In my home town there is a tiny sports shop, "Jack Hatfield & sons", selling kit and equipment, that is now being run by the grandchildren of Jack Hatfield.
I remember being served by old Mr.Hatfield when my dad took me for my first pair of football boots. He made quite a fuss of making sure my boots were the right ones for me and as I was leaving he called me back and, with a conspiratorial wink, slipped me a free pair of spare bootlaces.
The next time I called in the shop was for a new football. My "friend" Mr.Hatfield enquired how I was getting along with the new boots and, as I paid for the ball, was given a free valve.
Many years later I took a young nephew of mine into town to buy a football strip and although it had been some years since my last visit I was delighted to see the shop was still in business. Sadly old Mr.Hatfield had died but his sons were running the business and after we'd got what we wanted and were heading for the door, the "young" Mr.Hatfield called my nephew back and, with the same conspiratorial wink, gave the lad some shin pads.
The Hatfield family have been "giving away" their stock for 50 years now and despite the upsurge of interest in sports/fashion wear and the influx of big, departmental-style sports shops, it remains as one of the last bastions of retail service.
Make no mistake, Jack Hatfield was no mug when it came down to business. He recognised that his and his families future lay in the hands of those little kids and the generations that followed. I wouldn't begrudge them their profits, they earned them and, like many others, I don't even mind paying a little extra for the pleasure of the "freebies".
No matter how many "Buy on get one free!" offers the big stores make, they can't ever make it personal like Jack and his wink!