Most customers who need help would approach our customer service desks in our stores and our colleagues would then be able to tailor support to their individual needs. Our colleagues in store also look out for and help customers with particular needs, taking them to products they are looking for, and especially for the elderly or others who need more support, walking them round the store to help them do their shop ("accompanied shops"). We offer extra help with packing of shopping and taking it to cars or taxis for customers who would like this.
We have accessible customer toilets in most of our supermarkets. Where there are no customer toilets, our store managers are able to give customers in need access to the colleague toilets.
So far as food and nutrition are concerned, we have a number of policies in place that would assist our older customers :
We recognise the trend of increasing single households and offer a range of 1 portion meals such as our chilled ready meals and our 220g baked beans in tomato sauce and curry in tins. Customers are also able to tailor foods to their preferred portion size at our deli, fish and meat counters; and to select smaller portions from our loose fruit and vegetables.
We take the special dietary needs of our customers very seriously and pride ourselves on our wide selection of healthy and tasty food. We provide our customers with clear and transparent nutrition and ingredients labelling to help them make an informed choice. We display Multiple Traffic Light labelling on the front of products to show if a product is high (red), medium (amber or low (green) in calories, fat, saturated fat, salt and total sugar. This is supported by a nutrition panel on the back of pack. Our Multiple Traffic Light labelling is useful for those looking to control particular nutrients in their diet, and its colour coded nature makes it easier for those with poorer vision to choose healthier products.
We summarise allergens contained within a product in an ‘allergy box’ on pack. Where we believe there is a real risk of a product having come into contact with allergens that could leave a customer with an allergy at risk, we provide information in an allergy advice box. We have a wide variety of own brand products suitable for those with special dietary requirements, such as our Freefrom range and Be Good to Yourself range. Our Freefrom range offers a variety of tasty foods that are suitable for those following a wheat, gluten or dairy free diet. We provide comprehensive guides which list all Sainsbury's own-label products that are suitable for a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or wheat free diet; these guides are available online and can be requested from our careline. We also provide product guidance for customers following a nut-free diet; this is posted or emailed to customers who sign up to our mailing list. Our Be Good to Yourself range is nutritionally balanced and has controlled levels of sugar, fat and salt; this range is suitable for those wanting to either control their weight or simply control the amount of fat or sugar they have in their diet. We also offer a choice of reduced-sugar products, including reduced sugar jam and reduced sugar baked beans for those wishing to choose lower sugar options.We stock a wide variety of branded products, including special diet foods such as cholesterol lowering spreads, as well as nutrition supplements such as Complan.
In addition to our products, we provide a range of healthy eating leaflets which cover topics such as heart health, healthy weight, diabetes, food allergies and intolerances and a healthy diet. We also provide information on special diets on our website. Customers can also seek health advice from our pharmacists in-store.
Our store managers are also able to tailor a small number of the products they sell to their customers' needs. So, for example, in one of our stores that I know well where there is a large and loyal cohort of older shoppers, the store manager has been able to request that she stocks particular products that her customers have asked for; this is something the customers have told me they appreciate.
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