Why Is Lululemon So Expensive? The 7 Reasons To Know
Lululemon is one of the most popular luxury activewear brands, but why is lululemon so expensive? We’re going to give you all the details, so you know exactly what you are paying for!
If you are looking for new yoga leggings, a supportive sports bra, or a jacket to keep you warm going to and from the gym, lululemon is a great brand for you.
This luxury brand offers a wide range of super stylish and still incredibly practical athletic and athleisure clothing that you really need in your life. But if you have been browsing the lululemon website, you may have seen that the price tags are pretty high and wondered why is lululemon so expensive?
We are here to answer that question and give you all the important information about this brand so you know exactly what you are paying for. We have also listed a few of the best-selling lululemon pieces that are really worth the high prices and will become a favorite in your wardrobe!
Why Is Lululemon So Expensive?
There are plenty of different reasons why lululemon is so expensive, so we are going to break it down so you can see exactly why the prices are so high.
1. Fabrics
The incredible fabrics are one of the favorite parts of lululemon products for customers and one of the reasons these pieces are so expensive. Lululemon is innovative with the fabrics to ensure each piece is made with a material that feels luxurious, and is super comfortable but still is breathable and functional.
Each of the materials used in lululemon products has been researched and developed for a long time before any leggings or tank tops are made from this material.
Some of the most common fabrics you will find at lululemon include Luon, which has a four-way stretch and feels super soft; Luxtreme, which is designed to be sweat-wicking for intense workouts and running; and Nulu which is lightweight and feels like nothing on the skin, ideal for yoga or day-to-day wear.
These high-quality materials are designed to wash well, not fade, and really stand the test of time – people are often willing to pay high prices knowing that their pair of lululemon leggings or sports bra is going to last a long time. The hours of research and complex composition of these materials mean each fabric is expensive on its own, which in turn contributes to the final, high price of lululemon clothing.
2. Research and innovation
To continue to create the best athleisure that works perfectly with your lifestyle and workouts, lululemon is constantly researching and innovating new products and fabrics. The brand has its own in-house team of design experts to help create new pieces and improve the functionality, performance, and comfort of its clothing.
The Whitespace Lab in Vancouver, Canada is home to these design and innovation experts who make use of dunk pools, exercise machines, and humidity-controlled chambers to create new materials and new products that are pushing the boundaries.
Each item has to be product tested between 13 and 15 times before it is released to the public. This research costs a lot of money, due to the expense of the technology used and the salaries of the highly qualified design experts, which in turn pushes up the price of lululemon items.
3. Craftsmanship
The high-quality craftsmanship of lululemon clothing is another reason why their prices are high. Lululemon prides itself on top craftsmanship to match the luxurious feel and performance of its fabrics, carried out by highly-trained craftsmen to ensure each product is made to the same top standard.
Lululemon is a brand with ethical manufacturing, which means all workers are fairly paid and have excellent working conditions, across each of their manufacturing locations all over the world.
The brand is also working to implement empowerment programs across all of the manufacturing locations by 2025 to make sure all of its workers are fairly represented and empowered. This top quality and ethical craftsmanship costs a lot of money, which raises the price of lululemon products.
4. Celebrities
Lululemon is an incredibly popular athleisure brand that is beloved by thousands of customers all over the world, including many celebrities. Seeing high-profile celebrities in a certain, expensive athleisure brand not only publicizes the brand but makes the brand even more in demand.
This demand means that lululemon can charge a high price for their luxury goods with the knowledge that people are willing to pay this much money to own and wear lululemon pieces. Celebrities who have been seen wearing lululemon include Olivia Wilde, Jennie Kim, Rita Ora, Kate Middleton, Kim Kardashian, Emma Stone, and Chrissy Teigen, amongst many others.
These famous people wearing lululemon add another layer of luxury to the brand and increase the demand for lululemon goods, which means the brand can charge high prices knowing that lots of people will pay these high costs to add lululemon to their wardrobe.
5. fashionable designs
The design of lululemon also means they can charge a lot for super stylish, fashionable, and flattering athleisure pieces. Now that athleisure clothing is a massive business, with people wearing these pieces to workout in as well as on a day-to-day basis, consumers want athleisure pieces that look stylish but also perform well.
