To quadruple its international business by 2023, Lululemon takes a local approach (2024)

In April, Lululemon set a five-year-strategic plan with an aggressive goal for its international business: to quadruple sales generated outside of North America by 2023.

In order to do so, Lululemon is opening stores in Europe and Asia at an aggressive pace — of the 45 to 50 stores Lululemon is projecting it will open this year, about 30 of those will be outside of North America. But it also sees hosting localized events and developing customized e-commerce sites for each country it wants to gain market share as critical to its goals.

Lululemon’s international business is younger compared to other retailers — it opened its first store in Europe in 2013, and its first store in Asia in 2014. At the end of fiscal year 2018, 95 of Lululemon’s 440 stores were located outside North America.

The first step in order for Lululemon to build up an international business was simply to open stores abroad. But now that Lululemon has a more developed store network abroad, it has started to invest more resources into the digital international experience. Under the leadership of Stuart Haselden, Lululemon’s chief operating officer who was also put in charge of the international business by new CEO Calvin McDonald in 2018, Lululemon has relaunched new e-commerce sites in the first half of the year in China, Japan, South Korea Germany and France.

Jessica Ramirez, retail research analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, praised Lululemon for using local models on its newly-launched e-commerce sites and in markets like China and Japan also carrying sizes that are more tailored to the body type of the typical customer there. She contrasted Lululemon’s approach to that of Victoria’s Secret, which uses the same images and copy in all of its international sites, but just changes the currency displayed.

“That’s not enough — you need to make sure that products and colors are customized to consumers in that particular market,” Ramirez said.

Lululemon also sees events as key to international expansion. Most notably, its Swetlife Festival — an annual multi-day fitness event that it first started hosting in London. Lululemon has also held a Sweatlife Festival for the past two years in Berlin, and plans to host one in Paris for the first time next year.

Lululemon is not the only retailer who has taken this hands-on approach to international expansion — so have its competitors Nike and Adidas. But it exemplifies a shift from how vertically-integrated apparel retailers have historically treated their international businesses. And, it’s indicative of a split that’s occurring in retail. The retailers who are seeing some of the best sales growth are taking a more hands-on approach to their international businesses, while struggling retailers have failed to localize their international businesses beyond displaying local currencies on their websites.

During its second-quarter earnings last week, Lululemon reported that its revenue in Europe grew 35% year-over-year, while sales in Asia-Pacific grew 22%. Overall, the company reported a total revenue increase of 22% to $883.4 million.

Jason Goldberg, chief commerce officer at Publicis, said that historically, a vertically-integrated apparel retailers like Lululemon have approached international expansion as more of a licensing business. Retailers would often sell the rights to a brand to the local company in that market.

The upside of that approach is that the retailer could ensure that the presentation is localized to that particular market. The downsides, according to Goldberg, are that “the global brand voice can be diluted,” and it can limit the ability of the retailer to share resources between markets.

“The best international practitioners have some federal guidelines that get followed in every market, but then there is a fair amount of local autonomy,” Goldberg said.

The company has also benefitted from some favorable tailwinds as its expanded internationally. For now, athleisure products like the ones Lululemon sells are more popular among consumers, particularly in China, then performance-based activewear like Under Armour. But if those trends flip, Lululemon may have to find themselves having to find new ways to speak to consumers.

“Lululemon’s getting really good at becoming more of a lifestyle brand,” Ramirez said. “You don’t necessarily have to go in there for a pair of leggings. They’re getting into every part of the consumers’ life.”

To quadruple its international business by 2023, Lululemon takes a local approach (2024)

FAQs

What strategy approach does lululemon take? ›

Lululemon is a yoga and exercise apparel company, whose business strategy is based on marketing a lifestyle rather than a product.

What is lululemon international strategy? ›

Lululemon's international expansion (most importantly China) will increase Lululemon's addressable market and gain exposure to the 2nd largest activewear market.

What are the 4 pillars of lululemon? ›

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action.

What is lululemon Power of Three x2 strategy? ›

Lululemon's power of 3 x2 strategy aims to double the company's revenues by focusing on product innovation, guest experiences and market expansion.

