In a retail landscape obsessed with speed and conversion, Anthropologie has mastered something far more elusive: cultural alchemy. How do you transform a fleeting TikTok trend into a cross-category empire spanning everything from ceramic lamps to cashmere sweaters? COO Candan Erenguc reveals the operational artistry behind turning cultural moments into commerce gold, and why connection always trumps conversion.

The Genius Behind That Viral Dress

Key takeaways:

Community over conversion - Building authentic customer relationships drives long-term success more than short-term sales optimization
Cultural instinct beats data - When responding to viral moments and cultural trends, intuition often signals opportunities before data can catch up
Choice trumps speed - Customers value optionality in how, when, and where they receive products more than just fast delivery
Localized curation wins - Store-specific assortments based on neighborhood demographics and customer needs drive expansion success
Cross-category trend application - Scaling cultural moments across diverse product categories (from eccentric lamps to dog sweaters) maximizes trend participation
[00:03:13] "[Our merchant teams] are ahead of the curve, predicting trends. And if I may be so bold, they're influencing trends." - Candan
[00:05:53] "It’s symbiotic. Our goal is to give customers what they want. But I think …sometimes they don't know yet what they want." - Candan
[00:20:04] "Connection over conversion. You build the connection, everything else will come." - Candan
[00:16:41] "I don't think that the most important thing is speed. I think the most important thing is choice." - Candan
[00:19:43] "We're also at a time where people are much more savvy than we give them credit for." - Phillip

In-Show Mentions:

Listen to Mindy Massey, Anthropologie Global Director of Stores, on the latest season of Step By Step.

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The Sociology of Anthropologie

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