Wolverhampton greengrocer, 81, worried he'll have to end life-long passion due to supermarket competition

Coven Heath Nursery Shop, on Penn Road, Wolverhampton, opened in 1996 selling a mixture of fruit, vegetables, plants and general household goods.

It's owned by 81-year-old John, a husband, father and grandfather, who has lived in the Black Country his whole life.

Starting out as a youngster in the markets, the local legend soon copped himself the greengrocers and has been passionate about growing and supplying fresh fruit and veg to his neighbours - and those further-a-field - at one point managing multiple acres of land bringing crates of nutritious ingredients to families who wanted them.

But since the rise of online-shopping, supermarket chains and club-cards - mixed with rising costs across the board - it's becoming increasingly hard for residents to shop locally, and for local shops to compete with enormous corporations who can offer food at a lower price.

And because of this John is worried about the approaching winter months, stating that if it's a slow one, he's unsure on what the future holds.

While John understands the tough-times we're all - in one way or another - going through with keeping up with with the costs of life, he also fears that the business he has spent his life building and the passion that keeps him jumping out of bed every morning might not make it into next year.

John, said: "I've been here for years and it's been a joy to be part of this community, things are tough but let me first say how grateful and thankful I am for my regulars who pop in to get their bits. They've been so supportive.

"For the last 18 months they've kept me going, words can't express the amount of gratitude I feel for them, the relationships I've been lucky enough to have through my work is the best part of the job.

"Last year things got really hard but we made it through, this year it has been really quiet again. I'm worried about the winter, if we have a bad one then we might not be here for the next one.

"It's a difficult situation because I totally get why people shop at supermarkets, it's cheaper and everything is more expensive, and small businesses can't compete.

"I suppose what I would say is that you can't beat fresh produce, and that's where I can offer something a little more. I don't need everyone to only shop local, but occasionally would make such a difference.

"We have shops all up-and-down this street, we're all independent and we're all doing our best to keep the community shopping front alive.

"There's a new cafe next door and they've been brilliant, they really look after me, I'm so happy they're here.

"All the shops on this road are brilliant, everyone looks out for another.

"My worry is that I won't make enough to see the year out, so I suppose what I'm hoping for - if possible - is for people to get down and support us local businesses, we really rely on you all and we do our best to give them a real service."

John said one of his favourite parts of the job is the person-to-person relationships he has made, he's had the same customers - in some cases - for over 20 years, and thinks you 'just don't get that' with the big chains.

He said: "It's the best part, I enjoy the working part of my job, going out and getting the produce, making sure everything is as it should be and taking pride in what I know about all the produce I sell.

"But you can't beat the relationships you make in a job like this.

"It's not just about the transaction, it's about checking in on each other, having a vent, sharing good news and even bad news, it's the friendships you make that make local shopping really special."

Winter is usually a good time of the year for John's local shop, but with 'winters getting warmer' he had a 70 per cent drop in sales last year and fears a bigger drop this year.

He said: "Im hoping I can get through this part of the year, but it really is a worry, I want to keep doing what I'm doing but the money will only go so far.

"I sell lot of wood in the winter and that really helps, and I think people prefer making a short trip to their local shop rather than travelling to a supermarket when it's cold out.

"All I would ask is, where possible, pop down and get yourself some fresh produce from the shop, it makes the world of difference.

"And the produce is top quality, that's the benefit for the customer, real fresh food."