A North East shop owner has said an emotional goodbye to his loyal shoppers after taking the difficult decision to retire.
After more than 40 years behind the till, Mohammed Maqsood called time on his beloved Max and Sons corner shop on Durham Road, Sunderland on Sunday.
Affectionately known to those around him – and almost every single customer – as Max, he announced the retirement and lease of his business on social media.
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Posting a short video, he paid tributes to his customers over the years and thanked them for their loyalty.
He said: “Thank you very much for everybody. Thank you for everybody, I appreciate you. You’ve supported me for 40 years. I love you too much. Thank you very much.”
Speaking to The Northern Echo, his daughter Sonia Maqsood paid her own tributes to a man, who she said has been a huge part of the city.
She said: “This job has been his life, he worked seven days a week from five in the morning to nine at night, he didn’t know anything else.
“He would open the shop, do all the newspapers, then he’d go to the cash and carry with his brothers. He was head of the shop, talking to customers, dealing with customer service.”
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He first opened the corner shop in the 1980s and for him, working in the shop was a family affair.
He employed his wife, Mumtaz as his business partner and gave jobs to his nephews, Talat Mahmood and Amjad Ali who worked alongside him for decades.
In that time, Max had got to know hundreds of thousands of people and had watched children grow up across several generations.
So it was no surprise, his retirement was met with an outpouring of messages, which the family said has inundated their inboxes.
Sonia said: “We’ve had so many messages from people saying they’ve known him since they were little.
“They’ve said he’s always been a part of the community, and that he’s had a huge impact on their lives, always giving people support and advice.
“Families of people who have passed away, they’ve messaged to say they’ll miss him.”
On social media, Christopher Bacon said: “I’ve known Max and his amazing family all my life, can’t believe that only now he’s hanging up his work shirt.
“Absolute salt of the earth you Max, enjoy your retirement mate.”
Another said: “You'll be missed max, happy retirement and best of luck with the future from me, Majid & the girls.”
Admitting it has been a huge decision, Sonia said Max’s retirement had come at the “right time” and about three years overdue.
She said: “It was a massive decision for him, even when I was getting married he was saying he’ll retire and that was three years ago – I’ve even got a kid now.”
On Sunday, Sonia and the family, which also includes Asif, Taz and Aftab, watched as the shutters went down for one final time under Max’s ownership.
She added: “We were remembering dad coming home, bringing things in like cans of pop and sweets. Everyone has been emotional.”
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