The Sociology of Anthropologie

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.

Associated Links:

• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
• Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.