Saturday Autism Hour at The Octagon Shopping Centre becomes a permanent feature!

Earlier in the month The Entertainer within The Octagon Shopping Centre launched a quiet hour to provide shoppers with a more autism-friendly experience. The initiative that started on the 12th February ran between Monday - Friday for two weeks, aiming to create a calmer less daunting environment for shoppers with Autsim during the first hour of opening each day.

In addition, the centre itself also supported the campaign by following their example in turning down the centre's music until 10:00am over the same two week period.

Store Manager Jo Griffiths commented, "We've been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from our customers. Due to the huge success of our Quiet Hour during the February Half Term, we are very pleased to announce that this is something The Entertainer are going to be rolling out on a permanent basis each Saturday".

Starting this Saturday (3rd March) for the first hour of trade The Entertainer will again be turning off the store music and all loud demo toys to continue to provide an experience that is more comfortable and enjoyable for people with autism.

Peter Hardingham, Cushman & Wakefield General Manager of The Octagon commented "This is a fantastic example of how retailers can offer shoppers a better experience that is not only tailored to customers needs, but also supports autistic people and their families.

We always strive to make our centre a happy place for people to visit and will continue to support the quiet hour by turning off the centre's music until 10:00am each Saturday.