Trying to get your makeup or skincare staples can lead to squeezing through packed aisles of inconsiderate shoppers, music blasting overhead and perfume attacking your nose. It's a classic, chaotic scene at many beauty stores, but now Sephora is trying to change that.
The beauty retailer is the latest in a line of stores to offer sensory-friendly hours for shoppers, but what does that mean?
Last month, Sephora globally launched what they're calling, “Quiet Hours," which they described in a news release as "an inclusive initiative aimed at anyone who enjoys a more peaceful and calmer shopping environment."
This means stores will "turn down the music and adjust screens to create a calmer atmosphere with fewer distractions" at specified times across
locations.
Other retails, like Walmart, Target and even Chuck E. Cheese, have also begun offering hours that reducesensory triggers.
Bonnie Mitchell, a doctor of behavioral health and clinical director at The Mental Health and Stabilization Center of Sacramento, told USA TODAY these hours can be helpful for a range of people, including neurodivergent shoppers and those who just prefer a less overwhelming experience.
Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that encompasses the diverse makeup of neural processing, as it manifests differently for everyone. While not an official medical term, some use it to describe a range of learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and more, according to Cleveland Clinic.
It can include sensitivities to fluorescent or flickering lights, background music, announcements, crowded chatter, strong-smelling foods, perfume, cleaning product smells, unexpected touch in tight aisles or flashing displays and signage, according to True Progress Therapy.
"(Stores are) coming to understand that there is a huge untapped market with people that struggle with becoming overwhelmed with sights, sounds, smells, all of the above... they are toning down the music, toning down the lights so they're not as harsh," Mitchell said.
For example, these hours can be a "huge game changer" for parents with children who struggle with loud environments, Mitchell says, or even someone like herself who is "highly sensitive to smells."
Sephora says its sensory-friendly hours are the first hour of business on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but to check your specific store location for details.
A win-win for stores and shoppers
While Mitchell thinks greater awareness about neurodiversity is part of why stores are adopting these hours, it may also be a good business move.
Some data suggests these hours are a win-win for companies and consumers, too, she said. For example, one survey found a majority of shoppers say an enjoyable in-store atmosphere plays a key factor in opting to make purchases in-store vs. online.
People may be "more readily available to walk through and take their time, versus 'I need to get in and get out because I'm overwhelmed,'" she explained.
With this in mind, she wonders if sensory-friendly will become the new normal.
"It'll be interesting to see what the future holds," she said. "If, instead of doing hours, they actually just go back to toning everything down."
Christine Hemphill of Open Inclusion, one of the groups that Sephora consulted with, thinks quiet hours are the “future of retail.”
“By listening directly to neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive beauty customers" the retailer helped create an environment that is "more welcoming, accessible and comfortable for many people," Hemphill said in the release.
How to cope without sensory friendly hours
If sensory friendly hours aren't available at the stores you frequent, there are still ways to prepare for a potentially overwhelming shopping experience, Mitchell says.
First, plan ahead, she advises. Knowing what the store has, where it's located and having an idea of how long it will take to complete a shopping trip can give someone "much better control" over themselves and the whole experience," Mitchell said. Finding a place nearby where you can sit and calm yourself if needed can also be helpful.
You can also use a buddy system. If you're feeling overwhelmed, for example, ask a friend to go in for you, Mitchell suggested.
Or contact the store ahead of time to hold an item for you at the front. That way, "all you have to do is go in, purchase it and leave," she explained.
Contributing: Drew Pittock, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sensory-friendly hours are becoming mainstream. Who are they for?
