Why lululemon is struggling to stay relevant

[@thedevilwearsdata]

Other places you can find The DWD: The DWD LinkedIn where my sources are linked: www.linkedin.com/company/thedevilwearsdata/ The DWD newsletter where I send further info and analysis that I couldn't fit into my videos: thedevilwearsdatanews.beehiiv.com/subscribe I'm not posting on Instagram yet, but feel free to find me there: instagram.com/thedevilwearsdata/ I'm on Reddit, where I'll be looking to speak to you for stories! www.reddit.com/r/TheDevilWearsData/ Thanks so much for watching

[@philmanyeung]

“The real downward dog right now is that the company is struggling to stay relevant” THAT IS BARS 💯

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@philmanyeung hahahahah thanks Philman 😂💕

[@alonelypanda1]

When a company starts relying on their brand image to drive sales that's when they start failing. Businesses must always provide good value to their customers. Higher priced products and services must be of much higher quality.

[@marmar4706]

yeah the sales are down because the quality is awful now, I got a newer align legging and it was pilling like crazy after 2 wears!! my old vintage ones, that I bought used, look better and I wore them 50x times

[@Christian-ry3ol]

Sales aren't down tho. Just growing at a slower pace, but still growing.

[@itsnolano]

I see alot of people complaining that the quality has gone down but i honestly feel like it hasnt??? Idk

[@marmar4706]

@@itsnolano I wore my new aligns one day and the pilling was insane. I feel like thats not normal

[@itsnolano]

@@marmar4706 thats annoying. Thankfully their return and exchange policy is amazing if it’s within a year of purchase

[@yothiga]

I recently saw a tweet about the Pingti 平替 culture in China, which is currently trending. It refers to people buying ‘dupes’ that are of the same quality as the original products but without the logo, at a much more affordable price. Since China is literally the manufacturing hub for many brands, some of these products may come from the same factories. Lululemon is a major example of this trend, so I think their business in China could be affected by it.

[@baghabit7696]

Most LL items aren’t made in China

[@Chicago48]

@@baghabit7696 Where are they made?

[@baghabit7696]

@@Chicago48 various other Asian countries. Depends on the item

[@milk__teee]

@@baghabit7696bruh you can google it, it’s Vietnam and then China is second place. You think those factories couldn’t just make dupes? Bros acting like China doesn’t do anything with lululemon.

[@salsadip7453]

Often people say “buy y instead of x, same quality” but most cases I’ve seen aren’t the same at all And often the dupes look tacky as well or are made with harmful chemicals, especially cosmetic dupes

[@BeantownMrs]

Lulu is behind the times. In the year of our Lord 2024, who wants leggings with a front seam that causes camel toe or black leggings that are see-through? If I'm going to spend $$$ on athletic clothing, it's going to be from innovative brands like Dfyne, Buffbunny, Alphalete, Paragon Fitwear etc. Heck, even Amazon brands like Kamo Fitness have no front seams and cool designs and colors.

[@fairytaleviola]

I always saw simplynailogical talk about how great the clothes are but when I looked at it myself I didn’t see anything special at all

[@Randomstuffifeven]

Le vajeijei

[@mamapika5917]

They did actually come out with leggings without the front seam but they stopped selling it bc apparently the customers don’t like them

[@rubiirae]

Never had black leggings from Lulu that are see through...you must've been trying to squeeze into leggings that are 3 sizes too small for your built

[@davidfontdevilarobles1505]

@@mamapika5917cuz the ones still buying wants them and the other group tht left cuz didnt want them is not coming back to check out again

[@dismurrart6648]

I swear it feels like just since shein opened, everyones product quality has dipped excessively. Ive always hated lululemon because the founders suck so im glad they're seeing fans leave but im so sick of these companies thinking we will accept doll clothes and claiming its so that its better for hot yoga

[@kirakira1212]

True. And I dont get it because their prices are the same.

[@dismurrart6648]

@kirakira1212 some of that is because the price of raw goods has gone up so they're doing shrinkflation. While that's easy to do with a bag of chips, the only way to do it with clothes is thinner and poorer quality material. I bought some pop flex leggings recently and will never buy anything from them again because after 2 months, the material has already started to break down so this isn't an issue of "just go to this other business." It really makes me hate clothes buying but if they just upped the price by $10 or whatever to get better material, id be willing to give Lululemon money. They are terrible people, but at least they'd be doing something no one else is and providing a quality product.

