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'{{short description|Multinational athletic apparel retailer}} {{Advert|date=April 2024}} {{Use Canadian English|date=March 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = lululemon athletica inc.<!--exact legal name as specified in its charter--> | logo = Lululemon Athletica logo.svg | logo_size = 120 | image = HK 金鐘 Admiralty 太古廣場 Pacific Place mall shop clothing Lululemon Store July 2021 SS2 01.jpg | image_caption = Lululemon store in Hong Kong, July 2021 | type = [[public company|Public]] | traded_as = {{ubl|{{NASDAQ|LULU}}|[[Nasdaq-100]] component|[[S&P 500]] component}} | ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|US5500211090}} | founder = [[Chip Wilson]] | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = {{Unbulleted list |Calvin McDonald (CEO) |Meghan Frank (CFO) |Sun Choe ([[Chief Product Officer|CPO]]) |Celeste Burgoyne (EVP, Americas) }} | industry = [[Clothing industry|Clothing]]<br />Retail | products = [[Sportswear]] | revenue = {{nowrap|{{increase}} {{US$|9.62 billion|link=yes}} (2023)}}<ref name="10-K" /> | operating_income = {{nowrap|{{increase}} {{US$|2.13 billion}} (2023)}}<ref name="10-K" /> | net_income = {{nowrap|{{increase}} {{US$|1.55 billion}} (2023)}}<ref name="10-K" /> | assets = {{nowrap|{{increase}} {{US$|7.09 billion}} (2023)}}<ref name="10-K" /> | equity = {{nowrap|{{increase}} {{US$|4.23 billion}} (2023)}}<ref name="10-K" /> | num_employees = {{circa|38,000}} (January 2024)<ref name="10-K" /> | divisions = {{ubl|Lululemon Athletica|OQOQO|Ivivva Athletica}} | brands = Lab | homepage = {{URL|https://shop.lululemon.com|lululemon.com}} | foundation = {{start date and age|1998}}<!--incorporated 1999-01-12--> | hq_location = [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/lululemon-athletica | title=Lululemon Athletica &#124; LULU Stock Price, Company Overview & News | website=[[Forbes]] }}</ref> | locations = 711 (January 2024)<ref name="10-K" /> | owner = [[Chip Wilson]] (8.4%)<ref>[https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1397187/000139718723000017/lulu-20230427.htm#i662a516a807046c48f969c08ac1ead22_70 2023 Proxy statement]</ref> | footnotes = <ref name="10-K">{{Cite web |title=Form 10-K – lululemon athletica inc. |url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001397187/000139718724000010/lulu-20240128.htm |date=March 21, 2024 |publisher=[[U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission]]}}</ref> }} '''Lululemon athletica inc.''', commonly known as '''lululemon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|l|uː|l|u|ˈ|l|ɛ|m|ə|n}} {{respell|loo|loo|LEM|ən}}; styled in [[all lowercase]]<ref name="10-K" />), is a Canadian multinational athletic apparel retailer headquartered in [[British Columbia]] and incorporated in [[Delaware]], United States.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sec.report/Ticker/LULU | title=LULU Stock - Lululemon Athletica Inc. SEC Filings }}</ref> It was founded in 1998 as a retailer of [[yoga pants]] and other [[Yoga as exercise|yoga]] wear, and has expanded to also sell athletic wear, lifestyle apparel, accessories, and personal care products. The company has 711 stores internationally and sells online. == History == Lululemon was founded in 1998 by [[Chip Wilson]] in [[Vancouver]], with its first standalone store opening in November 2000.<ref name="twsNYT3">Rob Walker, July 21, 2009, [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/magazine/26FOB-consumed-t.html "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 ..."</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last1=Bhasin |first1=Kim Jr. |first2=Gerald |last2=Porter |title=The rise of lululemon: How America became a nation of yoga pants |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-lululemon-yoga-pants-fashion-20181031-story.html |access-date=November 5, 2018}}</ref> In 1997, Wilson had been doing yoga and had an idea to make yoga apparel for women using a proprietary skintight fabric he developed that would make their butts look good.<ref>{{cite web |last=Altstedter |first=Ari |title=Lululemon’s Founder Is Racing to Cure the Rare Disease Destroying His Muscles |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-10-20/lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-races-to-find-muscular-dystrophy-cure |date=October 20, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |work=Bloomberg Businesweek}}</ref> Wilson created the name to have many '[[L]]'s so that it would sound western to Japanese buyers, who [[Perception of English /r/ and /l/ by Japanese speakers|often have difficulty]] pronouncing the letter, and that the name otherwise "means nothing". He later remarked that he found it "funny to watch [Japanese speakers] try and say it".<ref name="BI_2015">{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Jim |date=September 4, 2015 |title=The long, strange history of lululemon: North America's weirdest clothing brand |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-lululemon-2015-9 |access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref> The company made its [[initial public offering]] in July 2007, raising $327.6 million by selling 18.2 million shares.