Supermarket Sweep has been re-created – with a twist.
Shoppers were tasked with finding five items in five minutes – while wearing glasses to recreate different types of sight loss experienced by blind and partially sighted people (BPS).
It came after research revealed 68% of visually impaired adults found going to the supermarket so stressful that they prefer not going altogether.
Only one shopper was able to complete the challenge in the time and all mistakenly picked up at least one incorrect item – such as custard instead of cream, or rigatoni pasta shapes – instead of penne.
It was hosted by blind broadcaster Lucy Edwards, and was designed by Müller Yogurt & Desserts, to highlight the struggles faced by people living with sight loss.
Vere, aged 31, a shopper who was given eyewear to remove his peripheral vision, said: “I had a complete lack of spatial awareness.”
While Eleanor Palmer aged 23, who wore glasses allowing her to perceive light only, said: “Oh my gosh, that is so hard. It’s so disorientating – you literally have no idea where you are in the supermarket.”
And Dominique Daeschner, 25, who also took on the challenge, said: “It really gave me an insight into what life is like.”
The eyewear was supplied by the Thomas Pocklington Trust, a national charity that strives for equality of blind and partially sighted people in every aspect of society.
Richard Williams, chief executive of Müller Yogurt & Desserts, which has updated its packaging with a NaviLens QR style code to help BPS people independently shop, said: “This video gives sighted people a small glimpse of what this community go through with every food shop.
“We recognise there are many challenges that the blind and partially sighted community face when it comes to a supermarket shop so we are thrilled to be the first dairy brand to introduce these codes to our packaging.
He added: “We want to play our part in helping people lead healthier and happier lives and we hope by doing this we’ll help improve the shopping experience for BPS people.”
The research, of 200 BPS people conducted by the dessert brand, found 77% say poor packaging and a lack of tools to help BPS people in supermarkets often means they pick up the wrong food items.
As many as 61% worried they will mistakenly buy food they are allergic to. As a result, accidentally purchased food gets disposed of up to four times-a-week, totalling more £240 per year on average, with dairy the most commonly wasted category,
It also emerged food shops, which 48% do weekly, take 42 minutes on average – with 91% saying the worse the product labelling, the longer it takes.
But 85% said supermarkets are still not accessible for those living with sight loss – affecting how long it takes them to shop.
And with 31% finding it difficult to navigate the supermarket aisle, nine in 10 have turned to family, friends, or supermarket employees for assistance while there.
While 82% don’t often come across signage designed to help them, with 45% using assistive technology or devices to help them shop.
Smart phone apps are the most used (75%), followed by barcode scanners (46%) and screen readers (37%).