The joy of being in this industry

John, 70 years in retail: What has changed fundamentally during this time and what has remained the same?

John Herbert: When I started in retail, there was no self-service. Customers were served over a counter. It was very personal back then. You knew your customers, you served your customers.

It was almost like a community that came into the store. Seventy years ago, the manager and I opened the store together and greeted the people who came in. And when they left, we said goodbye to them and thanked them for their visit. Today, everything is so impersonal. You stand in front of a store, suddenly the door opens, you walk in, and no one greets you, no one speaks to you, no one really cares about you. Of course, the situation has changed, but the warmth I experienced at the beginning of my career no longer exists today. But it's still a fascinating industry.

What fascinates you the most?

Seeing customers come in and be happy, get what they want, and be satisfied. And I think we as retailers do a very good job of enriching our customers' lives by providing good service, having attractive stores, and offering affordable prices. I think all these things are often underestimated, and I believe we play a big role in people's well-being.

You started your career at the age of 15. You didn't go to college, you don't have any formal qualifications. But you have polished shoes.

My father always told me that I didn't shine in anything, so I should make sure my shoes shine, and they still do today.

Is formal education overrated in retail?

No, I don't think so. Of course, I would have liked a better education, but I was unlucky. My father left us when we were very young. My mother remarried and had three more children. It was a very unstable situation. That's why I left school at 14 without a single qualification. What really shocked me in the first three or four years, until I joined the army, was that I was treated so badly, so disrespectfully. That really shaped me, so I told myself that I had to change – and since then I've been very lucky. That's why I always told myself that I would make sure to respect everyone, no matter who they are. I've seen so much appalling abuse of power. I've seen managers who made their employees' lives hell. Good leadership and fair treatment of people are still rare in many companies. I had the ambition that if I ever made it, I wanted every one of my employees to go home and say that we are…