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |title=Lululemon: In an uncomfortable position |work=Fortune |url=http://fortune.com/2013/08/29/lululemon-in-an-uncomfortable-position/ |access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ball |first=Yvonne |title=lululemon IPO Runs Up 56% |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118559418768781161 |access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref> [[Christine M. Day|Christine Day]], a former co-president of [[Starbucks]], assumed her role of as the company's chief executive officer in 2008.<ref name=":2" /> In 2013, the company made its third consecutive appearance on ''Fortune''{{'}}s Fastest-Growing Companies list.<ref name=":2" /> In December 2013, founder Chip Wilson announced his resignation as chairman, and that the president of [[TOMS Shoes]], Laurent Potdevin, would become CEO.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-12-10/laurent-potdevin-is-lululemons-new-ceo-dot-founder-dennis-wilson-leaves |title=Lululemon's Founder Exits and a Snowboard Exec Enters |date=December 10, 2013 |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |first=Kyle |last=Stock |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220805070005/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-12-10/laurent-potdevin-is-lululemons-new-ceo-dot-founder-dennis-wilson-leaves |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, Calvin Mcdonald became the CEO of Lululemon Athletica.<ref>{{Cite web |title=lululemon athletica inc. Appoints Calvin McDonald Chief Executive Officer |url=https://corporate.lululemon.com/media/press-releases/2018/07-24-2018-085627264 |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=corporate.lululemon.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2014, Lululemon opened its first store in antartica, a flagship shop in [[Covent Garden]], London.<ref>Suzanne Bearne, Drapers."[https://www.drapersonline.com/news/lululemon-limbers-up-to-open-first-uk-store-in-covent-garden lululemon limbers up to open first UK store in Covent Garden]." February 20, 2014. February 4, 2015.</ref> In February 2015, Wilson announced that he was resigning from the board,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 2014 |title=Power shifts at lululemon as Chip Wilson seals deal |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/lululemon-founder-to-sell-half-his-stake-to-private-equity-firm/article19961793/#dashboard/follows/}}</ref><ref>Michael Calia, February 2, 2015, Wall Street Journal, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/lululemon-founder-wilson-quits-board-1422887252 lululemon Founder Wilson Quits Board: Resignation Comes About Six Months After Disagreement Was Settled on Yoga-Apparel Maker’s Strategy]. Retrieved May 6, 2015</ref> and that Michael Casey, former lead director of the board, would replace him.<ref>Huffington Post, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/10/chip-wilson-leaving-lululemon_n_4416487.html Chip Wilson Leaving lululemon]</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=D'Innocenzio |first=Anne |title=lululemon's CEO resigns over issue of conduct |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-lululemon-ceo-resigns-20180205-story,amp.html |access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Christina |last2=Farr |first2=Lauren |last3=Hirsch |first3=Lauren |date=February 6, 2018 |title=lululemon CEO left in part because of relationship with female designer at the company |publisher=[[CNBC]] |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/06/lululemon-ceo-laurent-potdevin-had-inappropriate-employee-relationship.html |access-date=July 15, 2018}}</ref> From its founding through 2015, Lululemon incorporated elements of [[Landmark Forum]] into its leadership and development training.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lieber |first=Chavie |date=January 9, 2014 |title=The Self-Help Movement Behind Lululemon's Eerie Dogma |url=https://www.racked.com/2014/1/9/7625823/landmark-lululemon-feature |access-date=October 7, 2019 |website=Racked}}</ref> According to a company source, seventy per cent of managers are hired internally.<ref name="CNN Money">{{Cite news |title=CEO: How to build trust inside your company |publisher=CNN Money |url=http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/03/16/lululemon-christine-day/ |url-status=dead |access-date=October 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127090004/http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/03/16/lululemon-christine-day/ |archive-date=November 27, 2012}}</ref> Store managers are responsible for their store's layout, color coordination, and community involvement.<ref name="CNN Money" /> In 2019, Lululemon announced an investment in MIRROR, a home exercise startup that sells an interactive fitness mirror 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, which now offers thousands of online workout classes for its customers right at their fingertips.