Notes from the Shop Floor: Edition One

Five store visits. Real experiences. A look at how retail feels right now. From skylight calm to digital screen fatigue.

After years of walking high streets with a trained eye (and tired feet), I’ve finally turned my camera roll and scribbled notes into something more permanent: a place to document, reflect and celebrate the best, and occasionally worst, of physical retail.

This first edition of Notes from the Shop Floor includes five store visits across Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow, each offering something different, something worth noticing.

Inside this issue:

• A calm and quietly confident flagship from ME+EM

• Mediterranean ease and architectural confidence at Mango

• New Balance’s premium take on performance retail

• A heritage moment with Kiwi flair at Rodd & Gunn

• A brief stop at & Other Stories, with gorgeous texture and tone

From stunning skylights to over-kill on screen takeovers, this is a look at retail from the ground up, focused on feeling, flow, and the details that make a difference.

Mango Glasgow: Mediterranean Calm on Buchanan Street

Mango has quietly but confidently arrived in Glasgow with a flagship on Buchanan Street, and it’s more than just another high street store.

Unveiled in March 2025, this space marks the brand’s first Scottish store to feature Mango Man, expanding its offering beyond womenswear and into carefully curated menswear. It’s a strategic move, aligned with Mango’s wider 4E Growth Plan (Expand, Elevate, Empower, Earn), and part of their pledge to open 20 new UK stores this year alone.

Design that invites you in

Designed under Mango’s evolving 'New Med' concept, the store embraces Mediterranean warmth through a palette of natural materials, soft textures, ceramic details, and calming tones. Think: wooden slatted ceilings, curved plasterwork, linen panels, and ceramic fixtures, all in a way that feels both modern and soft. The result is a blend of contemporary polish and coastal, a welcome pause in an otherwise fast-paced retail landscape.

Elevated experience, thoughtful fit-out

Whether you’re a loyal Mango shopper or not quite sold on the Spanish high street giant, there’s no denying they’re pushing for a more elevated customer experience, and this new Glasgow space is proof.

The store fit-out is genuinely impressive. Every surface seems considered, every area thoughtfully lit. The layout flows well, with subtle zones to explore, including an accessories edit tucked under the stairs at the rear of the first floor, a quiet corner of woven textures, raffia bags, oversized sunglasses, and well-edited summer staples. It’s a reminder that considered retail doesn’t need to shout to be effective.

Menswear takes its place

What’s particularly interesting is the split-store layout, with separate entrances for womenswear and menswear. An architectural choice that feels both intentional and quietly confident. Rather than tucking Mango Man away at the back, the menswear offer gets prime space, with a dedicated entrance and fully merchandised space that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

It’s a clever move, and according to the floor team, it’s paying off. Menswear sales are growing, and rather than drawing attention away from the women’s collections, it’s bringing a wider mix of shoppers through the doors.

Considered product with depth

From a product perspective, I was genuinely impressed by the breadth of the menswear offer. It’s all too common for men’s collections on the high street to feel like a sea of basics, but here, each capsule felt purposeful and well-rounded. From soft tailoring and abstract print shirts to relaxed linens and considered accessories, the range had structure, depth, and genuine styling intention. Suggesting Mango isn’t just testing the waters with menswear, but actively investing in its future.

A confident step forward

This isn’t just about expansion, it’s about positioning Mango as a serious player in both categories, and rethinking what the high street experience can look like.

More than a store, this space feels like a signal: that even high turnover physical retail, when done well, still has the power to inspire.

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New Balance Edinburgh: Where Performance Meets Premium

Opened in late 2024, the New Balance store in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter is more than just a sports shop, it’s a statement of intent.

This is the brand’s first Scottish site to adopt their new User-Centric Concept (UCC), a retail model built not just around product, but around people and movement. From the layout to the lighting, everything here is designed to invite interaction, encourage dwell time, and shift perception of what a sportswear store can be.