What Most DTC Brands Get Wrong About Physical Retail, with Sandy Hernandez

Most stores are designed to sell. Very few are designed to connect.In this episode of Beyond the Register, Jeramey sits down with Sandy Hernandez, founder of The Retail Muse + A Store Is Born and a 15-year veteran of retail innovation, to unpack what actually makes a store stick in someone’s memory (and keep them coming back).Sandy has helped global brands like Adidas, H&M, Unilever, and Nestle to rethink their physical spaces. Today, she works with indie retailers and DTC founders to turn shops into storytelling machines that feel more like theater than transaction.This episode covers:- The first principle of unforgettable store design- Why your staff might need improv training- How to use scent, sound, and space to trigger emotional memory- What Coach got right with its in-store transformation- Why pop-ups are learning labs, not just marketing stunts- The best way to test a market before going all in- What metrics to track (besides just sales)- And the two store fixes Sandy says every retailer should prioritize this yearIf you’ve ever wondered how to make your store feel alive, human, and worth visiting again: this one’s for you.🎧 Listen and subscribe to Beyond the Register wherever you get your podcasts⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Sandy’s mission and retail philosophy02:15 – What makes a store truly memorable05:10 – The Peak-End Rule in store design07:35 – How Coach rebranded through in-store experience09:00 – Aesthetics vs. function: how to balance11:15 – Mistakes DTC brands make on launch day13:30 – Why pop-ups are underrated test labs16:20 – How long should a pop-up really last?19:50 – Collaborations as local growth tools22:45 – Real examples of successful collabs25:45 – Programming as a retention strategy30:10 – Which store metrics actually matter33:15 – Using product assortment to tell a story37:00 – Designing with scent, sound, and emotion39:00 – Training staff to create “worlds”42:00 – Empowering employees to go off-script44:45 – Sandy’s two retail fixes every store needs