Test at Missouri Walmarts Has Now Become a Big Permanent Change

There's a chance that you didn't even notice that something was different at the Missouri Walmart store you were in. But, what began as a test program has now become a very big permanent change and will now be done all the time.

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Walmart just shared a press release recently talking about a pilot program that began during the back-to-school season. It started for just a couple of hours on Saturdays where the store would be noticeably different.

During those two hours, they altered the sights and sounds inside the store creating what they called a "sensory-friendly environment". Here's the statement directly from Walmart about what they're doing moving forward:

We’re excited to share we are bringing back sensory-friendly hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. local time, not only on Saturdays, but every day at all Walmart...with no planned end date.

What is a sensory-friendly Missouri Walmart store?

Walmart said they "changed the TV walls to a static image, turned off the radio and lowered the lights where possible." They said that the feedback they received was "overwhelmingly positive". I saw the comments on their corporate Facebook page from parents of autistic children and those with ADHD who said the reduction in sound and light helped their families shop in a calmer fashion. But, it wasn't just special needs families that seemed to enjoy it which is why it will be a permanent 2 hour time in Missouri Walmart stores from now on.

You can see the full Walmart statement for yourself to see what these now permanent changes involve.