He may be 93 but that’s not stopping John Shipton from doing what he loves most: chatting to customers and keeping busy on the tills at Waitrose.
The sprightly nonagenarian has become something of a local legend in Exeter, Devon, where shoppers often queue just to be served by him.
John, who started at the branch when it opened in 2011, was offered the job at the age of 80 – something he still finds ‘a bit remarkable’.
Now, 13 years on, he’s still going strong.
‘Probably half of my customers are regulars, I would think, maybe even more than half,’ John told The Times during one of his rare mornings off.
‘I do have a strange reputation in that they tend to queue up at my till.’
And it’s no wonder. John’s warmth and wisdom have turned him into a firm favourite among locals, many of whom come in just for a natter.
After a career in electronics and later working for Exeter City Council, John didn’t settle into retirement quietly.
He may be 93 but that’s not stopping John Shipton from doing what he loves most: chatting to customers and keeping busy on the tills at Waitrose
The sprightly nonagenarian has become something of a local legend in Exeter, Devon, where shoppers often queue just to be served by him
At 74, he jumped back into the workforce at Sainsbury’s before making the move to Waitrose six years later.
He said: ‘They took me on when I was 80, which I thought was a bit remarkable.’
For John, the job is more than just work — it’s a lifeline.
‘[Working] enables me to chat to people every day,’ he said, ‘you’ve got lovely regular customers who will come and see you, sometimes twice a week, and you get to know them and their family, you get to know their problems.’
He’s even been known to offer a comforting hug if someone’s had a loss.
‘It’s the pleasure of being with other people, the pleasure of working. Interactions with other people are so important in your life. It stops you going completely bananas.’
When his beloved wife Julia Marise passed away four years ago, John admitted he was ‘at a loss’. But his life changed when he welcomed Ukrainian refugees Oksana and her teenage son Illia into his home.
At 74, he jumped back into the workforce at Sainsbury’s before making the move to Waitrose six years later
When his beloved wife Julia Marise passed away four years ago, John admitted he was ‘at a loss’
Branch manager Nick Davis couldn’t agree more: ‘John is an incredible person, an exemplary partner, brilliant with customers, and we are very proud to have him as part of the team’
The trio have formed a heartwarming family unit – even going on holiday together.
‘They’re exceptionally good to me,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’ve cooked and washed up more than three times in the last three years. They look after me, and I look after them.’
And it’s not just his adopted family who value him. Waitrose clearly knows a gem when they see one.
‘Waitrose actually looks after you. They’re an amazing company to work for,’ John said. When he broke his hip gardening, they paid him in full for the entire three months he took to recover.
Even the directors stay in touch. ‘They’re lovely people. They’re just lovely people. I write to directors, and I had a director come and visit me the other day.’
Branch manager Nick Davis couldn’t agree more: ‘John is an incredible person, an exemplary partner, brilliant with customers, and we are very proud to have him as part of the team.’
