Sometimes shopping can be a bit . . . much. Especially if you’re dealing with one or many various holiday rushes, or shopping on a Saturday, or even just having a day where the last thing you want is to hear the sound of other humans. (And yes, you absolutely still DO go shopping on days like that since it can somehow make your day feel better. Or so I tell myself.) But what if all the noise could be kiboshed?
Selfridges in the UK is currently testing that theory. An Oxford Street location opened The Silence Room this week, a dimly-lit studio with carpet, soundproof walls, and benches where customers can sit and meditate without disruption. No cells are allowed, and customers must also take off their shoes before entering the space.
According to WWD, Selfridges’ creative director, Alannah Weston had the following to say: “We’re all suffering from overload, and we wanted to offer up a slice of silence as an experiment, but we didn’t want to do it in a heavy-handed way.”
So is this the future of all major shopping centres? Well, obviously it’s a bit of a luxury. But depending on whether it works out in England, I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before a few higher-end stores try it out here. Whether we’ll accept it, though, is another story.
