Tip of the Month – Independent Grocery Shopping

Shopping with confidence is an important part of being able to maintain independence, as well as general health and wellbeing. This is especially true for the regular “big shop” for groceries.

There are many barriers that still exist in retail environments when shopping with vision impairment, such as hard to read labels on products and difficult to navigate store aisles with ever changing layouts.

However, some support is available.

Staff Support

Many large grocery chains say they will offer staff-guided shopping support or assisted shopping services as part of their legal requirement to provide reasonable accommodations for shoppers with disabilities. Assisted shopping means the store providing you with a staff member to accompany you throughout your shop to support you in finding the products you are looking for.

We know several people that find this service helpful, however wait times and quality of service vary widely depending on the store and availability of staff.

It’s recommended that the best way to ensure you are given the support you need is to contact the store ahead of time to see what support can be offered and make a plan that will work for you and the staff on duty. It may be that the store prefers to set up a time that you are planning to come in so they can have someone ready who knows what your needs are.

If possible, bring along a list of what you are looking for. If it’s a product you buy often it may even be worth saving the packaging so you can show staff exactly what you’re after. Some people have been able to make arrangements including dropping off a shopping list in the morning that can then be gathered by staff and picked up in the evening or holding on to a shopping trolley while a shop assistant guides the trolley and reaches for the requested products.

Unfortunately, the number of stores that regularly provide assisted shopping seems to be decreasing as stores cut down on staff to save money. However, it’s important to know that this may be an option, and there’s no harm in reaching out to your local store and asking for the support you require.

Technology

Technology and equipment might also help to get past some of the challenges presented in the retail environment.

If you are a smartphone user, apps such as Seeing AI provide on the spot audio description using Artificial Intelligence (AI). These can be used to read larger store signs to help navigate to the products you’re looking for and to read product labels. The app Be My Eyes connects vision impaired users to sighted volunteers who can provide real time description.

The NaviLens app can be useful for accessing product information. It allows a smartphone to read NaviLens codes to view product details. NaviLens codes work similarly to QR codes but they are designed to be easier to locate and read so the user doesn’t need to know exactly where they are or to focus the phone’s camera to get the information.

If you are not a smartphone user, StellarTrek, a handheld device that uses AI and GPS to aid with navigation, can be used for barcode scanning and text to speech reading. Unfortunatly this does require you to be able to point the device at the text or code of the product, so might be more difficult to use if you have very limited or no sight.

Handheld magnifiers can also help with reading labels. These can be purchased online or by coming into one of Vision Norfolk’s hubs in Norwich, Great Yarmouth or King’s Lynn. Our staff are able to take you through the range of magnifiers available so you can try them out and find what works best for you.

Shopping From Home

If you find going to the shops difficult, you can choose to shop from home either online or by phone.

All larger grocery stores and many of the smaller stores offer the option to pick out your products online and have them delivered to you at home. You can use your laptop or smartphone to search through and compare products. This allows you to find the best product and store for you and saves having to navigate back from the store with shopping bags. Different store websites and apps have different set ups and accessibility features, so it may be worth trying several to find what works for you.

Tesco offers priority delivery slots for vulnerable customers. You can contact them on 0800 917 7359 to get on the list.

Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s allow for grocery shopping entirely over the phone, so you don’t need access to the internet to shop from home. The Sainsbury’s number is 0800 9178557. The Morrison’s number is 0345 6116111, option 2.

You are not alone!

If you have any questions or are unsure where to start, please contact Vision Norfolk. We are happy to talk you through your options and your concerns, support you in reaching out to local stores and provide advice and guidance.

We have equipment centres in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn where you can try out low vision equipment, such as handheld magnifiers, to find out what works best for you. We also provide free technology support sessions with skilled volunteers if you would like to explore apps such as Seeing AI, NaviLense or Be My Eyes.

Norwich

Bradbury Activity Centre, Beckham Place, Edward Street, Norwich NR3 3DZ

Telephone: 01603 573000

Email: [email protected]

King’s Lynn

20 Thoresby College, Queen Street, King’s Lynn PE30 1HX

Telephone: 01553 660808

Email: [email protected]

Great Yarmouth

12 Hall Quay, Great Yarmouth NR30 1HP

Telephone: 01493 745973

Email: [email protected]