You can tell from the moment you walk in that this new Coop SuperStore is unlike any other supermarket in Italy. Two green facades frame the entrance. A living wall climbs the roofline. Energy-efficient LED lighting floods the space. Every detail speaks to sustainability and environmental care. But that's just the beginning.
Inside, you discover what makes this store truly original: it's the first supermarket in Italy designed specifically for people with autism. The idea came from the founders of Alla3, a nonprofit born when three mothers of autistic children found each other in a mutual-aid group. They developed the concept during lockdown. Coop embraced it enthusiastically and opened the doors on September 10 in Monza's via Marsala.
The design reimagines grocery shopping—that routine, tedious, repetitive task most of us endure—as something less overwhelming for people with autism.
Gone are the harsh, cold fluorescent lights of typical supermarkets. Soft, gentle lighting takes their place. Gone is the assault of blaring music. Checkout lanes prioritize customers who are more vulnerable and their companions. The entire staff completed specialized autism training led by psychologists and psychotherapists, equipping them to recognize the condition's characteristics and interact meaningfully with customers.
But perhaps the most innovative feature is the use of visual communication throughout the store. Working with PizzAut—another remarkable local initiative that trains young people with autism to run a restaurant alongside professional staff—all departments are marked with pictograms designed according to AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) guidelines. This opens a vital channel for people who communicate visually alongside or instead of spoken words.
The European Commission has endorsed the project. Coop Lombardia has already announced plans to bring this model to other stores. We hope many more will follow.
