Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

• Where is lululemon athletica headquartered?
  lululemon's Store Support Centre is located at 2285 Clark Drive in Vancouver, Canada V5N 3G9.
• Who is lululemon athletica's target?
  This one's for all you students writing their research papers on us... hmm, target... what's that? Well if you want us to spout that marketing jargon, we admit that we aim our clothing primarily at active women and men: individuals that work, play and share our vision of creating healthier, happier and more fun lives!
• What is lululemon's mission statement?
  Creating components for people to live a longer, healthier, more fun life.
• What is lululemon's vision?
  To elevate the world from mediocrity to a place of greatness.
• What is the lululemon manifesto?

  The lululemon manifesto is our "truth check" and inspiration. It is a series of statements that we believe embody our company's vision, culture and beliefs. We integrate the manifesto in all aspects of our work, including our vision to provide components for people to live a longer, healthier and more fun life. We believe it’s important to maintain a balance between work, rest, and personal activities: to take time out for a coffee break with your best mate and go for walks on the beach (if the beach isn't close by - choose an alternative!). You can view our manifesto under the culture section of our website.

• How did the lululemon name come into being? What is the lululemon logo and what does it symbolize?

  The lululemon name and logo was created by lululemon founder Chip Wilson. The stylized "A" logo which appears on lululemon clothing has had its share of interesting interpretations: from a girls flip hair-do to sensual parts of a woman's body (that's for you to guess).

  The "A" originally stood for the first letter in "athletically hip". "Athletically hip" was one of 20 names originally proposed to the original design team. The original design team like the stylized "A" but they preferred the name "lululemon."

• What is lululemon's commitment to health, fitness and yoga?

  Well we certainly like to think that we practice what we preach. Just as it is important for our guests to feel healthy and balanced, it is also important for our team to embody a balanced lifestyle. To help facilitate this lululemon pays for all employees to attend yoga classes in the community. For the head office folk, there is also a yoga studio in the Store Support Centre with daily classes. In the summer, staff are encouraged to hike one of Vancouver's local mountains before heading into the office or the stores. Showers are in most of our stores to encourage people to jog/bike/walk to work and there is filtered water in all of our stores for our staff and guests. In the communities, we work with local athletes and yogis for their feedback on our products and often hold in-store community classes.

• What does lululemon make its clothing from?

  We use numerous technical fabrics for our various lines of clothing. Some examples include:

  • Luon™ - A fabric made with 86% nylon, 14% lycra. This fabric wicks moisture away from the skin, and has a 4-way stretch for full range movement.
  • Silverescent™ - A new technology that incorporates actual silver into the fabric.
  • Vitasea™ 70% Cotton, 23% Seacell™, 7% Lycra. This fabric uses Seacell™.
  • Stretch French Terry - A fabric made of 86% cotton, 9% polyester, 5% lycra. The lycra in this fabric holds its shape very well, and allows for easy movement in the garment.
• What are the technical features of the lululemon garments?
  • All lululemon clothing is flat-seamed to prevent irritation or chafing of the skin.
  • All pants and jackets have been preshrunk to ensure a perfect fit for our customers.
  • Our zippers are put into our jackets after they have been pre-shrunk so that they do not buckle after you wash them.
  • Depending on the garment and it's intended purpose, we add the best technical features. We encourage you to come and visit our stores and have a chat with one of our educators. All of our educators are up to date on each garments technical features and would be happy to share their knowledge with you!
• What is the optimum way to care for lululemon garments?
  • Our fabrics can be washed on warm and dried on warm as well. For longer lasting garments however, we recommend they be washed in cold water and then hung or laid flat to dry. This is better for the environment too!
  • Do not use fabric softener, as this will inhibit the fabric's wicking abilities.
  • Please do not wash luon™ fabric with any cotton clothes, garments with velcro, zippers or other abrasive accessories.
• Does lululemon offer a catalogue?

  At lululemon, we update our styles and colours every 45 days or so. This makes it challenging to use print catalogues. We incorporate our current colours in the Ambassador photos you see throughout the website. Also be sure to keep an eye on the section called “the goods” where we update the photos and information on our newest lines.

• What is lululemon's return policy?

  Pretty straightforward! We will accept returns or exchanges on unworn garments within 14 days of purchase. For cross border shoppers, we exchange unworn garments within 14 days, no refunds. Hangtags must be attached to the garment, along with the original receipt. Items may be exchanged at any of the lululemon store locations. For gift receipts, we will exchange the items or draw up a credit note.

• How can the customer become involved in designing new lululemon products?

  If you'd like to help us create new designs, we'd love your input. Many of our products have been designed based on the feedback and suggestions of our guests. Design Feedback forms are available in all of our stores or you can fill one out online at www.lululemon.com/feedback.

• What are design team meetings?

  Each city with a lululemon location hosts a design team meeting twice every year. At these meetings, our design team or representatives meet with local yoga instructors, athletes and design savvy people in our communities to gain their feedback on the function and design of our products.

• Does lululemon ever discount their products?

