Sandy Hernandez I The Retail Muse’s Post

FOSO is killing retail. The cure? The courage to be unique. 🦓 In the jungle, zebras blend together to avoid hungry lions. Sounds smart, right? But here’s the thing - the retail world is not the Serengeti. Letting FOSO, or fear of standing out, run your store is a one-way ticket to irrelevance. And trust me, FOSO roots run deep. As humans, we are hard-wired to survive, not thrive.  As kids, sticking out risked us being picked on by bullies. As adults, it threatens our credibility. Yet the world's most innovative brands in the world dare to be different. 🌟 ✅ They defy conventional wisdom.  ✅ They create experiences like no one else.  ✅ They stand for something distinctly their own, no matter what. But standing out feels scary, right? It’s like painting a target on your back. But here’s the thing - blending in won’t save you. Your survival depends on capturing customers’ imaginations. On shedding those tired traditional store layouts and designs. Bland, generic stores without personality get devoured by the competition. Sure, playing it safe may feel comfortable. But... It won’t help you create iconic brands. It won't help you nurture a cult-like following of fans. It won't help you build a customer base dying to open their wallets for you. 🤑 Being bravely original will. 🌟 Have you spotted any brave retail brands in the wild that are unapologetically original? Share them below! Let’s celebrate them! 👇🏼