Fairway Market accommodates hearing-impaired customers at flagship store

NEW YORK — High-end supermarket chain Fairway Market has introduced a hearing loop at its flagship store's deli counter for customers with hearing loss, the chain's parent company said Wednesday.

Fairway Group Holdings, based in New York, said the loop was installed in its Broadway store in Manhattan. The loop works with a person's telecoil-equipped hearing instrument or cochlear implant, allowing the employee behind the deli to speak into a microphone and transmit the signal wirelessly to the telecoil, blocking ambient background noise and amplifying the clerk's voice.

"We are very pleased to incorporate this new technology into our flagship store," Fairway CEO Herb Ruetsch said. "The deli can be a very noisy environment, and our customers living with hearing loss will greatly benefit from the hearing loop and enjoy a much better shopping experience."