Store tours

Never been one to bite the hand that feeds, so I'm always grateful when a retailer rings up and enquires whether I'd be available to take a group around stores in, say, London or Berlin. It's generally pretty straightforward and there are invariably a few new shops that are worth showing off.

The thing is, when you talk to many of those who come over for "inspiration", it doesn't take too long to find out that they're not really sure what they want to look at, so they go for the default position. More often than not, food retailers will want to have a gander at foreign supermarkets, fashionistas will want to check out Topshop and so on.

There is a school of thought however that says that if you really are looking for something new, then looking beyond your own sector is more likely to pay dividends. At the moment, probably the most dynamic interiors are to be found in the restaurant sector - so here's a piece of free advice. If you want to see something new, now would be a good time to pick up the phone and ask me out to lunch. I guarantee I'll be able to find you something interesting and if all else fails, at least you'll have had a good meal.