcastle. What do you think to that?

We love the idea. We work with elderly people day in, day out and understand how distressing venturing outside can be for them – particularly to busy or crowded places. Offering some respite with the supermarket shop seems like a forward-thinking concept to us.

What does this mean for the elderly?

The idea is that between 1-3pm every Tuesday, a member of staff from the Sainsbury’s store will be on hand during this time to assist the elderly person with their shopping. They are encouraged to take their time and not feel pressured or rushed. For those who struggle to stand for periods of time will find chairs at the end of the aisles where they can rest throughout.

We find this refreshing as we often hear from our customers how they find shopping stressful, tiring and hard work. But at the same time, we know that many want to maintain their independence, and doing the weekly shop is one occasion that they enjoy. Sainsbury’s has always been a pioneer in catering to the elderly market – all staff are well trained in dealing with people with disabilities or the aged.  We hope to see this kind of service expand, not only across Sainsbury’s but other supermarkets and department stores.

So what are your thoughts – is this something you ‘d like to see in your local store? Do you have an elderly family member that would benefit from this? We have a Facebook page, why not join us in this discussion there?