(L-R) Janssen Liu, Luxembourg Confederation; Max Hahn, Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together & Reception of Refugees; Véronique Schmitt, Cactus SA; Cédric Gonnet, Cactus SA;
Credit: Cactus SA
At a press conference held on Thursday 23 April 2026, in the presence of Luxembourg's Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees, Max Hahn, the Cactus Group announced the continued rollout of its "quiet hours" programme, now being introduced at the Cactus store in Esch-Lallange,
Deployed as part of a national initiative led by the Ministry of Family Affairs, in collaboration with the Luxembourg Confederation, quiet hours offer designated shopping times with a significant reduction in noise and visual stimuli. They are primarily aimed at people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and highly sensitive individuals, but also at anyone seeking a more peaceful shopping environment.
The initiative was first tested in Roodt-sur-Syre in summer 2024, before being progressively rolled out to several stores in the Cactus network. Today, the system is in place in Roodt-sur-Syre, Kayl, Ettelbruck, Belle Etoile and now Esch-Lallange, following standardised time slots: Tuesdays from 08:00 to 10:00 and Thursdays from 14:00 to 16:00.
"The implementation of quiet hours reflects our commitment to offering every customer a more peaceful and comfortable shopping experience. Thanks to the dedication of our teams and an approach grounded in real-world experience, we are rolling out this system gradually to ensure optimal customer service, tailored to everyone's needs," said Cédric Gonnet, Operations Director at Cactus.
Designed as a modern and accessible retail space, the Cactus Esch-Lallange store aims to embody this approach by offering concrete solutions to improve the shopping experience and promote the inclusion of all customers. According to Cactus, the introduction of quiet hours in this store is a concrete example, with a clear objective: to make this a permanent feature of store operations.
"At Cactus, we are convinced that making our stores more inclusive requires concrete actions. The rollout of quiet hours, carried out in partnership with the ministry and the Luxembourg Confederation, reflects this commitment to working together to meet real needs. Our ambition is simple: to allow everyone to shop in a respectful, peaceful environment adapted to their needs," commented Véronique Schmitt, Marketing, Communication & CSR Director at Cactus.
During quiet hours, music and radio are turned off, screens are switched off and lighting is reduced to create a calmer and more peaceful shopping atmosphere.
Cactus said it plans to continue rolling out this system in other stores, with the aim of sustainably improving the shopping experience and better meeting customer expectations.
