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Lululemon Athletica

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lululemon athletica inc.
Company typePublic
ISINUS5500211090
IndustryClothing
Retail
Founded1998; 26 years ago (1998)
FounderChip Wilson
HeadquartersVancouver, British Columbia, Canada[1]
Number of locations
711 (January 2024)[2]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Calvin McDonald (CEO)
  • Meghan Frank (CFO)
  • Sun Choe (CPO)
  • Celeste Burgoyne (EVP, Americas)
  • Isabella Pirzadeh (HOD)
ProductsSportswear
BrandsLab
RevenueIncrease US$9.62 billion (2023)[2]
Increase US$2.13 billion (2023)[2]
Increase US$1.55 billion (2023)[2]
Total assetsIncrease US$7.09 billion (2023)[2]
Total equityIncrease US$4.23 billion (2023)[2]
OwnerChip Wilson (8.4%)[3]
Number of employees
c. 38,000 (January 2024)[2]
Divisions
  • Lululemon Athletica
  • OQOQO
  • Ivivva Athletica
Websitelululemon.com
Footnotes / references
[2]

Lululemon Athletica inc., commonly known as lululemon (/ˌluːluˈlɛmən/ loo-loo-LEM-ən ⓘ; styled in all lowercase[2]), is a Canadian-American multinational premium athletic apparel retailer headquartered in British Columbia and incorporated in Delaware, United States.[4] It was founded in 1998 as a retailer of yoga pants and other yoga wear, and has expanded to also sell athletic wear, lifestyle apparel, accessories, and personal care products. The company has 711 stores (as of January 2024) and also sells online.

History

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Lululemon was founded in 1998 by Chip Wilson in Vancouver, with its first standalone store opening in November 2000.[5][6] In 1997, Wilson had been doing yoga and had an idea to make yoga apparel for women using a proprietary skintight fabric he developed to enhance their appearance.[7] Wilson deliberately chose a name with multiple 'L's to sound Western to Japanese buyers, who often have difficulty pronouncing the letter, and that the name otherwise "means nothing". He later remarked that,

The reason the Japanese liked [my former skateboard brand 'Homeless'] was because it had an L in it and a Japanese marketing firm wouldn’t come up with a brand name with an L in it. L is not in their vocabulary. It’s a tough pronunciation for them. So I thought, next time I have a company, I’ll make a name with three Ls and see if I can get three times the money. It’s kind of exotic for them. I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It’s funny to watch them try to say it.[8][9]

The company made its initial public offering in July 2007, raising $327.6 million by selling 18.2 million shares.[10][11] Christine Day, a former co-president of Starbucks, assumed her role as the company's chief executive officer in 2008.[10]

In 2013, the company made its third consecutive appearance on Fortune's Fastest-Growing Companies list.[10] In December 2013, founder Chip Wilson announced his resignation as chairman, and that the president of TOMS Shoes, Laurent Potdevin, would become CEO.[12] In 2018, Calvin McDonald became CEO of Lululemon Athletica.[13]

In 2014, Lululemon opened its first store in Europe, a flagship shop in Covent Garden, London.[14] In February 2015, Wilson announced that he was resigning from the board,[15][16] and Michael Casey, former lead director of the board, would replace him.[17] In 2018, Laurent Potdevin resigned as CEO and from the company's board due to misconduct related to a relationship he was having with a then-employee and later contractor.[18][19]

From its founding through 2015, Lululemon incorporated elements of Landmark Forum into its leadership and development training.[20] According to a company source, seventy per cent of managers are hired internally.[21] Store managers are responsible for their store's layout, colour coordination, and community involvement.[21]

Lululemon athletica became a Nasdaq-100 company on December 24, 2018.[22]

In 2019, Lululemon announced an investment in MIRROR, a home exercise startup that sells interactive fitness mirrors with a camera and speakers for at-home workouts. Capitalizing on a growing trend of people conducting virtual workouts at home instead of going to a gym due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MIRROR was formally acquired by Lululemon on June 29, 2020, for $500 million and was rebranded as lululemon Studio.[23][24][25] The companies also planned to create new content for the device, starting with meditation classes.[26] Following the acquisition, Lululemon recorded a post-tax impairment charge of $442.7 million related to the acquisition at the end of the 2022 fiscal year.[27]

In 2024, Lululemon athletica inc. agreed to acquire the operations and retail locations of its franchise partner in Mexico for an undisclosed amount.[28]