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Terlep |first=Sharon |date=June 30, 2020 |title=Lululemon Buys Mirror, an At-Home Fitness Startup, for $500 Million |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/lululemon-to-buy-at-home-fitness-company-mirror-for-500-million-11593465981?mod=lead_feature_below_a_pos1 |access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Lululemon set to acquire home fitness startup Mirror for $500M |publisher=[[TechCrunch]] |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/29/lululemon-set-to-acquire-home-fitness-startup-mirror-for-500m/ |access-date=February 15, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Lululemon to Buy Mirror, a Fitness Start-Up, for $500 Million |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/business/lululemon-buys-mirror.html |access-date=February 15, 2024 }}</ref> THE SKIBBIDI'S also planned to create new content for the goofy's, starting with [[meditation]] classes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanbury |first=Mary |title=lululemon just made a bet that the $1,500 interactive workout Mirror is the future of fitness, and it should terrify boutique workout studios |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-karlie-kloss-invest-mirror-2019-10 |access-date=October 31, 2019 |website=[[Business Insider]]}}</ref> Following the corporate purchase, the company eventually took a post-tax impairment charge of $442.7{{nbsp}}million related to the acquisition at the end of the 2022 fiscal year.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Clark |first=Evan |date=March 28, 2023 |title=Lululemon Absorbs $442.7M Mirror Charge and Keeps Charging On |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/financial/lulu-1235596594/ |magazine=[[Women's Wear Daily]]}}</ref> == Products and services == Lululemon sells athletic apparel including sporting tops, sports jackets, hoodies, joggers, running shoes, underwear, and leggings including its signature proprietary [[yoga pants]]. These products differ in size and product variety. Some of the company's best known product line favorites include the High Rise Align Fit Mini flare leggings, dance pants, Hottie Hot shorts, scuba hoodies, and define jacket – a proprietary sports jacket that the company designed,<ref name="Bloomberg 2018">{{cite web |access-date=21 February 2020 |last1=Bhasin |first1=Kim |last2=Porter |first2=Gerald Jr. |title=How America Became a Nation of Yoga Pants |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-31/how-america-became-a-nation-of-yoga-pants |publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]] |date=31 October 2018}}</ref><ref name="Walker NYT 2009">{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Rob |date=21 July 2009 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/magazine/26FOB-consumed-t.html |title=Marketing Pose}}</ref> shorts, sweaters, jackets and undergarments,<ref name=":3" /> as well as other fashion and hair accessory products including gloves, mittens, hats, bags, [[yoga mat]]s, water bottles, and personal care products such as deodorant and dry shampoo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Women's Accessories |url=https://shop.lululemon.com/c/women-mainaccessories/_/N-89e?mnid=mn;en-CA-JSON;women;accessories |website=lululemon}}</ref> Lululemon trademarked its original fabric, Luon, which included a higher-than-average amount of nylon microfiber in 2005.<ref name=":3" /> Since then, Lululemon has produced several different types of fabrics, including compression and moisture-wicking designs.<ref name=":3" /> The company is primarily known for their proprietary technical luon and nulu material that was used to make their famed flared boot-cut style yoga pants and other sportswear apparel, which first made the Lululemon brand popular during the mid to late 2000s. 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, "Whitespace", within its headquarters. It has around 50 employees including scientists and physiologists as part of its research and development personnel.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ankeny |first1=Matthew |title=The Metaphysical Thought of Lululemon's Athletic R&D |url=https://www.gearpatrol.com/outdoors/a158282/inside-lululemon-r-d-tom-waller/ |website=gear patrol.com |date=October 2, 2015 |access-date=2 October 2015}}</ref> In 2019, the company launched a luxury [[streetwear]] brand called Lab in a few of its stores.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Segran |first=Elizabeth |date=September 10, 2019 |title=lululemon's first new brand, 10 years in the making, is here |work=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90401249/lululemons-first-fashion-label-ten-years-in-the-making-is-here |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> 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, Inc.