A MAN who sells cards on a market stall in Oxford said it was time to “roll with the punches” and shut up shop.

John Irvin, 51, from Stokenchurch, has run John’s Discount Cards from a stall opposite Bonn Square for nearly three decades.

But he said slow business was driving him out.

He said: “I’ve run this stall, man and boy. I started here in 1982 and have only moved about 20ft in all that time.

“My kids grew up helping me run it and both work for me now.

“But business just isn’t what it used to be.”

Mr Irvin, who transforms his stall to sell Christmas cards every winter, said business last year was nearly 60 per cent down on usual trade.

And he said this year, it was another 20 per cent down.

He said: “It’s a mixture of things really. There doesn’t seem to be the same amount of passing trade anymore.

“It seems you would only come into the city centre if you wanted a coffee or a phone now – that’s what all the shops are. Plus there are the parking charges.”

He added: “People under the age of 50 now don’t really send cards. They use texts or Facebook, or buy their cards on the Internet.

“As many of my oldest customers pass away, they aren’t being replaced anymore.”

Mr Irvin now plans to sell all his remaining stock and open a souvenir stall instead.

Shoppers said they were disappointed by John’s decision, which also comes as card chain Paperchase opened a new store in Queen Street.

Ellen Walls, a customer at the stall, said: “I definitely still send cards.

“I’ve got 10 kids and more than 40 grandchildren so I’ve got a lot to buy from John.

“Everyone in my family sends cards too, even the younger ones.”

Katie, a customer from Oxford, said: “I haven’t sent so many cards this year.

“I send some to people I don’t see that often. Other than that I send e-cards and make a charity donation instead of sending cards to my workmates. A lot of people in my office do that too.”

The decision to close will also affect Mr Irvin’s son John, 26, and daughter Natasha, 24, who work on the stall.

Mr Irvin said: “I’m not sure the souvenir business is good all year round, but maybe I could sell Christmas gifts too.

“I’m hoping I don’t have to lay off any of the people who work for me.”

“Lots of people have said they will be sad to see my business go. But at the end of the day, the customers just aren’t paying the bills anymore – and those bills are getting higher and higher.

“It’s just the way of life. You have to move with the times and roll with the punches.

“I’m hoping I’m not out for the count.”