[@joseafalvel]

I have a position on LULU so I found your video extremly informative and helpful, I love your deep knowledge of the fashion industry, new suscriber now !!

[@thedevilwearsdata]

Wow thanks so much! I'm so glad you found the channel and thank you for your sub :)

[@bakedandsalty9234]

They started catering to teenagers and producing horrific styles that are terrible quality. Their core customer have moved on. Reap what you sow, Lululemon.

[@martaxpett]

Started B-school this year and just came across your channel - this is pure gold! Absolutely OBSESSED

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@martaxpett wow thank you! I really appreciate it. Good luck with business school!! :)

[@coreymichelle408]

I’m tired of leggings after Covid. I won’t spent $138 for leggings, again. Lulu is too expensive for what you get. That’s my opinion.

[@MrXaphod42]

I have only ever purchased Lululemon apparel used on eBay...there is no world in which I'd spend more than $50 on a pair of leggings, no matter how well they fit me!

[@oliviapilson]

Oooo I’ve been waiting for someone to discuss this topic. Though I didn’t look into it I’ve had a hunch that Lulu has hit a plateau. I honestly think that they have lost their footing and have started copying other brands too much. I honestly think that a good business move for lulu would be to make a branding leap to market themselves as a high performance sports brand esp when branding towards women. I’ve always thought that quality and function of ~most~ of their older products was better than a ton of other brands (maybe exceptions being Nike and adidas) but with the added bonus of their clothes being more comfortable and cute. I honestly think that lulu is a great brand for running, tennis, etc but they’ve split their focus by trying to also make even more lounge wear and ‘athletic work appropriate wear’ which are niches I think Alo and other brands have already capitalized on. I wish they would stick to more innovative fits and fabrics FOR sports! Their major stocking issues I think have also been a big problem and annoyance for customers. I am average sizes for athletic build (4/6/8) but they always seem to be out of those sizes in even their most popular shorts and tops (ones they’ve had for years like the hotty hot shorts) in most colors too. Really has been putting me off from buying from them in the past year sadly.

[@charmayd]

agreed, their origin story is all about the fabrics and fits for functional wear for yoga/sport. they were innovative, and known for patented fabrics (explaining the $$$ price tag). that was my impression.

[@shaunaisaJellyBean]

@@charmaydmaybe this is why they supplied all the team Canada kit for the olympics this year. It was the first time I remember seeing their brand on the global sporting stage

[@blakea.e.1681]

Your videos are awesome. Thank you for the research you do and the way you present the information that makes it digestible!

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@blakea.e.1681 Aw thank you for watching and your lovely comment! It encourages me to keep making more :)

[@user-er6gk1wi8y]

Starting the day with a devil wears data video! Exciting haha

[@thedevilwearsdata]

Hope you have an awesome day :D

[@chaiwellness]

Excellent video! I have been a Lululemon customer since the brand was in it's infancy - my friends all danced growing up and used to wear their products (and, some of the clothing used to be sold at dance stores!). While the prices have always been high, they have become outrageous. The odd time, I will find something that I deem as being reasonable, and will purchase the item full-price. However, most items are insanely over-priced; and are still over-priced when discounted. I have found that Aritzia's athletic line, TNA (Talulah National Athletics, for those not in the know [again, I'm a Canadian who grew up around these Canadian brands]), has become more of my go-to. TNA's newest venture into actual workout clothing has been great (in my opinion, at least). I think the prices are a lot more reasonable, especially with respect to the quality; and when comparing with Lululemon and Alo, the latter who are just obscenely over-priced and not better quality! Well done!

[@lazarusgodfrey7079]

Oh my god Jim Cramer said that lulu would come back, it's amazingly bad news for lulu. We need to start prepairing graveyard stone

[@genzillennial]

I’ve been wearing the same lulu items for 10 years and haven’t purchased any new work out clothes in that time. I definitely think it’s worth the price although I’ve seen mixed reviews on their newer items

[@jesschampagne1310]

Same. I was gifted a pair 18 years ago that I CAN STILL WEAR. Their product was excellent back then. It's not at all the same quality now. Given the lower quality I might as well get leggings from Old Navy, who, overall, has a much friendlier history towards diverse bodies.

