Lululemon prepares to open first EU store in the UK

Fashionable sportswear retailer Lululemon Athletica is preparing to open

its debut European store in London's Convent Garden next month.

The store, located on 19/20 Long Acre Road, will be a 3,100 square foot flagship store and will offer women's wear, men's wear as well as sportswear including yoga, jogging and biking gear.

Lululemon currently has four showrooms in the UK in Chelsea, Islington, Richmound upon Thames and Convent Garden, which were opened to create brands awareness in the country. A number of the showrooms also offer weekly yoga lessons to its customers as the first Lululemon store shared its retail space with a yoga studio.

However the showrooms are currently only open 3 days a week and offer limited range of Lululemon's product assortment. The opening of the flagship store marks the Canadian brands international expansion phase. Amanda Casgar, community relations manager for Lululemon told Drapers that the company does plan to open more stores in the UK, but did not included details.

“We’re in the process of understanding what the market is like. We do plan to open more stores throughout the UK but we’re at the very beginning phase, we’re just exploring,” said Casgar. She adds that the Convent Garden showroom will close once the flagship store opens next month and that if other stores open near existing UK showrooms, they too will be shut down.

Retail prices for the Lululemon Athletica collections are set to range from 38 pounds for a sports bra, to 118 for a pullover. The store is set to open its doors March 28.