Joining Two Retail Units to Create a Better Customer Experience for a Scottish Highlandwear Brand

When designing a retail space, the goal is never just to make it look better. A successful shop interior needs to support the way people move, browse, try things on, ask questions, make decisions and connect emotionally with the brand.

This was especially important for MacGregor & MacDuff, a well-established Scottish kiltmaker and Highlandwear retailer. Their customers are often choosing outfits for weddings, family celebrations and important occasions, so the space needed to feel welcoming, polished, practical and memorable.

Skela Studio has worked with MacGregor & MacDuff over a number of years, across different retail and pop-up spaces. This long-standing relationship meant the Newbridge project could build on an existing understanding of the brand, its customers and the way the business operates.

For this project, the focus was on Unit 12 and Unit 13 in Newbridge, Edinburgh. The brief was to create a more effective retail and fitting experience by connecting the two units, improving customer flow and creating dedicated areas for fittings, sales and shoppable displays.

The Brief

MacGregor & MacDuff needed the two Newbridge units to work together more effectively.

The project was not simply a decorative refresh. The design needed to improve how the spaces functioned, how customers experienced the shop, and how staff could manage appointments, fittings and sales.

Unit 12 was planned as a more dedicated fitting and appointment-led space, with four changing rooms to create four groom’s rooms. Each room needed seating for three people, mirrors inside and outside the changing area, and a traditional look that felt consistent with the wider MacGregor & MacDuff brand.

The space also needed a welcome desk at the entrance, with room for two laptops and a till point, so staff could greet customers, manage appointments and support the sales journey more efficiently.

A small kitchenette area was also included, with space for a small fridge and storage for cups, supporting tea and coffee making for longer appointments and group fittings. This was a practical detail, but one that matters in a customer-facing environment where people may spend time choosing outfits for important occasions.

Alongside the fitting rooms and practical staff requirements, the brief also included a shoppable display area, similar in spirit to the Bath Street shop, so that retail sales could be supported alongside the hire and fitting side of the business.

The Challenge

The existing layout was not making the most of the available space.

Unit 12 and Unit 13 needed to feel connected and flexible, rather than operating as separate or disconnected areas. The customer journey needed to be clearer, the fitting experience needed to feel more considered, and the retail displays needed to work harder commercially.

There was also a balance to achieve. MacGregor & MacDuff is a heritage-led Scottish brand, so the space needed to feel rooted in tradition, but not old-fashioned. It needed to feel practical and commercial, but still warm and characterful.

The design had to support several different uses at once: individual customers browsing, wedding parties attending fittings, staff managing appointments, customers trying on Highlandwear, and the business encouraging retail sales through better product presentation.

In other words, the interior needed to work beautifully for customers, staff and the business.

Connecting Unit 12 and Unit 13

One of the most important parts of the project was the relationship between the two units.

By connecting Unit 12 and Unit 13, the shop could offer a more flexible and joined-up customer experience. Rather than treating the spaces as separate, the design allowed customers to move more naturally between fitting, browsing and sales areas.

This gave the business more flexibility in how the space could be used. Wedding parties could be looked after in dedicated groom’s rooms, while other customers could still browse and shop. Staff had a clearer point of welcome and better control over the customer journey.

For a retail business, this type of spatial planning is crucial. It is not just about where things fit on a plan. It is about how the space supports real customer behaviour and day-to-day operations.

Creating Dedicated Groom’s Rooms

The four changing rooms in Unit 12 were designed to create dedicated groom’s rooms.

This was a key part of improving the fitting experience. Choosing Highlandwear for a wedding or special occasion is not usually a quick transaction. Customers may arrive with family members, friends or members of the wedding party. They need space to sit, look, compare, discuss and feel comfortable.

Each groom’s room was planned with seating for three people, mirrors inside and outside the changing room, and a traditional look in keeping with the brand.

This created a more personal and considered experience for customers. It also helped the business manage appointments more professionally, giving each group a defined area while still allowing the wider shop to function.

Designing for Retail, Hire and Customer Flow

A strong retail interior needs to support more than one type of customer behaviour.

For MacGregor & MacDuff, the space needed to work for fittings and appointments, but also for browsing and retail sales. That meant considering how customers arrived, where they were welcomed, how they moved through the units, where they paused, what they noticed, and how the product was displayed.

