HE spent nearly half a century building shops and businesses in Southampton with his bare hands.

Now retired carpenter Barry Sheath is at loggerheads with a giant cash and carry store blocking his entry because his skilled trade fails to meet strict conditions required for customer membership.

The 67-year-old and his wife Christine – a retired M&S shop worker - were looking forward to shopping at the new Costco when it opened its doors Regents Park Road, Millbrook, on Saturday [04].

But the couple were absent from the thousands of customers flocking to the membership-only store after staff turned them away three weeks ago, stressing neither of their former jobs qualified for entry.

Mr Sheath, who lives in Northlands Road, Shirley, said: “We were really excited to see it opening because my son goes to the one in Derby and there are some really good deals.

“But they said we can’t join because we were not professional.

“It’s tantamount to discrimination and it seems to me that if you’ve got a manual job they don’t want you.”

The new store, which attracted 1,800 people within its first year, sells more than 3,600 products, including a huge range of food, household goods and electrical items at reduced prices.

Membership costs between £20-£55 but is restricted to business owners and managers or a list of professionals ranging from architects and accountants to dentists and pharmacists or serving or retired people ranging from police, civil servants and finance workers.

But Mr Sheath, who has written a letter of complaint to the company, added: “How do they know that an architect has any more money than me or not.

“I don’t understand why ordinary retired people can’t join.”

Mrs Sheath, also 67, who stacked shelves and worked on the tills at M&S branches in Above Bar and West Quay, said: “It’s unfair – there are a lot of ordinary working people living close to the store and they will not be able to go to it even though it’s on their doorstep.”

But company UK managing director Steve Pappas said the criteria is down to strict planning laws imposed on the American company’s British outlets, not subject to its stores in the USA which are open to everyone.

He added: “We operate on land that is not retail planning and we have to limit the number of people who apply as members and there is a membership criteria and we need to comply with it.

“Our goal isn’t to make people unhappy, we have an obligation to our planners and in UK we primarily focus on small and medium sized businesses and a select group of individuals.”

The jobs accepted by Costco:

  • Chartered Architect
  • Chartered Surveyor
  • Optician
  • Pharmacist
  • Qualified Accountant
  • Pharmacist
  • Dentist
  • Magistrate/Advocate
  • Chartered/Civil engineer

Current or retired employee of:

  • Banking/Finance
  • Local Government
  • Civil Servant
  • Airline
  • Education
  • Post Office
  • Fire/Rescue
  • Insurance
  • Medical/Health Service