Shop Spotlight: The Woods

Kicking off our new series highlighting our amazing retailers and partners, we got together with Sandra from The Woods for a quick Q&A. 

Tell us your name, the name of your store and its address?

Hi. I’m Sandra Wood and my shop is The Woods at 910 Valencia St., SF, CA 94110.

Tell us about your store?

We’re a family-owned lifestyle shop with cool apparel, accessories, and gifts for littles and grownups.

Do you have other locations?

No, just this one!

Why did you decide to open a shop like this?

I live in the neighborhood and wanted a shop like this. Someplace where I could discover cool things for myself and my family, find local makers and independent brands.

What’s the story behind the name of your store/brand?

It’s my family’s name… the Woods. :-) We live a few blocks away from the shop which is amazing, and we see our neighbors and school friends around all the time. I wanted to put our mark on the shop. I also loved that “the woods” could mean more than just reflecting our name. 

I didn’t intend for the shop to take on any woodsy theme at all. But, things just kind of happened… my nephew, Jeremy Kim, is an art school-trained illustrator who is also a talented finish carpenter which is really a magical combination. He did all the interior work, using everyday plywood for the cabinetry and flooring. The flooring is actually exterior siding that he finished beautifully. I really liked the look of pale wood against crisp white walls.

Then, I saw this artist, Chad Hasegawa, who is based in the Mission who does these incredible murals of bears. I saw his work at Incline Gallery and had to track him down to do a mural at the shop. He does a lot of street art, so his technique of using thick exterior paints and even rollers for bold strokes was paired with a soulful treatment of the eyes and nose of the bear that really drew me in.

What do you look for in the brands and products you carry?

We lean towards women-led, independent brands. Local as much possible. Innovative. Quality textiles, social awareness, environmentally conscious. Cool style. 

What are you eating, watching, reading or thinking right now that we need to know about?

Watching? Reading? Haha, so little time. This morning my daughter watched Despicable Me while I was making french toast. I wasn’t really happy about it, and probably will try to limit it from my daughter’s rotation. There’s a scene where some boy has a crush on a girl and keeps banging on her door to get her to like him and eventually comes with his mom to increase the pressure. No means no asshole! 

It’s been a two year long process to open this shop, so it’s finally such a joy to have the shop open. I’m paying attention to what people are interested in so we can continue to stock up the store and reorder popular items and styles as quickly as I can. I’m also planning our opening party, so it’s really a whirlwind right now, in between the less exciting things like setting up garbage service and wifi. 

Since I’ve been so busy and also trying to juggle being as present and engaged with my family as they (and I) need, I’m indulging in more self care. I tried a CBD-based period relief tincture recently and it was really really nice. I’ve never thought of myself as an anxious person, but I have to say that the CBD just adds a dash of mellow that feels amazing.


Throughout the shop building process I’ve been leaning heavily on Garden Creamery’s vegan ice creams. Like, I go by myself without a child with me. Like, when my husband and daughter spent a day away together, I had a double scoop for dinner by myself. I’m partial to the tea flavors, Lychee Black Tea, Earl Grey, Thai Tea, in that order. They have the world’s best mint chip, but I’ve been laying off dairy. 

Thank you!

If you are in the Bay Area, definitely stop by The Woods and see for yourself. Follow The Woods on Instagram (@shop_thewoods) and Facebook (@thewoodssf) and show them some love.

Photos by Emily Trinh Photography.


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