Sutton-based shopping centre Idlewells has announced it will participate in Purple Tuesday 2019, taking place on 12th November.

Purple Tuesday promotes the global spending power of disabled people and their families and calls on all organisations to make changes to improve their customer experience for disabled people.

Idlewells is committed to offering an inclusive shopping environment. Purple Tuesday provides the perfect platform to not only raise awareness but to celebrate inclusivity, regardless of disability.

The centre has already established its ‘Silent Shopping’ on Tuesday afternoons, which caters for shoppers who are living with autism. Idlewells hopes to investigate further ways it can support shoppers with disabilities by helping to raise awareness of Purple Tuesday.

Purple Tuesday has been developed by disability organisation Purple; which works with businesses to improve the customer experience for disabled people.

Last year, the first ever Purple Tuesday was a huge success – with over 1,500 pledges to make concrete changes and improve the customer experience for disabled people. This included commitments such as: staff training, digital audits, better signage and training of frontline staff in basic British sign language. Purple Tuesday gathered support from over 750 businesses.

Mike Adams, Purple CEO, said: “I am delighted Idlewells is involved in Purple Tuesday. It underlines its public commitment to improving customer experience for disabled people,

“Meeting the needs of disabled customers makes commercial sense for businesses and I am hopeful others will follow Idlewells’ lead. Together we can and commit to change the customer experience for disabled people for good.”

For Idlewells’ centre manager, Chloe O’Donnell, becoming a part of Purple Tuesday will hopefully set a precedent in the town centre and further afield.

“Every individual who shops with us is important and we pride ourselves on trying to be as inclusive as possible. Purple Tuesday is a growing national day and we are thrilled to be a part of it this year,” she said.

“We see this as a perfect opportunity for Idlewells to celebrate the great things being done by the Purple Tuesday team and to promote this to our shoppers and followers on social media.”

If you would like to participate in Purple Tuesday or would like some more information, email [email protected] or visit the website www.purpletuesday.org.uk