Over 20,000 hours of shopping in silence: BILLA has been supporting people with autism for more than four years

World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 draws global attention to the realities of life for people on the autism spectrum. The focus is on how inclusion can be achieved in everyday life. With the “Quiet Hour,” BILLA is sending a clear signal for greater accessibility in everyday shopping—because bright lights, store announcements, the beeping at the checkout, and crowded aisles pose a major challenge for many people on the autism spectrum. For this reason, the grocery retailer introduced the “Quiet Hour” at the end of 2021 to specifically reduce acoustic and visual stimuli in its stores during this time. Over the years, more and more stores have joined the initiative. Since the initiative began, more than 20,000 “Quiet Hours” have been implemented—equivalent to over 800 days during which BILLA has provided a low-stimulus shopping environment. Currently, 50 BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores are participating in the initiative. Additionally, starting April 13, the “Quiet Hour” will take place Monday through Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the BILLA store located at Wienerstraße 67/Oskar-Helmer-Straße in Traiskirchen.

Kai Pataky, BILLA Executive Board Member for Sales: “As the BILLA family, our approach is to ensure that everyone has a pleasant shopping experience in our stores. That is why it is very important to us to raise awareness on World Autism Awareness Day and highlight the ‘Quiet Hour,’ which is already taking place in 50 BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores. Thanks to the tremendous dedication of our employees, projects like this can be implemented so successfully. We continue to work closely with certified autism organizations to achieve this.”

For customers with autism: Reducing auditory and visual stimuli

As part of the initiative, BILLA teams at participating stores receive specialized training from certified autism organizations to raise awareness of the needs of customers with autism. During these sessions, specific challenges are discussed, and appropriate measures are developed collaboratively. During the “Quiet Hour,” radio broadcasts, advertisements, and in-store announcements are turned off to create a calmer shopping atmosphere. Delicatessen orders are placed on the counter instead of being handed over directly to reduce personal contact. The pace at the registers is adjusted so that customers have enough time to pack their groceries. The “Quiet Hour” takes place in select stores from Monday through Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. The specific time is determined individually based on the location. All participating stores can be found at: billa.at/nachhaltigkeit/fuer-uns-alle/inklusion