  Hmm, as a practice, we do not put our clothing on sale. We may occasionally mark down old styles and sample items if we have any left in stock.

• I am currently studying at university/college. Can you please send me some information on your company and products?

  Well m'dear... research is all about seeking out information... did you expect it to be handed on a platter? Our website at lululemon.com gives a comprehensive range of information. We hope that all you need is available here. If you have any further questions email webmaster@lululemon.com. Good luck with your studies!

• How many stores does lululemon have at the present time, and where are they?

  lululemon currently has stores in Canada, the USA and Australia. Please click on the store locator on our homepage for store listings.

• Where does lululemon manufacture its products?

  We currently work with factories in Canada, the USA, Israel, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and India. We take great care in selecting factories to ensure that they share our commitment to quality and ethics. Global economic forces, including the elimination of worldwide manufacturing quotas under the Multi Fibre Agreement, have shifted manufacturing to more cost-attractive locations and resulted in closures of some domestic factories. It is vital for lululemon to keep a manufacturing base in Vancouver for security and speed-to-market of our core designs.

• What are factory conditions like where lululemon products are manufactured?

  The factories we use are safe, clean, ventilated, well lit, healthy work environments. We assess the health, safety and quality of working conditions of factories before establishing a working relationship. We use International Labour Organization (ILO) standards as a framework for lululemon's Workplace Code of Conduct. Our Code of Conduct specifies international labour standards related to health and safety, non-discrimination, freedom of association, child or forced labour, wages and overtime as well as environmental responsibility. Our Production, Quality Control, Commercialization teams and our third-party auditors make regular visits to the factories we use. We also have the newly established LLO (lululemon Liaison Office) in Dongguan China that is staffed by lululemon employees. This office allows lululemon to be in the field where production happens and facilitate management of our garment production, daily problem solving and relationship building.

• Other than lululemon's corporate stores, what other channels does lululemon choose to use?

  At lululemon athletica, we prefer to interact with our customers via our retail stores. Education helps our guests understand the full benefits and technical features of our products. lululemon is also available via wholesale partners in yoga, Pilates, and fitness studios. If lululemon retail stores or wholesalers are not in your vicinity, contact our Guest Education Centre at 1-877-263-9300. Our team would be pleased to help you.

• Does lululemon offer sponsorship?

  The lululemon sponsorship program is known as Team R&D i.e. research and development. Via Team R&D, lululemon offers yoga / athletic / fitness instructors in our communities a 15% discount on our clothing. We offer this discount to thank the yoga / athletic / health community for their work in spreading health and wellness. In return we ask for their feedback on the function, durability and style of our products. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please inquire at your local lululemon store.

• Who are the lululemon ambassadors?

  lululemon ambassadors are local athletes, instructors and/or role models in our communities that embody the lululemon lifestyle. Our ambassadors provide us with feedback on our clothing and test it to the limits. New lululemon ambassadors are chosen every year. Listings of our current ambassadors can be found on each lululemon store’s mini-website. Click on the store locator on the homepage for direction to the sites.

• Can I model for lululemon?

  Thank you for your interest however at lululemon we do not use models for our photo shoots. We instead choose to use people who live our lifestyle and embody our culture. We use our ambassadors as models for this reason.

• What are lululemon's plans for the future?

  lululemon plans to continue to grow, but the company will only grow as fast as we can find the right people to work for us and grow with our organization. lululemon’s growth depends on finding the right individuals who want to raise the level of health and personal success in their communities around the world. We are actively searching the right partners to help us grow in every corner around the world.

• How does lululemon give back to its communities?

  Our Charitable Giving program gives the power of choice back to our consumers and lets them choose from a select group of proactive, health related local charities. We also hold community events as well free yoga demonstrations and classes in our stores. InspireHealth is our corporate charity of choice. We have hosted the Flip Flop Soirée in Vancouver over the past four years to raise funds for this charity.

• What is lululemon doing to reduce its environmental footprint?

  We have always viewed efficiency & waste reduction as smart business, particularly in our manufacturing processes. Our designers continually innovate with sustainable styles that reduce waste in the design and production processes. The OQOQO line (www.oqoqo.com) has fibres that are at least 75% natural, organic or sustainable. OQOQO is our main investment in sustainable fabrics and styles. In addition to lululemon products, our store development team is actively adding energy efficiencies into store design and using renewable building materials e.g. reclaimed wood flooring, use of natural lighting and environmentally safe paint. Staff are encouraged to walk/run/bike for their commute. We recycle at all of our facilities and are working towards 95% zero-waste across all departments.

• Does lululemon have franchise opportunities available at this time?

  We have decided to close our franchise program and focus on our corporate store expansion. There are no franchise opportunities available and we will continue to expand with corporate stores only. All outstanding applications and inquiries have been put on hold indefinitely.

• What wholesale opportunities are available at this time?

  Please visit our wholesale section for complete details on our wholesale dealership program. You may also want to reference the wholesale FAQ for specific answers to your questions.

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