The founders of a company which promises to help brands design neuro-inclusive retail experiences and workplaces have shared their insight with Vogue Business.
Husband and wife Olly and Amelia Markeson founded Bottom of Form
Neurohaus in 2023 and told of their attempts to navigate life through the lens of neurodivergence.
A former brand strategist, CEO Olly was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as an adult, when he returned to university. Amelia was diagnosed with ADHD and autism shortly after.
Olly noted that retailers are adopting sensory kits, which include noise‑reducing headphones, fidget tools, and calming aids, and were designed to help neurodivergent shoppers navigate overstimulating and overwhelming retail environments.
But he told Vogue: “In order to get the sensory kit, you have to go into the busy store, stand in line, and tell the cashier you are neurodivergent. On the few occasions I have tried this, I felt so othered that I came close to tears. Why would you not just address the physical space, so it isn’t overwhelming in the first place?
“We make very conscious decisions every day about the kind of shops we would go into and the ones we would avoid, so we started to recognise the implications of neurodiversity on consumer behaviour.
“A huge proportion of consumers are neurodivergent – roughly 20% – but most brands overlook them. It’s a missed opportunity.”
Vogue Business made the point that for luxury fashion, courting neurodivergent shoppers and staff could have tremendous upsides.
It noted: “Conservative estimates suggest that people with some form of neurodivergence – an umbrella term that can include ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other ways in which human brains can be wired differently – are twice as likely to work in creative industries.”
Olly added that 20% of the general population are neurodivergent, some 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic, and 68% of the world’s highest earners are entrepreneurs.
He said: “Band-aid solutions like this only serve a small percentage of neurodivergent shoppers with acute challenges, many of whom will already have their own devices and coping mechanisms.
“It also fails to account for neurodivergent retail staff, who can’t wear headphones throughout their shifts. If this is the only thing you change, you risk putting all neurodivergent shoppers into the same bucket. There are plenty of people who would just like things to be less sensorially overwhelming.”