Big Issue sales across the UK have dropped by around 40 per cent since vendors returned to the streets, but Bristol's most renowned seller of the magazine said his trade has been unaffected.
Numbers of sales in some areas of the country have dropped by half since Big Issue salespeople started trading again on July 6, after a hiatus of more than three months.
The sellers, who are all self-employed, buy the magazine for £1.50 before selling it for double the price.
With many people still self-isolating and others choosing to avoid town and city centres, though, traders are struggling to make a profit.
But Jeff Knight, one of Bristol's much-loved vendors who is known for dishing out fist bumps and compliments in Stokes Croft, said he has not suffered a drop in trade since returning.
"It feels great to be back selling on the streets, I was counting down the days before I could do it again," said Jeff, who lives in the van bought for him through a crowdfunder in January 2019.
"I missed people a lot when we were locked down and the streets were quiet.
"I'm selling around the same amount of magazines as I did before the lockdown, around a hundred a week, but I've had to change how I interact with people.
"Some people don't want to fist bump me anymore and that's fine, I understand why. I'm giving a lot of elbow bumps instead."
The 53-year-old said he was "devastated" when the lockdown meant he had to stop trading on the streets but is glad to see "everything getting back to normal slowly but surely now".
"People looked out for me when I couldn't sell the magazine because of the lockdown, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those people," he added.
"Love shines through at times of darkness and love is the key to getting through this. And Bristol, we will get through this. You've got to keep positive and keep spreading love."
But things have not gone as well for all Big Issue vendors across the UK since their return to trading.
A plea has been made for people to start buying the magazine again, with vendors keen to reassure potential customers of the safety measures they have in place.
Steve Carter, of Big Issue South West, said: "Sales around the country are around 30 to 40 per cent down. Predominantly it is the elder generation who tend to buy it and a lot of the older folk are not really coming out so much. So it's quite a cut for these vendors."
The Big Issue said it brought in a range of measures to help its sellers when they started selling again on July 6.
Safety measures brought in by the Big Issue included vendors being provided with PPE and enabling more to accept card payments.
Big Issue vendors come from a range of backgrounds and face a range of issues, but all of them are experiencing the effects of poverty in some form
The magazine was founded 29 years ago to dismantle poverty by creating opportunities through self-help, trading and business solutions.
