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UK airline Virgin Atlantic has already trained its staff to whisper to customers in order to allow them to rest while flying. Hoping to take the stress out of the high street, UK Selfridges outlets will now launch the company’s No Noise campaign, which will include quiet sections and debranded products. Taking into consideration the fact that retail therapy is these days often more stressful than relaxing, the department store has reintroduced a concept first thought up by its founder Henry Gordon Selfridge in 1909. In place from 7 January to the end of February, outlets in London, Manchester and Birmingham will all feature silent shopping areas, where customers will have to take off their shoes and hand over their cell phones before entering. Available in the quiet zones is a specially-created collection of unbranded products from recognizable labels. The spaces will also offer meditation sessions, relaxation pods and even a performance of John Cage’s famously silent piece, 4’33”. While the norm in the world of retail is to encourage as many customers as possible through the doors, Selfridges has recognized that providing a pleasant shopping experience is one way of encouraging return visits. How else could the shopping experience be made less stressful? Spotted by: Raymond Kollau