How Supermarkets Can Be More Accessible & Customer-Friendly

Supermarkets provide a vital service for most of us, selling the essentials we need to live our daily lives, plus useful extras such as pharmacy facilities, homeware and cafes. 

Everyone should be able to access these services easily without obstruction, and most able-bodied people probably have few difficulties with navigating them beyond the usual clutter of trolleys in the aisles and frustrating checkout queues. 

However, disabled people can face a range of barriers that are invisible to others. This is especially true for wheelchair users who visit larger supermarkets over multiple levels, or those that are integrated into larger shopping complexes. 

It is likely that escalators and steps will provide the main links between floors, but these are impossible to navigate in a wheelchair, and also for customers with loaded trolleys or prams and pushchairs. Designers and owners of all buildings with public access in the UK have an obligation to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ under the Equality Act 2010. 

In the case of a large multi-storey retail outlet such as a supermarket, commercial wheelchair lifts should be planned for from the very first stages of the design process rather than added as an afterthought. 

They should be user-friendly and spacious enough to accommodate all types and sizes of chair without the user needing to move position. The lift should have easy to understand controls that can be operated from a seated position. Other features to consider include braille indicators and audible announcements for vision and hearing impaired customers. 

The lifts should be strategically positioned throughout the supermarket so that they are in the most convenient and accessible place for disabled customers. Factors that may influence the location of the lifts include the proximity to entrance and exit points and parking areas, and the overall layout and direction of customer traffic. 

The entrance point of the lift should be free of obstructions and there should be enough space for the wheelchair user to enter and exit the lift while remaining seated in the chair, with no awkward angles or tight turning spaces. These lifts not only benefit wheelchair users, but also customers with mobility scooters, pushchairs, and loaded shopping trolleys. 

The lift should be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure that it is safe and reliable. Out of order lifts send out the message that the supermarket does not care about inclusivity, and it may deter customers from returning. The lifts should be routinely checked for the proper functioning of doors, internal mechanisms, buttons, and emergency communications. 

Cleanliness and hygiene are also important, and can be enhanced with touchless technology. This is particularly important in a supermarket environment where it is imperative to mitigate against the spread of bacteria and viruses. 

By making accessibility a priority, supermarkets can widen their customer base, improve the flow of traffic around the store, and ensure that they are compliant with regulations.