Products and services

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Lululemon sells athletic apparel including sporting tops, sports jackets, hoodies, joggers, running shoes, underwear, and leggings including yoga pants and casual wear. Some of the company's best known product lines include the High Rise Align Fit Mini flare leggings, Dance Studio pants, Hottie Hot shorts, Scuba hoodies, and the Define sports jacket.[29][30] Lululemon also sells gloves, mittens, hats, shoes, bags, yoga mats, water bottles, and personal care products such as deodorant and dry shampoo.[31] Lululemon has trademarked several proprietary fabrics, including Luon, Luxtreme, Nulu, Nulux, Everlux, and more.[6] Since then, Lululemon has produced several fabrics for different uses, including compression and moisture-wicking designs.[6]

In order to remain competitive and devise new product lines that can be sold on the commercial sportswear market, Lululemon maintains a research and development lab called Whitespace within its headquarters. It has around 50 employees including scientists and physiologists as part of its research and development personnel.[6][32]

In 2019, the company launched a luxury streetwear brand called Lab in a few of its stores.[33] In the same year, the company announced plans to double its men's clothing business in the next five years beyond its women's athletic apparel and accessory business, competing against other well-known athletic sportswear brands such as Nike and Under Armour.[34]

In March 2022, Lululemon expanded their product line by adding footwear.[35] The original launch consisted of footwear designed specifically for women's feet.[36] The brand has since expanded into men's footwear, currently offering two styles.[37]

Marketing

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Two Lululemon stores with their products in exhibition: (left) Promenade; (right) Hong Kong

Originally known for women's yoga apparel, by 2019 Lululemon had grown by acquiring more male customers and adapting its product and marketing strategies accordingly; it plans to increase awareness of its brand among men.[38] The company has been stated to use "holistic guerrilla marketing", aiming to make customers feel that by wearing Lululemon clothing they are part of a larger community.[39] It uses social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as a main method of marketing the company and its products. Lululemon offers fitness instructors 25 percent off their orders.[40]

Lululemon sponsors track and field and ultramarathon athletes including Tara Davis-Woodhall, Hunter Woodhall, Nikki Hiltz, Colleen Quigley, Damian Warner, Mirna Valerio, Samantha Gash, and Camille Herron. Lululemon is also the official outfitter for Team Canada for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.[41]

Controversies

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Lululemon's founder Chip Wilson has made numerous controversial statements throughout his career. In a 2004 interview, Wilson mocked the Japanese pronunciation of the company's name.[9] In 2013, Wilson stated that the company did not make clothes for plus-size women because it was too costly.[42] In an effort to explain away excessive pilling in the brand's clothing, he blamed some customers for wearing Lululemon's clothes improperly or for having body shapes inconsistent with the design of the clothing.[43] In an interview for Bloomberg TV in 2013, he stated that some women's bodies were unsuitable for the brand's clothing.[43] Time called the remarks "fat shaming".[44] Comments such as these reportedly led to Wilson's resignation as chairman.[45] In June 2016, Wilson published an open letter to shareholders stating that the company had "lost its way" and given up market share to Nike and Under Armour, after he was denied the opportunity to speak at the company's annual meetings.[46][47] Since then, Wilson has used his website "Elevate Lululemon" to criticise the brand and business.[48]

In November 2007, The New York Times reported that Lululemon made false claims about its Vitasea clothing product; the firm had claimed that the clothing, made from seaweed, provided "anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and detoxifying benefits"[49] but laboratory tests failed to find significant differences in mineral levels between ordinary T-shirt cotton and Vitasea fabric.[49] Lululemon was subsequently forced to remove all health claims from its seaweed-based products marketed in Canada, following a demand from a Canadian oversight agency, the Competition Bureau of Canada.[50]

In December 2010, Lululemon recalled some of the store's reusable bags that were made from polypropylene, based on reports of high levels of lead.[51]

In 2012, Lululemon filed a lawsuit against Calvin Klein and supplier G-III Apparel Group for infringement of three of its design patents for yoga pants.[52] The case was settled out of court the same year.[53]

In 2013, Lululemon recalled its black yoga pants that were unintentionally transparent and "too thin";[54] the recall, which amounted to approximately 17 percent of all women's pants sold in its stores, impacted its financial results.[55] The resulting financial loss and damage to the brand led to the forced departure of the company's chief product officer, Sheree Waterson,[56][10] and of its CEO, Christine Day.[57]

In 2013, some customers complained that the clothing was of poor quality, with some items being "too sheer", having holes appear, and falling apart after a few uses.[58][59]

In 2021, an unnamed company director pushed employees to create an All Lives Matter campaign to be displayed on its website in response to the murder of George Floyd. Employees pushed back but were told to create a mock up with the All Lives Matter copy; however, they also created a Black Lives Matter mock up that was selected instead. The director apologized and subsequently left the company.[60][61]

