• Home
  • News
  • Retail
  • Lululemon expands to Middle East

Lululemon expands to Middle East

By Kristopher Fraser

loading...

Scroll down to read more

Retail

Lululemon has their eyes set on the Middle East as part of their expansion plan. On Monday, September 28, the company unveiled their first store at the Mall of the Emirates. Their plan is to open fifteen to twenty stores in the Middle East over the next five years as part of a licensing agreement with UAE-based Majid Al Futtaim.

In addition to the Middle East, the company is also focused on expansion in other countries such as Europe, Asia, and specifically in cities including London, Paris, Munich, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Beijing. Two more stores are expected to open in Dubai in 2016.

While the brand's offerings are still very much rooted in yoga, they've also expanded to athletic wear geared towards other physical activities like cycling, running, and cross fit. Five athlete ambassadors in Dubai have been chosen to represent Lululemon and help the brand connect with customers there. Lululemon currently has a team of over 1500 community ambassadors worldwide, who are currently very underused, but the company's CEO Laurent Potdevin aims to change that.

Lululemon opens store at the Mall of the Emirates

“We partner with ambassadors to learn about the community and they are also an integral part of designing product, looking at function and innovation and working closely with our global R&D teams,” he said to WWD.

Competition in the athleisure market is very tough, with athleisure being one of the biggest trends in fashion right now. The company's business plan revolves around developing new product ideas based on experiences around the world. For example, from entering the Australian market they learned a lot activewear for hot and humid climates, which allowed them to create better apparel for those markets.

The athleisure market might be competitive, but Lululemon is making all the right moves to continue their company's success. The Mall of the Emirates is in for a treat as Lululemon has made their landing.

photo:kochphotography.com
Lululemon