[@mindgames470]

no matter which of these "high end" brands you buy, you just pay too much of a premium for just branding. Lulu, Alo, you name it, all of their leggings cost around 8 to $12 to produce (yes, even outside of China).

[@shaunaisaJellyBean]

As a woman I wish they would introduce some of the men’s items for women. Why do only men need breathable shirts for the office?

[@finja5462]

At some point the market is just satisfied. Besides the US I don’t really see the lululemon vibe that much. I’m from Germany and although we have shops here and people wear it sometimes, it’s just not as hyped. Being unable to establish new markets will make your company eventually die.

[@nataliianezhynska5119]

Athleta makes KILLER bottoms. Has always been better imo. They have so many kinds of joggers, wide leg pants, etc. Super durable and so many options.

[@alonelypanda1]

The devil wears yoga pants made by lululemon.

[@thedevilwearsdata]

😂

[@sof7068]

Funny story: the sequel to "the devil wears Prada" is called "when life gives you lululemons"

[@Georgie13]

When I moved jobs and got a big pay rise (2022) I bought Lululemon because I felt I could actually afford it. I really do not like the leggings or bra. It is a reminder to me that more expensive does not equal better.

[@xuxumeimeipeepeehead]

hey there ! ive been watching your videos and i gotta say i love how informative your videos are ! i really appreciate the deep dive into the unorthodox and relatively profound questions you investigate, which really makes it worthwhile to watch your vids

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@xuxumeimeipeepeehead This is good feedback! Thank you! :) and thanks so much for supporting ❤️❤️

[@nightreader1264]

Company makes great leggings- gets very popular, then starts to cheapen the product a little at a time.

[@jeffreyonemu1426]

Alright! DWD video 🎉🎉🎉

[@TheMeganExperience]

I have moved from Lulu to Buff Bunny because they made a change in their align fabric- I bought new leggings with some gift cards I had received (since my other aligns were coming up on 10 years old and some have some tiny holes in them) and the new ones aren't as compressive so I end up having to pull them up all day-not worth my time or money!

[@Aidan_Au]

Thanks Devil for making data backed videos about apparel companies. Could you please make videos about Aritzia, Alo, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express? Some of them have or used to have many stores in NYC area....

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@Aidan_Au Thanks so much for watching Aidan!! And great suggestions. I have a video about A&F on my channel, and I’ll look into the other brands to see if there are any interesting stories to tell.

[@awildaccountappears]

So cringe that the CEO refers to customers as "guests" although I'm sure it's not uncommon

[@bondanoz]

Menswear quality has definitely gone down and prices have increased. Has made me start looking at alternatives

[@sacgeekgirl]

Trying to market "cheap quality" as a feature 🙄😒🙄 Are the mens items as poor quality ?

[@DevieMelody]

One of my favorite from Lululemon is the Speed Up shorts, I got both of mine on sale. I can’t buy in clear Conscience at full price, and even on sale their products are still expensive. Once I was able to buy Lululemon stuffs at a really cheap discount through somebody who worked there, And the experience left me feeling pretty awful at the end. She got employee discount about 70% on all sales goods. And one I stopped buying through her, at the regular discount price I started a question myself. What am I doing? Clearly, these leggings have huge margins that I really should not be throwing my money away for. So while I applaud this company for releasing some really good products, how much they overcharge is just not OK with my conscience.

[@alonelypanda1]

Their hold on the yoga pants market keeps getting looser.

[@rxlfe7177]

😂

[@bryanmojica1517]

oh no the cramer curse

[@BryanRWatson]

😂😂😂

[@blinkingbat7447]

I just checked since I've never seen a lululemon store in the Netherlands and turns out they only have 2 in the entire country. Both in the Amsterdam city centre less than 1 km from each other. Touristy places like that usually don't market towards natives, so I'm gonna assume they haven't had a lot success in the European market either

[@l00tur]

How do you have this many views but so few comments? You’re being slept on, been using your videos as DD and it’s been a pretty good strategy. Maybe you can be the next Cathie Woods lol

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@l00tur hhahaha what does DD mean? And thanks! Edit: oh due diligence! I’m flattered!!