What type of strategy does lululemon engage in quizlet? ›

Their competitive strategy is focused differentiation.

What type of generic strategy is lululemon using to sustain a competitive advantage? ›

Answer and Explanation: Lululemon is using a focus differentiation strategy to face the competition in the market.

What makes lululemon different from its competitors? ›

One of the most significant differences between Lululemon and its competitors is that the yoga-inspired brand focuses solely on apparel and sports accessories.

What makes lululemon successful? ›

Lululemon had a strong head start by putting customer insights in the center of everything they did — from product design to branding and selling experience. They've inspired shoppers through brand advocacy and built a cult-like following over several short years.

What differentiates lululemon from its competitors? ›

Lululemon has patented 45 materials and has trademark registrations for several of its products, fabric names, and images. By doing so Lululemon is differentiating themselves and protecting themselves from competitors. Innovation is a key component of Lululemon's success.

What is lululemon mission statement? ›

lululemon athletica

our original intent: Elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness. our mission statement: Creating components for people to live longer, healthier, fun lives. about our products: We make technical athletic apparel for yoga, running, dancing, and most other sweaty pursuits.

What are lululemon mission values? ›

Our core values of personal responsibility, entrepreneurship, honesty, courage, connection, fun, and inclusion are lived by our people every day and are at the heart of our unique company culture.

What is lululemon brand mission statement? ›

Our purpose is to elevate human potential by helping people feel their best.

What is power of 3 strategy lululemon? ›

The Company plans to fuel growth through its Power of Three strategic plan to drive product innovation, create integrated Omni guest experiences, and to expand deeper in key markets around the world. The growth strategy includes a plan to double men's and digital revenues, and to quadruple international revenues.

What is lululemon promotion strategy? ›

Influencer marketing is one of the most successful marketing strategies for rapid growth. Lululemon invented its own ambassador program by partnering with local fitness and yoga coaches to promote its products while helping them grow their reputation at the same time.

How does lululemon motivate their employees? ›

By turning employees into co-creators of the brand, lululemon pushes them to deliver and invest more in the space they work in. Employees, in turn, feel empowered and like their opinions matter.

How does lululemon target their customers? ›

Lululemon customer demographics includes people in their mid-teens to mid thirties, both women and men. They are largely yoga and/or fitness enthusiasts who value work-life balance and a fit and active lifestyle. They are generally affluent, and willing to pay the high prices of Lululemon products.

What are the main threats to lululemon? ›

Lululemon is under constant threat as the sports retail market to a rapidly growing market. Other competitive brands like Nike, Amazon, Gap, & Under Armour are also trying to improve their market, and hence Lululemon may face tough competition.

What type of business structure is lululemon? ›

It company operates through the following business segments: Company-Operated Stores, Direct to Consumer. The Company-Operated Stores segment comprises of lululemon and ivivva brands; and specialize in athletic wear for female youth. The Direct to Consumer segment is involved in e-commerce business.

What makes lululemon products unique? ›

They're made with the brand's fastest-drying Everlux fabric. The sweat-wicking and supportive fabric is made with four-way-stretch and is made to feel cool and sleek on the inside. The leggings come in 18 different colors and run up to a size 20.

What must lululemon do to maintain its competitive advantage? ›

The key source of competitive advantage is brand loyalty. Lululemon has a solid and loyal customer base.

What are the 3 generic strategies for competitive advantage? ›

According to Porter's Generic Strategies model, there are three basic strategic options available to organizations for gaining competitive advantage. These are: Cost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus.

What is Lululemon unique selling point? ›

Top quality, technically advanced product that offers unique and proprietary innovations. A strong culture that connects our guests, our collective, and our communities. The commitment to create positive change for our people and planet.

What is the most popular thing from Lululemon? ›

What Is lululemon's Most Popular Item? Workout Leggings! lululemon is known for selling the best leggings. Not only the best workout leggings, but the best leggings for running, strength training, high intensity interval training, yoga and everyday wear.

