‘It’s what keeps me going’, says oldest Sainsbury worker Eddie, 92

A 92-year-old supermarket worker says he has no plans to retire because another busy Christmas season is upon us.

Great-grandfather Eddie Swan has worked at the Sainsbury’s store in Ashford, Kent since it opened 27 years ago.

That’s when, at age 65, he finished 45 years in the printing business – but he says he’s still working.

Swan is the oldest member of Sainsbury’s nationwide workforce and one of the few employees of retirement age among the 539 staff employed at the giant Ashford store. He works 12 hours a week, between 10am and 2pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Swan told the Mail he was not thinking about retiring. “Everyone tells me they’re going to carry me in a coffin,” he said.

“It’s what keeps me going is going back to work — when I see the people, not just the people I work with, but the people who come in, the customers, we all have a little giggle.”

Swan says his partner Ivy, 86, also enjoys having him out of the house.

He admitted that he can’t do as much as he used to, but is still able to collect cardboard boxes and help with lighter items like crisps and confectionery.

Swan – a fan of the Daily Mail’s codeword puzzle – has two daughters, a granddaughter and a great-grandson, Ethan, aged seven, who visit him at the shop.

Deputy store manager Kimberley Wallington said Swan is “absolutely fantastic with the customers.”