[@mrod87]

I work it fitness and have tried most major brands at this point. With that said, i almost exclusively shop on sale. I do like my align leggings, the other styles are however hit or miss, their sports bras are also some of my favorites. With that said, even the sales price of lululemon, while great, still can’t beat other brands (CRZ yoga, oner, gymshark to list my faves) nor the long term performance. Yes my align from 2012 still have some life in them, but I’m also using a lint shaver on them every few washes…at that price point ($100 on sale) i don’t want that issue. I can stomach that issue at $32 a pair, i can’t at $100+. Additionally i think they could fair to update the colors as well as the matching other clothing items. Monochromatic is a trend that’s been persistent for a minute and lulu just refuses to step up. Compared to my monochromatic Gymshark sets which I’ve had just as long, no lint shaver needed and i swear them twice as often (bc there’s no 🐫 toe, regardless of what i wear underneath)…also…their demographic is not going as hard as it used to, how many leggings does one need? Eventually you max out so if you aren’t going to fix the persistent problems detailed in your reviews…yea it makes sense why they aren’t doing so well. Again i do enjoy the brand, but i haven’t made a purchase in about 3 years and have no need to many any future purchases unless there’s something innovative in normal clothing, not their fitness apparel. Example, i love their MENS white button down shirts. 😊

[@alphasia91]

As a plus sized person- lululemon has never been welcoming to people with my body type. They didn’t want us as customers when times were good and I’m certainly not going to go look at them now that their times are bad no matter how many new sizes they add. Just my thoughts. They burned that bridge a long time ago and adding more sizes won’t suddenly make most plus sized women want to buy their crap

[@nightreader1264]

I am with you on this!

[@g.i.520]

It’s because plus size women should not be walking around with camel toe leggings….hell, slim women shouldn’t be either. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@RupertFilbert]

i recently went shopping for new leggings with a laundry list of criteria it had to have (side pockets that fit my phone, high waisted, full length, no camel toe, in my colors). old navy = nothing. amazon = nothing. i went to a thrift store and tried on lulu's vs. all other brands. and i was shocked. lululemon: their material, fit, designs, and legging features were miles ahead of anything else i tried on. BUT their quality varied wildly. some felt thin, rough, with no contouring. others felt buttery, thick, and looked snatched, i have no idea what products i tried on or what years they were from.

[@tawnierayne3604]

The touch the feel of cotton the fabric of our lives. Aging myself I know, but its the reason. Moving away from synthetic fabrics cus they look like trash after a few wears.

[@baronvonjo1929]

I think I only learned of Lululemon in like 2019? And have maybe seen less than 10 stores in my life and rarely see the logo or hear about the brand. I dont particularly get all the hype. But being a man Im the completely wrong demographic. Not sure why this video got recommended. Good video btw. I thought it was crazy how such a "well known" brand has been around that I have never heard of back then.

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@baronvonjo1929 oh interesting that you hadn’t heard of it prior to then! Where are you from? I think the store sees more hype in North America, particularly larger cities

[@Kc-sb6sz]

Would you do a video on ON?

[@AmberDempsey1234]

What is ON?

[@s.g.e5523]

i love u cuz im a tech finance investor and consumer discretionaries like lulu/nike i got no clue but i wanna build a decent portfolio of winners

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@s.g.e5523 Very cool, hope you found the video informative and good luck making your investment decisions :)

[@grinsystem]

My concern is they are also beginning to mess up the mens market. They have made the pacemaker shorts a bit too wide when some want it to hug their thighs(for of course- showcasing definition) a bit closer. I cannot really contest the quality since I haven't been a long enough customer to say things are worse. I do feel like the lower end is just caught up in some cases with the polyester blends and such, making the price premium also a bit harder for me to justify any purchases to them, other than fit.

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@grinsystem interesting perspective on the men’s collection! Thanks for sharing

[@kcam123]

Lulu lost (arguably gave up) their first mover advantage. They no longer innovate, the quality is laughable, the sizes are off, sales associates in the store are snobby and useless, but most importantly, they seem to have lost sight of anything other than making more money. Their brand has become soulless and meaningless. It's about the benjamins for chip Wilson.

