Lululemon Athletica Inc. is one of the world’s top athletic apparel companies with over 200 worldwide locations throughout Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand and a market cap of over $5.8 billion. Founded by Dennis “Chip” Wilson in 1998, the Canadian yoga-inspired athletic apparel company has been on an astronomical rise over the course of the past decade. Wilson founded Lululemon Athletica in response to both an increased female participation in sports and his own belief that yoga was and is the premier athletic activity for long and healthy living. Since becoming a public company in 2007, Lululemon has been shrouded in a significant amount of controversy causing Wilson to resign in 2013. Read on to discover five things you might have never known about Lululemon.
5. The Naked Yoga Reward
In one of many controversial Lululemon Athletica marketing moves, more than 40 people showed up for the opening of the company’s second store in Vancouver for “naked passes.” Back in 2002, the store offered a free outfit to any customer who would stand naked in the street for 30 seconds.
4. Complimentary Tailoring
According to Lululemon’s website, customers can bring in their Lululemon pants and yoga apparel to any one of the company’s retail locations for free and complimentary hemming. The company claims customers can bring their apparel to any store at any time without even needing a receipt.
3. Ivivva Athletica
Founded by Lululemon Athletica in 2009, Ivivva Athletica targets active young girls ages 6-15 with a variety of athletic clothing for everything from dance to gymnastics. Since launching its first store in Vancouver, Canada, 19 other retail and pop-up shop locations have opened across Canada and the United States.
2. Free Weekly Yoga Classes
Surprisingly unknown to a number of Lululemon customers, all Lululemon retail store locations offer free weekly yoga classes to anyone willing to participate. The complimentary classes are led by local community instructors while those not able to attend can watch free videos online.
1. Chip Wilson is… Interesting
Former CEO Dennis “Chip” Wilson seems to have made the news in recent years for all the wrong reasons. Not only did Wilson center his company’s values around an Ayn Rand novel, but the controversial founder has also been quoted as saying he favors child labor, believes smoking and birth control are responsible for high divorce rates, and that he created the name ‘Lululemon’ because he thought Japanese people would sound funny saying it. Seriously.
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