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• This study highlights the complicated interactions between multimorbidity, functional ability and the environment. • For the very old living with multimorbidity, proximity to local grocery shops supports their ability to do grocery shopping. • Proximity to local grocery shops is less important for the healthy very old living with none or one chronic condition. • Future research should investigate how to support older people with poor health to overcome barriers to access local shops. The very old, people aged ≥85, is a fast-growing age group with high risk of disability and dependence. To identify environmental factors that support maintenance of functional ability, the aim of this study is to investigate the longitudinal associations between proximity to local grocery shops and the ability to shop for groceries in the very old and to examine the potential variation between those living with and without multimorbidity. This study was based on the Newcastle 85+ study, a population-based cohort of people aged 85 in North-East England. The numbers of grocery shops were identified within a 500 m road distance to participants' residence. Multilevel Poisson regression modelling was used to investigate whether proximity to local grocery shops was associated with the ability to do grocery shopping over five years in those with and without multimorbidity adjusting for sociodemographic factors and area deprivation. The very old who lived in more deprived areas were more likely to have a grocery shop within 500 m than those in less deprived areas. Proximity to local grocery shops was not associated with the ability to do grocery shopping in the participants who had none or one chronic condition (IRR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.12) but moderated loss of the ability in those living with multimorbidity (IRR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.96). For the very old living with multimorbidity, proximity to local grocery shops may support their functional ability. Future research should investigate how to support older people with poor health to access local grocery shops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]