The innovative fabrics, comfortable feel, and stylish design of lululemon clothing make this brand a super popular choice and customers are willing to pay a high price tag for clothing that looks and feels great! The brand knows that its designs are fashionable and in high demand, and it means it can charge a lot as it knows customers will pay these prices to wear the chic yet practical lululemon pieces.
6. Shopping experience and customer service
The shopping experience in lululemon stores feels luxurious and the knowledge of the sales assistants adds to the high-quality experience of shopping at lululemon stores.
You will notice that lululemon stores all have the same, curated, clean, and contemporary look that makes shopping easy and straightforward and makes all of their products look irresistible. Creating and maintaining these luxury shopping locations then is factored into the final price of lululemon goods.
This popular activewear brand also takes the extra time and money to train all of their sales assistants so they all have an in-depth knowledge of lululemon products and the technical fabrics. This means they can really help all customer to assist them in finding the perfect products that fit into their active lifestyle.
This makes the shopping experience personalized towards the customers, which helps to create a top quality, luxurious feel to the lululemon brand, and people are willing to pay more money for this personalized experience and athleisure recommendations. The extra time and attention that goes into this training will have an effect on the final retail price of lululemon pieces.
7. Marketing
The extra special marketing that lululemon carries out, which in turn creates a lululemon community, costs a lot of money and plays are part in the high prices for lululemon goods. The marketing at lululemon often includes ads with high-profile athletes and fitness experts including Mark Healey, Deja Riley, Akin Akman, and Hailey Langland.
The brand also has its own lululemon studio, where experts are brought in to lead fitness classes which you can then stream from home via the lululemon studio app. They also advertise yoga practices and provide running guides to help you with your workouts. These events, apps, classes, and top athletes increase demand for the brand but are also more pricy marketing methods, which has an effect on the high cost of lululemon products.
Best-selling Lululemon products
We have brought together some of the most popular items from lululemon that are worth the expensive price tag and will become a staple piece in your wardrobe!
1. Tops
This simple and chic tank top is a must-have in your wardrobe – super comfortable and ideal for your next yoga class. This Lululemon Align™ Tank Top is crafted from the buttery soft Nulu fabric, which feels super luxurious against the skin and is weightless, making it easy to complete all your yoga stretches.
The structure of the top provides light support, perfect for low-impact activities, while the cropped, tight silhouette is super flattering.
Getting the right sports bra is crucial when you are doing any sport or activity, which is why it is so great that Lululemon has lots of incredible bras on offer to suit low, medium, and high-impact sports.
This Lululemon Energy Bra offers medium support for activities and medium impact training, while the Luxtreme fabric is sweat-wicking, stretchy, and breathable too. This sports bra has space for optional, removable cups and is ideal for cup sizes B to D.
2. Bottoms
The Lululemon Align™ High-Rise Pants are one of the most popular pieces on offer from Lululemon and adored by customers all over the world. These yoga pants come in a range of different lengths to suit your height and personal style.
This pair of leggings are crafted from Nulu which provides a super flexible and comfortable feel meaning you’ll never want to take these leggings off! The flattering silhouette sits high on the waist and finishes at the ankle, hugging every curve.
The Lululemon Groove Super-High-Rise Flared Pant is a great option for yoga, a relaxed walk, or just chilling at home. These stylish and incredibly comfy pants have a high-waisted silhouette, that is fitted down the thigh and slowly flares below the knee – so stunning!
The fabric is lightweight, breathable, and stretchy whilst still retaining its shape wear after wear. There are lots of chic, neutral color options and sizes range from 0 to 20.
3. Outerwear
You may have seen this Lululemon Define Jacket all over social media, with its fashionable and flattering design that has quickly made it a best-seller for the brand.
This jacket may look stunning, but it is super practical with so many great features, including back vents for airflow when you are on the move, secure pockets, thumbholes to keep the sleeves down and keep out any drafts, and zipper protection to stop chafing.
As the weather begins to get cooler, this Lululemon Scuba Oversized Half-Zip Hoodie is essential in your wardrobe. This super cozy hoodie is ideal for pre-and post-workout to keep you comfy and warm.
The cotton blend fleece fabric is breathable and super soft, while the oversized, waist-length fit is flattering and comfortable too. The thumbholes keep the sleeves down, the kangaroo pocket is perfect for your phone and the elastic zipper pull can double up as a hair tie in an emergency!
We hope you found this article answering the question, why is Lululemon so expensive, helpful! For more luxury fashion content, check out the links below.
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