Lululemon Athletica was founded in 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, by Chip Wilson. The company specializes in yoga and running apparel, including shorts, shirts, pants, and yoga accessories, such as mats, water bottles, underwear, and tote bags.
The company currently has 354 locations as of late 2015 and also sells items online. Lululemon Athletica is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol: LULU. The company had annual revenue in 2013 of $1.37 billion and employs more than 13,000 persons full time.
Lululemon Athletica has been plagued by problems in the past few years, including recalled items made in China that contained toxic chemicals, a murder occurring between employees in 2011 at the Bethesda, Maryland, store, and comments from the founder regarding plus-sized women being inappropriate customers. These problems hurt the company’s bottom line in recent years, but with a new CEO taking the place of founder Chip Wilson, Lululemon Athletica appears to be back in the black.
In early January 2019, company shares climbed 6% after raising their 4th quarter outlook. The US headquarters for Lululemon is located in Sumner, Washington.
After having worked 10 years in Miami as an independent sole practitioner as a Yoga Teacher and Functional Fitness Trainer, also specializing in training elderly, frail clients with chronic diseases and teaching Yoga in a Drug Rehab Center and getting patients from my Doctors for training women with Osteoporosis, I moved to the west coast of Florida and started my business again. I have never worked with a Website or Company name. Just my business card and referrals gave me a very successful business. Another reason that I did not want to advertise via a website is that I felt safer getting new clients via referrals of known people, having to go to private homes in a big city.
When I moved to the west coast recently and visited your Lululemon Store in the UTC Mall, Sarasota I was told that I could join the Sweat Collective team. I have sent the team copies of my invoices with the # and kind of classes I teach, private classes yoga and fitness, accompanied with copies of the checks that are written in my name. I even sent proof that I am licensed and insured in both fields. My invoices and checks prove that I am working and contributing to the fitness and yoga communities in my new home town. The business just started but I am getting my referrals via a well known Doctor of Internal Medicine who likes to work with me to help her elderly, chronic patients .
.
I have a feeling that I am being declined because I just started my new business with my past years of working being ignored and for not having a website/Company although I proved that I am working again and being paid for leading in my community. I feel very strongly that your Company is discriminating against hard working independent sole practitioners who follow a different route growing their own business. I have worked with the most vulnerable clients for years till they sometimes die and assuming that I am not leading in my activities or that my documentation does not confirm that I am actively and currently in business is offensive to me. Not only am I very disappointed how I am treated but also because I have been a good customer of yours, wearing your athletic products, even recommending your products to my clients. I would really appreciate it if you could also honor independent sole practitioners with their own businesses to be part of your team.
I bought a tee shirt for $47and change on Nov 4 via the internet. No where did it say final sale. I would not have purchased it if I saw it was a final sale because I was not sure of my granddaughters size, and in your advertising you say how “easy” it is to return.Today, Nov 13 I tried to return this shirt. I was told that at most, if the agent I spoke with cared to do this, I would get a gift card for the purchase amount. I frankly do not want a gift card because I will never shop at lululemon again. However, if that is the only option, I will take a gift card. I spoke with 2 agents who finally said they would send me via email a shipping label. Have not received this. Your company is running on false advertising.
I am a fitness professional and I work hard for my money so when I spend it on a product that is supposed to be quality I expect it to hold up after wearing and washing ( 2 times btw) I bought a sports bra and it has already come apart. I shouldn’t have to worry about a product that I just bought and spent a good amount of money on falling apart, the threading pulled out and material just hanging on and now I have to SEW it….!! why should I have to sew something that cost this much when I relied on a company to provide me with a good product especially with the money I spend on your products. To me I lost money now…. on a poor quality product… I have work out cloths that I have spent a lot less money on that I have had for years and they have NORMAL wear and tear! a product falling apart after 2 times is not normal wear and tear! VERY FRUSTRATED and will spend my money else where
Dear Lululemon,
I am reaching out to inform you of an extremely under served community of prime Lululemon potential customers.
After 15 years of training 6 days a week in a variety of fitness disciplines (wearing nothing but Lulu), and listening to an overwhelming number of women question how a mother of 3 in her early 40’s can look and function the way I do, my physician husband and I decided that it was time for me to become a certified instructor and launch my brand “Michelle Lynn Fit”. We also decided to do this in an entirely new environment moving from The San Francisco Bay Area (like droves of others) to the amazing booming wealthy Country Club Community of El Dorado Hills, CA. In only a few short months of instructing at several of the local fitness clubs, I have been successful in building an impressive following. However, to my surprise Lululemon is not a part of the local fitness attire. Perhaps it’s because the nearest Lululemon store is 45 minutes away in Roseville, CA or because there has not been an Ambassador for Lulu like me in the area to date.