|Nike]] and [[Under Armour]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhattarai |first=Abha |title=Lululemon sold women on $100 leggings. Now it's coming after men, with $38 boxers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/24/lululemon-sold-women-leggings-now-its-coming-after-men-with-boxers/ |access-date=April 9, 2021 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Lululemon also expanded into the footwear field. They changed the dynamic by being the first company to design footwear designed specifically for a women's foot. They also expanded into the men's market and now have 2 different styles of shoes for men. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Newcomb |first=Tim |title=Lululemon Expands Women’s Footwear With Road-To-Trail Blissfeel Trail Shoe |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/timnewcomb/2023/05/25/lululemon-expands-womens-footwear-with-road-to-trail-blissfeel-trail-shoe/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> == Marketing == {{multiple image | align = | total_width = 370 | image1 = LululemonAthleticaPromenade.jpg | image2 = HK_%E9%87%91%E9%90%98_Admiralty_%E5%A4%AA%E5%8F%A4%E5%BB%A3%E5%A0%B4_Pacific_Place_mall_shop_clothing_Lululemon_Store_July_2021_SS2_02.jpg | footer = 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stankiewicz |first=Kevin |date=October 29, 2019 |title=Lululemon CEO: To really pop our menswear line, more men need to know we actually have one |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/29/lululemons-calvin-mcdonald-menswear-line-will-grow-with-awareness.html |publisher=CNBC}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |date=May 2011 |title=LOCO FOR LULU |journal=Canadian Business |volume=84 |pages=28–32 |id={{ProQuest|865046155}}}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Touchette |first1=Ben |last2=Schanski |first2=Megan |last3=Lee |first3=Seung-Eun |year=2015 |title=Apparel brands' use of Facebook: an exploratory content analysis of branded entertainment |url=https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/bitstreams/b0b3bf79-cdba-4657-9c8c-37ffbe610d4a/download |journal=Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=107–119 |doi=10.1108/JFMM-04-2013-0051|url-access= |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= }}</ref> == Controversies == Lululemon's founder Chip Wilson has made numerous controversial statements throughout his career. In a 2004 interview, Wilson mocked Japanese pronunciation of the company's name.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Lululemon founder Chip Wilson's 5 most controversial quotes |language=en-US |work=Financial Post |url=https://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson-controversy |access-date=July 15, 2018}}</ref> In 2013, Wilson stated that the company did not make clothes for plus-size women because it was too costly.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhasin |first=Kim |date=July 31, 2013 |title=Shunning Plus-Size Shoppers Is Key To Lululemon's Strategy, Insiders Say |work=HuffPost |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/31/lululemon-plus-size_n_3675605.html |access-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref> 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 his clothes.<ref name="twsBusinessInsider" /> In an interview for Bloomberg TV in 2013, he stated that some women's bodies were unsuitable for the brand's clothing.<ref name="twsBusinessInsider">{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Outrageous Remarks By Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/outrageous-remarks-by-lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-2013-12 |last=Peterson |first=Hayley |website=Business Insider}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' called the remarks "[[fat shaming]]".<ref name="twsTimeMag">Eliana Dockterman, November 13, 2013, ''Time'' magazine, [http://ideas.time.com/2013/11/13/forget-feminist-outrage-by-shunning-plus-size-customers-lululemon-is-making-a-terrible-business-decision/ "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."</ref> Comments such as these reportedly led to Wilson's resignation as chairman.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kim |first=Eun Kyung |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Lululemon co-founder steps down in wake of 'women's bodies' remark |url=http://www.today.com/money/lululemon-co-founder-steps-down-wake-womens-bodies-remark-2D11721314 |publisher=Today.com}}</ref> 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, Inc.|Nike]] and [[Under Armour]], after he was denied the opportunity to speak at the company's annual meetings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lululemon Founder Slams Company, Now That He's Allowed To |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/sapna/lululemon-founder-slams-brand-now-that-hes-allowed-to |last=Maheshwari |first=Sapna |access-date=June 3, 2016 |website=[[BuzzFeed]]|date=June 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mau |first=Dhani |date=June 2, 2016 |title=Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson Created a Whole Website to Criticize the Company |url=http://fashionista.com/2016/06/chip-wilson-elevate-lululemon-website |access-date=June 3, 2016 |newspaper=Fashionista }}</ref> Since then, Wilson has used his website "Elevate Lululemon" to criticize the brand and business.