WITH its colourful street display of fresh fruit and veg, it is a good old fashioned greengrocer.
But after four decades of trading, stalwart fruitier T&M Gannaway, in Portswood, Southampton, is shutting up shop.
And father and son Mick and John Gannaway say the main reason is a massive Sainsbury’s opening on their doorstep next month.
John, 38, said: “It was a horrible, hard decision. It was a real shame for us, but Sainsbury’s was the key thing – seeing their plans and how it’s going to be.
“It’s bigger than I ever imagined.”
Mick, 65, said trade has already been falling. He said: “Usually we do well in recessions because we are cheaper. But this January and February have been the worst we have ever known.”
The provisional closing day is May 17.
The new 9,730sqm Sainsbury’s will open on a former bus depot site in Portswood on March 13 and provide 400 jobs.
Sainsbury’s insisted local shops could benefit from the additional footfall that the new store would bring.
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