The welcome desk at the entrance created a clearer first point of contact. This helped staff greet customers, manage bookings and support the customer journey from the moment someone entered the shop.

The shoppable display area was also an important part of the design. Rather than the space being used only for appointments, the displays helped encourage browsing, product engagement and additional sales.

This is where commercial interior design and visual merchandising work together. The layout, product placement, focal points and styling all help shape how customers experience the brand and interact with the products.

Visual Merchandising and Brand Storytelling

Skela Studio’s approach to this project was strongly informed by retail and visual merchandising experience.

The space was considered not only as an interior, but as a commercial environment. The design needed to make the products more visible, easier to browse and more desirable. It also needed to tell a story about the brand.

For MacGregor & MacDuff, that story is rooted in Scottish heritage, Highland tailoring, craftsmanship, tartan, texture and occasionwear. The interior and styling needed to reflect that without feeling too themed or heavy-handed.

Visual merchandising decisions helped create stronger focal points, better product presentation and a more engaging customer journey. Displays were considered as part of the overall experience, helping the shop feel more intentional, polished and commercially effective.

Lighting and Atmosphere

Lighting was another important part of the project.

In retail design, lighting has a direct impact on how customers experience the space. It affects how colours and textures are seen, how products photograph, how mirrors perform, and how comfortable customers feel during fittings.

The lighting approach focused on bright, practical retail lighting, supported by directional lighting to highlight products, displays and key areas. Mirror lighting was also important because fittings are such a central part of the customer experience.

The aim was to create a space that felt polished, well-lit and professional, while still retaining warmth and character.

Styling the Finished Space

After the main design work, Skela Studio also supported the final styling of the shop for photography and marketing.

This final layer helped bring the brand story to life. Carefully chosen props and details were used to add warmth, depth and heritage character, including vintage suitcases, traditional weaving tools, tactile textiles, antique pieces and heritage-inspired accessories.

These details were not just decorative. They helped create a richer emotional connection with the brand and gave the finished space more personality.

The styling also meant the shop worked better for photography, social media and promotional content. A commercial interior should look good in person, but it should also give a business strong visual assets that can be used across its website, social media and marketing.

The Result

The completed project created a more practical, flexible and brand-led retail environment for MacGregor & MacDuff.

By connecting Unit 12 and Unit 13, the shop gained a stronger sense of flow and flexibility. The new groom’s rooms created a more comfortable and considered fitting experience. The welcome desk improved the arrival experience and supported staff operations. The shoppable display area helped connect appointments with retail sales.

The result was a space that better supported the business while also creating a warmer and more polished customer experience.

Staff and customers responded positively to the refreshed space, and the project became another chapter in the long-standing working relationship between MacGregor & MacDuff and Skela Studio.

Why This Project Matters

This project is a strong example of how commercial interior design can support both customer experience and business goals.

For independent and growing retail brands, the interior is not just a backdrop. It affects how customers feel, how long they stay, how confidently they browse, how well staff can support them, and how the brand is remembered.

For MacGregor & MacDuff, the design needed to respect Scottish heritage while creating a more modern and effective retail experience. It needed to support fittings, sales, staff operations, photography, marketing and customer comfort.

That is what good retail design does. It brings together function, atmosphere, brand identity and commercial thinking.

Skela Studio’s Role

Skela Studio supported the project through retail interior design, space planning, visual merchandising thinking, lighting considerations and final styling.

The project drew on Skela Studio’s experience in commercial interiors, retail design and visual merchandising, with a focus on creating a space that looked good, worked well and supported the business behind it.

From the layout of the units to the fitting rooms, displays, lighting and final styling, every decision was considered around how the space would be used in real life.

Looking to Improve Your Retail Space?

If you run a shop, showroom, boutique, hospitality space or customer-facing business, your interior has a direct impact on how people experience your brand.

Skela Studio helps businesses create commercial interiors that are practical, beautiful and designed around real customer behaviour.

Whether you need to improve your layout, create a better customer journey, refresh your displays, plan a fitting area, improve lighting or make your space more visually engaging, thoughtful design can help your business work better.

If you are planning a retail refurbishment or want your commercial space to feel more polished, practical and brand-led, Skela Studio can help you create an interior that supports both your customers and your business.