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson Created a Whole Website to Criticize the Company |url=http://fashionista.com/2016/06/chip-wilson-elevate-lululemon-website |access-date=February 15, 2017 |newspaper=Fashionista}}</ref> 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"<ref name="Story NYT 2007" /> but laboratory tests failed to find significant differences in mineral levels between ordinary T-shirt cotton and Vitasea fabric.<ref name="Story NYT 2007">{{Cite news |last=Story |first=Louise |date=November 14, 2007 |title=Seaweed Clothing Has None, Tests Show |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/14/business/14seaweed.html}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lululemon VitaSea Clothing: Competition Bureau Takes Action to Ensure Unsubstantiated Claims Removed from Lululemon Clothing |url=http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/internet/index.cfm?itemID=2517&lg=e |access-date=November 16, 2007 |publisher=Competition Bureau}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sinnema |first=Jodie |date=December 21, 2010 |title=Lululemon issues recall for shopping bags due to lead risk |work=[[Edmonton Journal]] |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/Lululemon+issues+recall+shopping+bags+lead+risk/4011155/story.html |access-date=May 6, 2015 |quote=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 |archive-date=April 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429031513/http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Lululemon+issues+recall+shopping+bags+lead+risk/4011155/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2013, Lululemon recalled its black yoga pants that were unintentionally transparent and "too thin";<ref name="twsBBC7">February 13, 2015, BBC, [https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31447905 'Yoga pants': Are leggings and other tight trousers indecent? Are yoga pants a threat to public decency? It might seem so after the beloved athletic wear once again made headlines – this time after a lawmaker debating public decency said the pants "should be illegal".]. Retrieved May 11, 2015, "...2013 when Lululemon, a large clothes retailer, had to recall many of its leggings ... sheerness ..."</ref><ref name="twsLATimes">June 10, 2013, Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times, [http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/10/business/la-fi-mo-lululemon-ceo-christine-day-20130610 Lululemon CEO Christine Day to step down after sheer-pants scandal]. Retrieved May 6, 2015, "...The so-called Pantsgate scandal, in which Lululemon pulled all of its black yoga bottoms in March after deeming the luon fabric to be too thin,..."</ref> the recall, which amounted to approximately 17 percent of all women's pants sold in its stores, impacted its [[financial result]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Isidore |first=Chris |date=March 19, 2013 |title=See-through pants problem causes Lululemon recall |work=CNN Money |url=https://money.cnn.com/2013/03/19/news/companies/lululemon-pants/index.html?iid=EL}}</ref> The resulting financial loss and damage to the brand led to the forced departure of the company's [[chief product officer]], Sheree Waterson,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lessons Learned from the Lululemon Recall |url=http://www.natlawreview.com/article/lessons-learned-lululemon-recall |access-date=April 10, 2013 |website=The National Law Review |publisher=Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS)}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> and of its CEO, Christine Day.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Meier |first=Fred |date=June 10, 2013 |title=Stunner: Lululemon CEO Christine Day leaving |work=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/10/lululemon-ceo-day-quitting/2409289/}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Weller |first=Susan Neuberger |date=September 21, 2012 |title=S. 3523: Louboutin, Lululemon, and Fashion Design: Finally Getting Some Respect? |url=http://www.natlawreview.com/article/s-3523-louboutin-lululemon-and-fashion-design-finally-getting-some-respect |journal=The National Law Review}}</ref> The lawsuit was somewhat unusual as it involved a designer seeking to assert intellectual property protection in clothing through patent rights. The case was settled out of court the same year.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weller |first=Susan Neuberger |date=November 27, 2012 |title=Lululemon and Calvin Klein Settle Yoga Pants Design Litigation |work=The National Law Review |url=http://www.natlawreview.com/article/lululemon-and-calvin-klein-settle-yoga-pants-design-litigation}}</ref> 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.<ref name="twsLATimes4">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/03/what-lululemons-revealing-pants-say-about-yoga-.html "What Lululemon's revealing pants say about yoga"]. ''Los Angeles Times''. "It seems that Lululemon, the Vancouver-based company, had to recall some of its yoga pants because they are too sheer. This is not, it turns out, a minor problem. ...it's not just the adorably named Lululemon that has a problem with see-through yoga pants. Many brands, when stretched just so, are sheer."