Staying connected to what young consumers are looking for is a constant challenge for brands. To gain fresh insights, Anu Narayanan, global president of women’s, home and retail at Anthropologie, hosts monthly coffee chats with entry-level talent within the organization. She explains how these meetings with young employees foster transparency and cultivate innovative ideas within the organization. Narayanan shares more with Women in Retail Leadership Circle Co-Founder Melissa Campanelli in this video clip from a discussion at the Women in Retail Pavilion at Shoptalk 2026.

“First, I talk to them about business priorities and what’s going on … then I ask questions,” explains Narayanan.

This approach allows Narayanan to stay informed about emerging trends as well as to incorporate valuable feedback into the company’s strategy. For example, Narayanan learned about the rising interest in analog trends, like water coloring and detoxing from digital devices, which inspired the launch of successful product categories.

Creating open dialogue ensures that employees feel valued and empowered to share their insights. As Narayanan notes, such initiatives enable leaders to stay “educated and informed about what the youth are thinking.”

Women in Retail Leadership Circle members can view Narayanan’s full interview here as well as all sessions from the Women in Retail Pavilion at Shoptalk 2026 here.