[@gme_to_the_moon-v1p]

The share price of LULU has gone up to 400 dollars. I saw a huge line outside Lululemon on Black Friday. They seem to be doing well and are expanding overseas.

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@gme_to_the_moon-v1p yes the stock has rallied recently! Interesting to see

[@KatieGrady1997]

I love LLL, but not the cost. I’m currently pregnant. I can’t fit it any of my beloved LLL clothes. I’ve been wearing CRZ Yoga maternity leggings. They’re so good!

[@Desimcd]

I definitely found the elasticity decreases faster now. They get saggy faster. I still shop there but I’m picky about what

[@ewmeneither]

the zipper came off my 400 winter coat before I'd had it a year so meh, probably not anymore Lulu lemon for me

[@gcovington9396]

I wish she would stay on topic instead of cut aways for self promotion. Just list at the end of the video. We all know to look for this.

[@canadiankiss5901]

Wide leg pants are back in style and I have a gift card for Lulu lemon but I’m waiting for some nice looking wide leg pants like the old ones I use to have. Also their jackets use to be the bomb now they are so boring looking.

[@katem5035]

I agree with all said, but I still shop at Lulu for beautifully designed athletic/ leisure wear and other accessories… I guess I could say I am attached to the legacy

[@izzytheaccountant1846]

The quality is so so bad now, stuff only lasts 4 months max

[@SimpleeKomplex]

No way 😮!

[@saveUyghurs]

No more endocrine disrupting PLASTIC clothing

[@CH-vm6cq]

You didn’t mention the huge write down due to Mirror

[@AmberDempsey1234]

That happened in 2023 so it didn’t impact the share price this year

[@literolina]

i just personally don't need more than 2 pairs of leggings so...

[@aquavit]

Lol, an endorsement from jim cramer is a death sentence for the share price.

[@ayay1902]

Can you do Estée Lauder companies? I got some of their stocks when it dipped a few months ago but it’s still going down😅

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@ayay1902 oh that’s a great idea! Will look into it, thanks for the suggestion

[@IOFLOOD]

really, we're explaining the difference between revenue and earnings? how did yt rec this to me?

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@IOFLOOD a lot of my viewers don’t have a background in finance/bizz and appreciate the clarity

[@malcolmhightower9407]

Plastic is cheap, no matter how much you try and hype it up

[@prtdiva]

I only have two items from lulu that I bought ten years ago. A pair of leggings and an insulated running pull over. Both amazing quality and I still wear both items. However, their products are just too expensive. I only bought those items because I had a gift card. Otherwise I would never spend $100 on leggings. Is it crack these companies are smoking? 😂 I’ve found really good workout clothes at marshalls, tjmaxx, forever 21 and amazon. Spending more than $30 for something that I’m going to sweat in just doesn’t make sense to me. The math ain’t mathin 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@Days.]

I love their clothes, very soft, comfy and not see through.

[@cityremade]

I actually got a pair of shorts but those with pockets and to go with a tennis dress :)

[@MsKotikovna]

They still make their leggins with a front seam. How out of touch you need to be to not update your patterns...

[@sentiasatransformasi]

in my country lululemon is like a staple for gym girls.. almost every gym girl wears lululemon leggings.. even there’s a term “lululemon ass” for a specific shape of ass

[@Viv8ldi]

Memo: Companies menswear continues to grow

[@Viv8ldi]

Memo: Earnings per Share of a company

[@lilithowl]

"Guests"

[@disciprine]

Dammit, you made DWD look like OwO on purpose didn't you?

[@thedevilwearsdata]

@@disciprine hahahah 😂

[@coreymichelle408]

Victoria Secrect’s quality is way down, same as Lulu

[@Viv8ldi]

Memo: in mai 24 lululemon was the worst performing stock in the smp 500

[@okaycola2]

I wish I could afford lulu🍋

[@martinithechobit]

I caught the bottom for now.

[@user-td2lg1fl6h]

Lulu just needs to recapture the new fads for npc buyers

[@nellybutton]

it's pronounced "vee or ee"

[@artarealmblazer]

Lululemon sounds like a variation of covid.

[@StefanTaf]

🤍💙🤍

[@fredflintstone2234]

lol!!