In May 2023, it was reported that Lululemon fired two employees at a Georgia store for calling the police during a looting,[62] but the company said that they were fired for physically confronting or following the looters.[63] The two employees physically approached the looters, and one of them took a video recording of the looting with her smartphone. They then followed the looters out of the store towards the parking lot. The three looters were arrested within days and charged with felony robbery.[64]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Lululemon Athletica | LULU Stock Price, Company Overview & News". Forbes.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Form 10-K – lululemon athletica inc". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 21, 2024.
  3. ^ 2023 Proxy statement
  4. ^ "LULU Stock - Lululemon Athletica Inc. SEC Filings".
  5. ^ Rob Walker, July 21, 2009, "Marketing Pose", The New York Times, Retrieved . "...it's no surprise that some yoga devotees have zeroed in on it as an annoying phony-baloney symbol. Elaine Lipson, a writer and editor in Boulder, Colo., who ..."
  6. ^ a b c d Bhasin, Kim Jr.; Porter, Gerald. "The rise of lululemon: How America became a nation of yoga pants". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  7. ^ Altstedter, Ari (October 20, 2023). "Lululemon's Founder Is Racing to Cure the Rare Disease Destroying His Muscles". Bloomberg Businesweek. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  8. ^ Edwards, Jim (September 4, 2015). "The long, strange history of lululemon: North America's weirdest clothing brand". Business Insider. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Shaw, Hollie (December 10, 2013). "Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's 5 most controversial quotes". Financial Post. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d Kowitt, Beth; Leahey, Colleen (August 29, 2013). "Lululemon: In an uncomfortable position". Fortune. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  11. ^ Ball, Yvonne. "lululemon IPO Runs Up 56%". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  12. ^ Stock, Kyle (December 10, 2013). "Lululemon's Founder Exits and a Snowboard Exec Enters". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022.
  13. ^ "lululemon athletica inc. Appoints Calvin McDonald Chief Executive Officer". corporate.lululemon.com. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Suzanne Bearne, Drapers."lululemon limbers up to open first UK store in Covent Garden." February 20, 2014. February 4, 2015.
  15. ^ "Power shifts at lululemon as Chip Wilson seals deal". The Globe and Mail. June 11, 2014.
  16. ^ Michael Calia, February 2, 2015, Wall Street Journal, lululemon Founder Wilson Quits Board: Resignation Comes About Six Months After Disagreement Was Settled on Yoga-Apparel Maker’s Strategy. Retrieved May 6, 2015
  17. ^ Huffington Post, Chip Wilson Leaving lululemon
  18. ^ D'Innocenzio, Anne. "lululemon's CEO resigns over issue of conduct". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Thomas, Christina; Farr, Lauren; Hirsch, Lauren (February 6, 2018). "lululemon CEO left in part because of relationship with female designer at the company". CNBC. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  20. ^ Lieber, Chavie (January 9, 2014). "The Self-Help Movement Behind Lululemon's Eerie Dogma". Racked. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  21. ^ a b "CEO: How to build trust inside your company". CNN Money. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  22. ^ "Annual Changes to the NASDAQ-100 Index" (Press release). Nasdaq. December 15, 2018.
  23. ^ Terlep, Sharon (June 30, 2020). "Lululemon Buys Mirror, an At-Home Fitness Startup, for $500 Million". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  24. ^ "Lululemon set to acquire home fitness startup Mirror for $500M". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  25. ^ "Lululemon to Buy Mirror, a Fitness Start-Up, for $500 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Hanbury, Mary. "lululemon just made a bet that the $1,500 interactive workout Mirror is the future of fitness, and it should terrify boutique workout studios". Business Insider. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  27. ^ Clark, Evan (March 28, 2023). "Lululemon Absorbs $442.7M Mirror Charge and Keeps Charging On". Women's Wear Daily.
  28. ^ "Lululemon to acquire Mexico franchisee, retail locations - BNN Bloomberg". BNN. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  29. ^ Bhasin, Kim; Porter, Gerald Jr. (October 31, 2018). "How America Became a Nation of Yoga Pants". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  30. ^ Walker, Rob (July 21, 2009). "Marketing Pose". The New York Times.
  31. ^ "Women's Accessories". lululemon.
  32. ^ Ankeny, Matthew (October 2, 2015). "The Metaphysical Thought of Lululemon's Athletic R&D". gear patrol.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  33. ^ Segran, Elizabeth (September 10, 2019). "lululemon's first new brand, 10 years in the making, is here". Fast Company. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  34. ^ Bhattarai, Abha. "Lululemon sold women on $100 leggings. Now it's coming after men, with $38 boxers". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  35. ^ "Lululemon launched its first-ever sneaker, designed specifically for women". TODAY.com. March 22, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  36. ^ Star, Alex Cyr Special to the (June 6, 2022). "Lululemon has launched its first 'women-first' running shoe — but what exactly does that mean?". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  37. ^ Newcomb, Tim. "Lululemon Expands Women's Footwear With Road-To-Trail Blissfeel Trail Shoe". Forbes. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  38. ^ Stankiewicz, Kevin (October 29, 2019). "Lululemon CEO: To really pop our menswear line, more men need to know we actually have one". CNBC.
