Lidl is to bring in 'Autism Aware Quiet Evenings' across its entire network of 194 stores in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. They will begin the initiative from April 2, World Autism Day, and expect to have held it in all their stores by the end of May. Their shops will be set up to have a number of sensory changes which will classify each store as being autism aware every Tuesday between 6pm and 8pm. Deirdre Ryan, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for Lidl Ireland, said: "Public spaces can be overwhelming for anyone with autism, we would like to support our customers who are struggling to manage tasks such as the weekly shop, by providing a calmer environment and the security of knowing that additional assistance us available if necessary." The retailer trialled the initiative last year and got very positive feedback from customers.

Source: Evening echo March 20, 2018 12:22 UTC