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The IKEA store in Mons, Belgium, is introducing two weekly “quiet hours” to provide a calmer environment for people who are sensitive to noise or sensory stimuli. The initiative may be rolled out to all Belgian stores.
Music off
Every Friday between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., the IKEA store in Mons will now keep things quiet: the music is turned off, announcements are limited to what is strictly necessary—such as a fire alarm—and no noisy logistics activities take place in the aisles. Otherwise, the store operates as usual.
With this initiative, IKEA is addressing a real challenge: an increasing number of people, particularly young adults under 30, are hypersensitive to noise. This hypersensitivity is often linked to neurodiversity, such as autism spectrum disorders, which affect approximately 1 in 100 people in Belgium. 64% of people with autism say they avoid stores because of the sensory overload they can cause.
Trial Period
“Thanks to the quiet hours, we want to make a visit to IKEA more accessible for people who are sensitive to noise and stimuli, while also offering all our visitors a quieter moment. It’s a simple project, but it can make a real difference for those who are sensitive in such an environment,” says Thibaut Gilquin, Market Relations at IKEA Mons.
Some IKEA stores in other countries have also already tested the quiet hours. In Italy, where the initiative was first launched in Rome and Milan, the quiet hours are now in effect in all stores across the country. In Belgium, the initiative is first being tested in Mons, from April 3 through August 28. After the trial period ends, the results will determine whether it will be expanded to other stores.