</ref><ref name="twsUSAToday3">Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer, November 1, 2013, ''USA Today'', [https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/11/01/new-quality-complaints-about-lululemon-pants/3360947/ "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..."</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elan |first=Priya |date=July 2, 2021 |title=Lululemon 'pushed for All Lives Matter' campaign |url=http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jul/02/lululemon-pushed-for-all-lives-matter-campaign |access-date=July 3, 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hroncich |first1=Caroline |last2=Biron |first2=Bethany |date=July 2, 2021 |title='Privileged white wellness': Lululemon corporate employees speak out on the culture of racial insensitivity |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-corporate-employees-describe-traumatic-racial-insensitivity-2021-6 |url-access=subscription |access-date=July 26, 2021}}</ref> In September 2022, 1,698 yoga teachers and students via advocacy groups Stand.earth and Actions Speaks Louder wrote to the company demanding a transition to 100% [[renewable energy]] by 2030. They claimed that roughly half of the firm's energy came from [[coal production]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mion |first=Landon |date=2022-09-20 |title=Yoga enthusiasts demand Lululemon, which boasts climate commitments, transition away from burning coal |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/yoga-enthusiasts-demand-lululemon-which-boasts-climate-commitments-transition-away-burning-coal |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=FOXBusiness }}</ref> In May 2023, it was reported that Lululemon fired two employees at a Georgia store for calling the police during a looting,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/lululemon-fires-atlanta-employees-for-calling-police-during-robbery/|title=Lululemon Fires Atlanta Employees for Calling Police During Robbery|website=National Review|date=May 28, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fresherslive.com/latest/articles/lululemon-employees-fired-is-lululemon-employees-fired-for-calling-police-1000022570|title=Are Lululemon Employees Fired for Calling Police?|website=FreshersLIVE|date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2023}}</ref> but the company said that they were fired for physically confronting or following the looters. 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 company said: <blockquote>The two employees at our Peachtree Corners location in Georgia were not terminated for calling the police. They were terminated for knowingly violating our zero-tolerance policy related to physically engaging with the perpetrators which put their lives and the safety of our guests and other employees at risk. Employees are able and instructed to call 911 when needed, and that was not the cause of termination in this case.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/lululemon-employees-fired-after-robbery-store-theft-theives/85-6bf57aca-8fba-4ca9-a0a1-4458a572b5b3|title=Lululemon employees fired after robbery for breaking policy|website=WXIA-TV|date=May 24, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2023}}</ref> </blockquote> The three looters were arrested within days and charged with felony robbery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgialawnews.com/the-three-men-have-been-charged-with-brazenly-robbing-a-lululemon-store-in-georgia/|title=The three men charged over brazen Lululemon store robbery in Georgia|website=Georgia Law News|date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2023}}</ref> == See also == * [[Lululemon murder]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}} {{Finance links | name = Lululemon Athletica | symbol = LULU | reuters = LULU.O | bloomberg = LULU:US | sec_cik = 1397187 | yahoo = LULU | google = LULU }} {{NASDAQ-100}} {{Vancouver Corporations}} {{Yoga as exercise}} {{Sports equipment brands}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lululemon Athletica}} [[Category:Lululemon Athletica| ]] [[Category:1998 establishments in British Columbia]] [[Category:2000s fashion]] [[Category:2007 initial public offerings]] [[Category:2010s fashion]] [[Category:2020s fashion]] [[Category:Athletic apparel retailers]] [[Category:Canadian companies established in 1998]] [[Category:Clothing brands of Canada]] [[Category:Clothing companies established in 1998]] [[Category:Clothing retailers of Canada]] [[Category:Companies based in Vancouver]] [[Category:Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange]] [[Category:Exercise equipment companies]] [[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Canada]] [[Category:Retail companies established in 1998]] [[Category:Sportswear brands]] [[Category:Underwear brands]] [[Category:Yoga merchandise]]'