Meet the grocer who's been selling fresh fruit and veg to Wolverhampton for 27 years

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

Now, members of the public have taken to social media to try to save the shop as it struggles in the current climate.

In a Facebook post, Jacqueline Lowe, from Wolverhampton, said: "To my local friends, there is a shop in need of a bit of support, Coven Heath Nursery.

"I know it's more convenient to stop at Tesco sometimes for everything, but it would be a shame if this man had to close due to a lack of custom. Go in and buy something, keep him open."

Shop owner, John Holt, 80, from Wolverhampton, said: "Business has been very poor in the last three years, mainly due to Covid but also because a lot of my customers are getting on a bit.

"It's great that people are helping out, it shows a real community spirit. I have had a few first-time shoppers who have come down because they saw the Facebook post, it's great."

John has been serving the Wolverhampton community for 27 years.

Recently the shop has been struggling due to the loss of older regular customers, the pandemic and the change in shopping culture.

John said: "One of the issues is people don't really like to use shops like this anymore, they like to shop in supermarkets or online because it's all on hand, but you don't get the choice then, you have to have what is put for you.

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate technology, but when I was younger, people enjoyed shopping outside and liked having the choice and talking to shopkeepers.

"Now shopping is all done for you. I know that a lot of people are busier these days and people do like being able to stay at home, but you miss out on a lot."

A Facebook campaign was started to save the independent fruit and veg seller, with some first-time shoppers coming as far as Kingswinford.

Teresa Bayliss, from Kingswinford, said: "Oh it's fantastic here, we saw the post on Facebook and knew that we needed to come.

"You don't get many places like this around anymore and you have to support your local businesses or else they will all be gone.

Her husband John Bayliss said: "It's a shame they're disappearing, I always liked to support my local shops and I do think that more people need to come use places like this more often."

Mark Talbot, 54, a fruit and veg seller from Walsall, said: "Something was really lost when these sorts of places started shutting down – the banter and the friendliness, but also the option.

"A lot of people just use supermarkets because it's all in one place, but there was a time when you would spend an hour trawling your local high street and go to people like John and get some fantastic deals."

John Holt: "If you like a bit of fun and a bit of repartee, and you like the choice of produce, I buy from the wholesale market early morning daily, come and have a look or a chat."

Coven Heath Nursery Shop is open from 6am to 5pm Monday to Friday and also offers a delivery option on 07711 946218.