That being said, I am now looking to begin developing my marketing content, and prior to doing so believe that integrating an Ambassador/Sponsorship arrangement with Lululemon, and perhaps my involvement in a Lulu store in the El Dorado Hills Town Center makes a great deal of sense.
Please advise of your interest in such a partnership.
This company is horrible! The tag fell off the pants I bought. I brought them into the store with the tag (in perfect condition) with the receipt and just wanted to exchange for a bigger size. The sales person said because the tag was off I could not return or exchange the pants. When I asked to see a manager, the manager told the sales person she was too busy to speak to me. Again, that’s crazy!
I have been in touch with Lululemon for the past 3 weeks. They keep telling me that I was treated badly and that they will issue me a full credit. They asked me to send the pants back and I did! It’s been almost 2 weeks since I’ve return the pants and I still haven’t received my refund. NOW I’M WITHOUT THE PANTS AND THEY STILL HAVE MY $100+ dollars. ONCE AGAIN CRAZY!!!
Hello I recently purchased the Down for it all jacket zip down hooded I’ve worn it 3 times and now their is piling under each of the arms and sides. The jacket cost over $200 and it should have a lot more wear then this. Very disappointed.
What is your policy on exchanges or returns with “gift receipts”? Clearly it is not to give the customer the full amount that was paid for it. Seems to me another unnamed retailer got into serious hot water doing this some time back.
Your location in Richmond, VA shortchanged me almost $40. How many other innocent customers have you pulled this on? Luckily my fiancé was the one who gave me the gifts and had the sales receipts, as well. Shame on you Lululemon! I thought you were classier than that!
I write this email because I have tried to obtain a corporate headquarters address in USA to no avail. I am extremely disappointed in the policy regarding professional discounts at your stores. A 25% discount is extended to personal trainers (as “health professionals”) which requires very little schooling/testing; but a professional sports massage therapist which requires: yeas of schooling, state boards and licensing does not receive any discount and is not considered a health professional. How is that possible?!
So disappointed…..
I used to spend a lot of money at your stores. Your product has shifted to pure athletic. There is a market of middle aged business professionals that want to dress business atheletic. I still wear your ABC pants daily but your other stuff for business casual athletic has diminished. Please consider designing some stuff for guys that dress casual, are athletic but need to give a successful business appearance. Please forward this to someone that designs your men’s attire.
hi i have a rip in my size 6 gray Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve Crew shirt. i would like to know what i can do?
To Whom it may be concern!!
I went to Lululemon store in Scottsdale,Az tonight with 2 other girlfriends. It was one of the most awful experience that I had ever been. I’m a very loyal and frequent customer to lululemon because of their fashionable gym clothes since I’m in the fitness industry and been referring a lot of friends and family members to shop at the store. Last year I started to shop more often at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. I had a really bad experience with customer service there. The people worked there, especially the female sale people are very unfriendly, very rude and they that not how I expected to spend tons of money . So I decided to go to Lorna Jane because they are much nicer and helpful. Tonight still proved that the female at this Specific Location are even worse and Quite Snobby, no help, no greediness , not friendly and rather rude. I’m writing this comment and will also call the main office to file a complaint. If you still wanna keep my business or want me to continue invest my money and send more friends and family. I suggest you need to retrain your female employees at that Specific Location. Or you need to let them go. Because after tonihjy I will not shop at lululemon again unless I get better customer service there. Those female sale associates obviously don’t know how to perform a basic customer service skill they were hired for. Thanks.
Hi. I am inquiring about selling Lulu Lemon products in my yoga studio and would also like to become more involved with teaching classes in store location near my studio in Jacksonville, Fl. I was informed that the store calendar is booked for the rest of the year. I have been in business for 3 years now and have only been invited to be studio of the month one time back in 2014. I have neighboring yoga studios that have been invited to be studio of the month multiple times in a single year. I find this to be disappointing since I have been reaching out to my local store repeatedly with no response back until recently.
I am curious to know the criteria for selection? Is my studio not good enough for Lulu Lemon? Are my instructors not worthy of teaching at Lulu Lemon? Or is this just an oversight?
I look forward to your response.
Wendy Cruff
Owener
Dragon Dance Yoga
12525 Philips Hwy #204
Jacksonville, Fl 32256
904-982-5580
I would like to have the contact person in your licensing or vp of marketin contact.
please call me back at 818 404 XXXXX