Dim the lights!

[DK’s_Ghost]

It wont do anything, believe me. Companies like that dont DO things unless one of three conditions exists:

1. They can profit from it somehow

2. They are being pressured by something that can cause damage to their profits if they dont comply

3. Law enforcement is forcing them (situational, not applicable to something like this)

And that's seriously it. Nothing else works.

If you want them to make a change, a mere letter will not only have no effect, but will likely not even be noticed. Believe me, the guys who actually make the decisions aint gonna see it. To them, you're nothing but a walking wallet/purse/money holder. That's why the lights are so bright: They gotta be ABSOLUTELY SURE that the walking money blobs can see all of the many ways in which they can give the store more money. They sure as heck aint bright to help you find your way easier or something.

The only REAL way to make it happen would be to get some large group to advocate for it (which is probably why some of the stores you listed are at least somewhat doing it)... that's about it.

Other than that, there's only 2 things you can do:

1. Go late at night. Before the pandemic I'd often go to the store at like 2 in the morning.

2. Go to a less crowded location.

Not much else that can be done...

I would also add that stores are designed to cause stress, specifically because it leads to people making more purchase decisions and entering a kind of trance state.

It’s just that we react quite differently to all the noise, bright lights, colours and tinned music.

 

[DK’s_Ghost]

If I shop at a familiar store, it's not too bad. But if I go to a store I don't know, a new store, it can be unbearable. I'm not sure why that should be, perhaps it's because I get used to the sight and sound of one store, a new one has new sounds, layout, lighting, smells, etc and they all assault the senses.

Maybe it’s related to the executive function requirements? I find that, in a familiar shop, I know where everything is and know what they do and don’t stock.

Being in an unfamiliar shop increases the amount of decision making and organising I have to do quite significantly. I have to find everything I need. If they don’t have something, I have to recalculate my purchases (no point in buying avocado if there are no nori sheets!). Just working out where they will have put everything is hard enough because no two shops seem to use quite the same logic. Also, you have to spend more time in the hostile sensory environment to do these things - you can’t do them beforehand because you don’t have the required information.

That’s my experience / guess anyway.

 

[Raggamuffin]

Bright lights in shops used to have a real bad effect on me when my anxiety was intense. I'd get tight chest, dizziness etc. It was often too much to handle. Put I pushed through - got what I needed to buy etc. Sometimes I'd rush it. But whenever I went with Kristy I couldn't rush through the shop, which made me feel rather trapped. Then I'd start getting snappy and impatient as I was trying to negotiate walking too slowly, waiting for her to browse every aisle, and trying not to freak out from intense symptoms and large crowds etc.

I like late night shopping. Supermarket is open until midnight. So going at 23:30 is perfect for me. You almost have the entire shop to yourself. That's a calming feeling.

Ed

 

[DK’s_Ghost]

Yes. I like shopping at 6am, or whatever the opening time is, to avoid the people.

 

[Misery]

I would also add that stores are designed to cause stress, specifically because it leads to people making more purchase decisions and entering a kind of trance state.

It’s just that we react quite differently to all the noise, bright lights, colours and tinned music.

Aha... a most excellent point.

Thinking about that, it makes me appreciate smaller stores that arent owned by giant mega-corps. Because they tend not to do that. Like there's this one store I go to nearby, it's a board game store, and it's mostly made of dark wood paneling, and the lights are just enough so that you can get a good look at the things on the shelves, but they're not blasting you in the face the whole time. Also it's quiet.

 

[Aspychata]

Exactly, l start to evaluate stores on distance to me, crowd draw, price, availability of specifics, parking, how annoying is checkout, store layout, how rude store clerks are, finally- sensory overload. Picking a store means l am running all of this thru my head. And each of these have different standings.

Like l will go farther and pay more if it means l don't have to go to 3 stores and don't have to hit a giant box store and park a football stadium away. So each shopping trip is mirrored with different computations depending on my attitude, my shopping needs, weather, number of idiots out, avoidance of paydays and weekends.

Shopping for me is a flow chart process.

 

[Aspychata]

Exactly, l start to evaluate stores on distance to me, crowd draw, price, availability of specifics, parking, how annoying is checkout, store layout, how rude store clerks are, finally- sensory overload. Picking a store means l am running all of this thru my head. And each of these have different standings.

Like l will go farther and pay more if it means l don't have to go to 3 stores and don't have to hit a giant box store and park a football stadium away. So each shopping trip is mirrored with different computations depending on my attitude, my shopping needs, weather, number of idiots out, avoidance of paydays and weekends, and how essential is said item, how much gas my car currently has.

Shopping for me is a flow chart process.☺ Sure that medieval times were easier to live in.

 

[DogzSpirit]

Well for me it is sneaky. Maybe I will have to review how this hits me, sense wise, as I wasn't looking closely, but running like the wind... grab items, go to checkout, escape.

Based on what two others have said; I think that old iPod which has been buried in a box for years, may very well, along with sunglasses, nudge this thing off.

At any rate; I won't be checking that out or in a store for very long/if at all, for a very long time due to this pandemic. That part of the crisis has been good, for all is delivered to our door.

 

[DogzSpirit]

How about an autism nite, they would pass out bubbles and wands to us.

If I had my way, comfort dogs would be in every store. Nothing like a dog to keep you focused and free of any wiring mishaps. When I take my dog with me, I never have any wiring glitch incidents... ever. In fact he will alert me to friends in the vicinity, even when I do not note they are there. He recognizes them or sniffs them out way before I do. If he says this is someone I know then believe him lol... with the exception of those in wheelchairs or other physical disabilities, for he is hyper drawn to them to sit by their side for some reason. Those are all new people. But that is a new topic lol

 

[Suzette]

I do as much online shopping as I can. If I have to shop in person (grocery store)I take a list and hit my route just stopping where I need to. Hubby and I try to shop once a week or even less if we can. I am not sure I could wear sunglasses and ear phones or plugs, I would feel too conspicuous. I also do my grocery shopping in a very small store. It's about the same size as the produce department at Walmart for the entire store.

 

[EditTim]

Last half-hour before closing can be a revelation...
My local Trader Joe's closes at 9pm, so I arrive at 8:30pm. Hardly anyone is there beside the employees, and they are usually in a better mood too since they are almost off work...
My friend/partner isn't an Aspie like I am, but she does have social anxieties that are actually worse than mine, so the last half-hour of operating hours, or after midnight in late-night/24 hour stores, have really been the key...