  39. ^ "LOCO FOR LULU". Canadian Business. 84: 28–32. May 2011. ProQuest 865046155.
  40. ^ Touchette, Ben; Schanski, Megan; Lee, Seung-Eun (2015). "Apparel brands' use of Facebook: an exploratory content analysis of branded entertainment". Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management. 19 (2): 107–119. doi:10.1108/JFMM-04-2013-0051.
  41. ^ "Team Canada x lululemon". Team Canada x lululemon. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  42. ^ Bhasin, Kim (July 31, 2013). "Shunning Plus-Size Shoppers Is Key To Lululemon's Strategy, Insiders Say". HuffPost. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
  43. ^ a b Peterson, Hayley (December 10, 2013). "Outrageous Remarks By Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson". Business Insider.
  44. ^ Eliana Dockterman, November 13, 2013, Time magazine, "What Lululemon Could Learn From Abercrombie About Fat Shaming: A co-founder of Lululemon said his yoga pants just aren’t built for 'some women's bodies.' That's just a bad business decision". Retrieved May 6, 2015, "Clearly the feminist arguments against fat shaming are falling on deaf ears at Lululemon ... torrent of criticism hasn't inspired Wilson to change his tune."
  45. ^ Kim, Eun Kyung (December 10, 2013). "Lululemon co-founder steps down in wake of 'women's bodies' remark". Today.com.
  46. ^ Maheshwari, Sapna (June 2016). "Lululemon Founder Slams Company, Now That He's Allowed To". BuzzFeed. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  47. ^ Mau, Dhani (June 2, 2016). "Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson Created a Whole Website to Criticize the Company". Fashionista. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  48. ^ "Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson Created a Whole Website to Criticize the Company". Fashionista. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  49. ^ a b Story, Louise (November 14, 2007). "Seaweed Clothing Has None, Tests Show". The New York Times.
  50. ^ "Lululemon VitaSea Clothing: Competition Bureau Takes Action to Ensure Unsubstantiated Claims Removed from Lululemon Clothing". Competition Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2007.
  51. ^ Sinnema, Jodie (December 21, 2010). "Lululemon issues recall for shopping bags due to lead risk". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015. People who purchase yoga pants, hoodies or headbands from the more than 100 Lululemon stores in Canada, the U.S. and Australia often save such bags to carry their lunches to work
  52. ^ Weller, Susan Neuberger (September 21, 2012). "S. 3523: Louboutin, Lululemon, and Fashion Design: Finally Getting Some Respect?". The National Law Review.
  53. ^ Weller, Susan Neuberger (November 27, 2012). "Lululemon and Calvin Klein Settle Yoga Pants Design Litigation". The National Law Review.
  54. ^ "'Yoga pants': Are leggings and other tight trousers indecent?". BBC News. February 13, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  55. ^ Isidore, Chris (March 19, 2013). "See-through pants problem causes Lululemon recall". CNN Money.
  56. ^ "Lessons Learned from the Lululemon Recall". The National Law Review. Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS). Retrieved April 10, 2013.
  57. ^ Meier, Fred (June 10, 2013). "Stunner: Lululemon CEO Christine Day leaving". USA Today.
  58. ^ "What Lululemon's revealing pants say about yoga". Los Angeles Times. March 20, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  59. ^ Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer, November 1, 2013, USA Today, "New quality complaints about Lululemon pants: Just a few months after company pulled yoga wear from shelves, new quality issues arise". Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...New yoga pants ... recent complaints ... still too sheer... pants pilling after a few months of wear – or even just a few uses – and about holes and seams coming apart..."
  60. ^ Elan, Priya (July 2, 2021). "Lululemon 'pushed for All Lives Matter' campaign". The Guardian. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  61. ^ Hroncich, Caroline; Biron, Bethany (July 2, 2021). "'Privileged white wellness': Lululemon corporate employees speak out on the culture of racial insensitivity". Business Insider. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  62. ^ "Lululemon Fires Atlanta Employees for Calling Police During Robbery". National Review. May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  63. ^ "Lululemon employees fired after robbery for breaking policy". WXIA-TV. May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  64. ^ "The three men charged over brazen Lululemon store robbery in Georgia". Georgia Law News. May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
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