Once there were hundreds of shops like Homewood Stores in Elm Grove, Brighton, all over Sussex.

But next month, the store closes its doors for the last time after almost 70 years of trading.

It survived the war years and rationing afterwards but in the end the family business could not beat competition from the supermarkets.

But these days stores have to offer services that the smaller shops cannot always manage, such as selling specialist items, offering home delivery and being open on Sunday evenings.

They also have to produce a supply of family members prepared to work long hours for small profits.

If people in areas such as Elm Grove want to keep the few remaining general stores, they will have to use them or lose them.