A Birmingham greengrocer who has served his community for more than half a century has issued a stark warning: his business will close for good if customer support does not return.
A Lifetime of Service Under Threat
John Ward, 76, opened J&H Ward on the corner of Pershore Road in Stirchley back in 1970. For decades, his fruit and veg shop was a thriving hub, with the shopkeeper recalling he had "never had it so good". In its heyday, the business was selling a staggering 30 tonnes of potatoes every week.
Today, the picture is dramatically different. John now sells a mere seven tonnes of potatoes weekly, a stark indicator of the decline in trade. He and his daughter, who works alongside him in the shop they live above, face an uncertain future.
The Supermarket Squeeze
The exasperated shop owner places the blame squarely on the draw of large supermarket chains. "People are just not coming to us," he said. "They all say how good the stuff is but then they're going to the big shops, rather than coming to us."
Despite a brief resurgence in trade after a previous news story, John says customers have "dwindled away" again. He has been forced to cut staff hours and fears he will have to cease trading entirely. "I've had a good innings," he admitted, "but in these last two years, it's dwindled away."
A Plea for Community Support
John is making a direct appeal to the local community to rally around his family business in a "big way". He promises competitive prices for what he says is superior quality produce, highlighting a kilogram bag of onions for 65p and a cucumber for 90p.
The shop also offers a next-day delivery service for customers within a three-mile radius. His message is simple and urgent: "Please come and support us otherwise we'll be closed. Support us, or lose us. We need more customers otherwise we'll be gone."
