Burnley Sainsbury's branch backs Standing Up 4 Sitting Down campaign

Staff and residents from Anchor’s Gatefield Court on Hollingreave Road welcomed the supermarket chain’s support of their national Standing Up 4 Sitting Down (su4sd) campaign, which will see more than 600 stores maintaining the amount of seating available in-store so that older and disabled people, pregnant women, or anyone who needs to can rest mid-shop.

Anchor launched the campaign after research found that 69% of over 70s said the amount of seating in public places across the country is falling, with 66% believing the lack of seating in shopping areas is a problem.

“It is great that Sainsbury’s branches across the country, including the one in Burnley, will support the campaign," said Andrea Holt, Manager of Gatefield Court. "Older people are often cut off from the online world, so it’s crucial we enable them to connect in other ways.

“Anchor’s campaign calls for change that benefits everyone," she added. "For shops, providing seating is a great opportunity to boost footfall and spending. For older people, it offers the opportunity for important social contact to tackle loneliness, encourages physical exercise, and allows a generation the chance to live later life to its fullest.”

Clare Muscutt, Head of Customer Experience at Sainsbury’s, said: “We work hard to make our supermarkets an inclusive and welcoming environment for customers.

“We provide chairs at the back of our checkouts for anyone that would find them useful, as well as offering assistance at all times to customers who may need additional help shopping in store with us," Clare continued. "We fully support the Standing Up 4 Sitting Down campaign and hope customers will make use of this seating when they visit our supermarkets.”

The su4sd campaign has also been supported by more than 200 independent retailers across England, with more than 15 charities, several MPs, and the former Chancellor - George Osborne - also backing the campaign.

Other retailers keen to join the campaign can contact the su4sd team at [email protected]