Havant supermarket worker retires after 45 years working for Tesco

Will Man, 60, worked his final shift at Tesco Extra in Solent Road, Havant on Friday.

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He first joined the supermarket chain at aged 15 when he got a job at a small Tesco store in Cosham High Street. Over the course of his decades-long career, Will has done everything from stacking shelves to organising merchandise, and eventually leading a team of nine people as produce manager.

Speaking ahead of his last day working at the shop, Will said: ‘I think I’ll be quite emotional tomorrow. I’m okay at the moment but tomorrow I’ll be saying goodbye to everyone.

‘There’s been lots of changes over the years. I started when we had Green Shield stamps. In the old days, when we ordered we had to phone up - now it’s all done on computers. I think it’s about time I had a bit of my time.’

Will, who was born in Hong Kong but has lived in the Portsmouth area since he was seven, plans to spend more time with his wife and daughter in retirement. He also hopes to go on more holidays and is considering a cruise in the near future.

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He added that the thing he will miss most about the job is his colleagues and that his time as a manager taught him ‘you’re only as good as your people are.’

Will said: ‘Some of them are more emotional than me at the moment. It’s been quite good to me, Tesco. The pay and the benefits are really good.’