Bond Street, London. Home to some of the capital's swankiest stores, frequented by WAGs, the well-off, and just occasionally me. My pilgrimages to this avenue of mammon mostly involve gazing in awe at expensive items from the pavement side of operations. Just occasionally, I do get to go inside a shop. It's usually Smythson, and it's usually to get a gift for someone else.

The store is a temple to luxe stationery and leather goods, although the prices are a little on the eye-watering side when one isn't possessed of a footballing hubby. Such technicalities obviously aren't an issue for the Queen, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles, who have all bestowed royal warrants on the company.

On my most recent visit I bought one of their covetable notebooks as a small thank-you present. Before the sales assistant began her task of wrapping and doing the sort of fancy thing with bows that staff in posh shops must receive special training in, she enquired whether I would like to have the notebook personalised with foil blocked initials, or a name. Absolutely! That would be great. It will be ready in two days, she said. Two days!! I realise the venerable Smythson was established back in 1887, but surely they've heard of print-on-demand?

I can think of two bits of kit that would allow them to do some added-value foil blocking in the back of the shop, that certainly wouldn't break the bank, and would allow a much more reasonable service of, say, two hours - enough time for a bit of light shopping and a latte, and surely far more likely to appeal to today's time-poor shoppers. A Caslon HF-85 foil blocking machine costs £1,650 and even comes with a jig for pencils. Or how about a Dalesway Kwikprint Model 55, which starts at just £1,450 - they have jewellery boxes in Smythson that cost more than this. I'm reliably informed that operation of both machines is a breeze, so I reckon it would be a relatively small step to upskill from the folding of tissue paper and tying of exquisite bows to a bit of personalised foiling on demand.

Alternatively, is this a business service opportunity for an enterprising printer in the Mayfair area?