Customer amazes staff at closing-down supermarket with receipt from day it opened - 26 years ago
A shopper amazed staff at a city centre supermarket which is closing today - after producing a receipt from the day it opened 26 years ago.
A block of Cheshire cheese cost just 50p when Diana Lloyd first stepped foot inside Sainsbury's in St George's Parade, Wolverhampton, when it opened on January 19, 1988.
Mrs Lloyd happened to pop in on the shop's first day in existence and has been a regular in there ever since to buy her weekly goods and groceries.
Today the supermarket is closing down with staff relocating to the retail giant's long-awaited £60m store in Raglan Street on the other side of the city centre, which opens tomorrow.
And ahead of the big moving day staff also took the time to dish out cash to many of the charities it has supported in recent years, with Wolves legend Steve Bull handing out cheques to The Haven, Compton Hospice and Midlands Air Ambulance among others.
Mrs Lloyd, from Finchfield, will transfer her custom to Raglan Street and said she had no idea why she kept the 26-year-old receipt, which shows that she spent just £17.16 on 42 items.
"It's like a snapshot in time," she said.
"It's interesting to see how little some things cost, I can't believe the cheese was only 50p.
"I've been a regular there for 26 years but it's a good thing that they're moving as some of the bigger Sainsbury's stores have more choice.
"I said goodbye to some of the staff but I'll see them next week - just in a different place."
Other items on the list include 10 fish fingers for just 89p, some damson jam for 46p and a loaf of bread for 44p, while 1kg of potatoes was 35p.
Ilaria Gazzola, PR ambassador for the store, said: "There's only one item on the list (a jar of Nescafe at £1.49) which is over £1, it's remarkable how things change.
"Mrs Lloyd was one of our first customers and she'll be one of our last.
"We'll be sad to see the store go - not many supermarkets are in a building with as much character as this.
"It's the end of an era."
The Guide Dogs charity, Promise Dreams and animal charity PDSA also benefitted from the cash handouts, which totalled £2,300.
