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.