Does Lululemon replace anything? ›

If our product doesn't perform for you, we'll take it back. While we pride ourselves on creating long-lasting gear, our quality promise does not cover usage beyond practical lifetime, and as a result our Quality Promise cannot be applied to any item purchased through Like New.

How did Lululemon establish a positive reputation? ›

By promoting a lifestyle of health and wellness, they've cultivated a strong cult-like community of active enthusiasts who desire premium quality. Lululemon is still experiencing rapid growth more than 20 years after launching and plans to double their revenue by 2026 to $12.5 billion.

What sets Lululemon apart from other brands? ›

One of the efforts Lululemon has made that other brands have not is to purposely seek out brand ambassadors that are yoga instructors and fitness mentors. These brand ambassadors embody a lifestyle that Lululemon consumers strive to lead, a resource that ultimately differentiates the company and drives up its appeal.

What is Lululemon organizational culture? ›

At Lululemon, our values are “courage, connection, inclusion, personal responsibility and fun.” These form the foundation of our culture and are what we stand for as a team. It's critical that we hold true to these, even in moments of pressure.

What type of marketing strategy does lululemon use? ›

Diversified in-store marketing strategies

Lululemon doesn't only focus on selling its products in several store locations. They integrate scarcity to make consumers want more. The brand does pop-up stores in different areas or countries to see if it clicks with the market.

How does lululemon segmentation strategy? ›

Lululemon Behavioral Segmentation

Lululemon is a premium fitness wear brand, and products are pricey, ranging from $90 to $130 for items such as leggings and bras. Therefore, Lululemon tends to attract middle to upper class customers. The typical Lululemon target customer is fitness enthusiasts, who regularly work out.

What makes Lululemon successful? ›

Lululemon had a strong head start by putting customer insights in the center of everything they did — from product design to branding and selling experience. They've inspired shoppers through brand advocacy and built a cult-like following over several short years.

What is the key message of Lululemon? ›

As a design-led company, curiosity is at our core. We're constantly thinking about how we can innovate our process, our gear, and our social impact so we can elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness.

What social media strategy does lululemon use? ›

lululemon uses every part of Instagram – photos, videos, Reels, stories and user-generated content by other Instagram users. The company uses every feature Instagram has to offer, adding huge variety to the content being shared, as well as cultivating a community with a hashtag.

How does Lululemon connect with the community? ›

Lululemon's Lifestyle Community

They host an average of 4,000 events every year, which includes free yoga classes, events and talks, and their annual Sweatlife Festival, which takes place in different major cities around the world wherever their physical stores are located.

What social responsibility strategy is Lululemon Athletica pursuing? ›

We are deeply connected to ourselves, each other and our planet; each part elevating one another. We aim to create healthier environments by inspiring positive change through mindful choices, innovation and collaboration.

What makes Lululemon products unique? ›

They're made with the brand's fastest-drying Everlux fabric. The sweat-wicking and supportive fabric is made with four-way-stretch and is made to feel cool and sleek on the inside. The leggings come in 18 different colors and run up to a size 20.

What is Lululemon's biggest competitor? ›

  • Athleta – a Gap subsidiary.
  • Victoria Sports.
  • Under Armour.
  • Prana – a Columbia sportswear subsidiary.
  • Nike.
  • Adidas.
  • Puma.
  • Sweaty Betty.

What is Lululemon's competitive advantage? ›

The technological advances lululemon has made in clothing makes it harder for competitors to emulate its success. It also enables lululemon to charge higher prices and have merchandise that rarely goes on sale. lululemon's focus on innovation not only lies within its products but within its stores.

Is Lululemon a successful business? ›

Lululemon is a multibillion-dollar leader in the high-end active wear category that owns and operates 600 stores, 40 of which are located in Europe. Its roots date back to 1998 when it opened as “Lululemon Athletica,” a yoga-wear brand geared toward women and yoga enthusiasts.

What is the company culture at Lululemon? ›

At Lululemon, our values are “courage, connection, inclusion, personal responsibility and fun.” These form the foundation of our culture and are what we stand for as a team. It's critical that we hold true to these, even in moments of pressure.

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