LuluLemon Opens In Brooklyn

LuluLemon Soho

LuluLemon Union Square

LuluLemon Times Square

No doubt you already know quite a bit about LuluLemon, the unstoppable yoga and athletics clothing brand from Vancouver, Canada. They went public in summer 2007, did well out of the gate, survived a manufactoring scandal (no seaweed in those stress-reducing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and detoxifying seaweed-containing clothes), and---in June this year---took a hit when their stock dropped. They publicly vowed to scale back their expansion. Yet, they are still opening stores. Amazing.

Yesterday, July 16, they opened their first store in Park Slope, Brooklyn, (otherwise known as dyke and stroller land) 472 Bergen Street, between 5th and Flatbush. No deets or photos yet, (other than you can get a free class tomorrow, Saturday, July 18 from 10 -11). But, you know, New Yorkers have to shop. Even Brooklynites. So expanding in New York is probably a safe bet. A couple of months ago, they opened in Soho. Here's picture of a spring Soho:Before that, it was Union Square. They closed down their Flatiron storefront and opened officially in a more central-to-yoga location. In January, staff moved store bits over to USWest. Chilly, chilly, chilly weather to carry maniquin busts around.

Here's LuLuLemon on a TimesSquare billboard, fall 2008!! These guys are serious!!photos from lululemon's Flikr stream Just one question:What the hell is next?!!? (No, scratch that: when's the sample sale?) (And how long should I save up before I go?)

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Yoga Business in Vancouver: Can They Keep to Roots?

Nettwerk Music is big if you're small--it represents indie musicians who get good play in Canada--Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne. But now CEO Terry McBride is catching the yoga biz bug. According to the May 29 article in The Vancouver Sun. McBride says that, "yoga hasn't received the marketing it deserves."

Even with gyms jumping on mainstreamed yoga's promise of luxurious and exotic well-being, it still surprises me that a music CEO wants a slice of the pie.

"He wants to fill the need with YYoga, a business that incorporates restful tea lounges, infrared saunas, in-house yoga classes and other niceties he hopes will draw potential practitioners who might otherwise be frightened away by the prospect of trying to twist themselves up like pretzels."

As a long-time practitioner, it's hard to relate to this idea of the pretzel. But I know, I know, it's marketing...

"You should walk in and feel like you are in a spa," he said. "It should have people who work at the front desk, after class the teacher should sit and have tea for half an hour and the teacher should get paid for that. "You have to make it easy to practise yoga - have different classes for different studios."

He plans to expand to add more studios in Canada-and one in Seattle-- after another round of financing.

As reported in The Vancouver Sun.