Lululemon

UVic To Honour Lululemon Founder

UVic To Honour Lululemon Founder

Chip Wilson, founder of yoga-wear giant Lululemon Athletica and one of Canada’s most valuable public companies, has been named the 2012 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year by the University if Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business.

“Chip Wilson exemplifies the values of a visionary entrepreneur,” Peter Gustavson, chairman of the Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award committee, said in a statement Monday. “He turned a passion for health and fitness into a worldwide movement and has inspired countless others through his unique outlook and commitment to quality. His values permeate everything he does.”

Read the full article here.

 

Shit Yogis Say

Shit Yogis Say

The latest installment of the popular ‘shit people say’ meme (like Shit My Dad Says) is Shit Girls Say. The popular Twitter account riffs on the daily chatter of gals everywhere and really took off when a video version was released in December. Canadian yoga-clothing giant Lululemon’s latest campaign is a parody of that parody, called Shit Yogis Say. Check out the following video and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Lululemon’s Christine Day Named CEO of the Year

Lululemon's CEO, Christine Day. Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/11/23/ lululemons-christine-day-first-woman-named-ceo-of-the-year

On the heels of consumer backlash about the Ayn Rand-inspired quotation that appeared on some Lululemon bags (see story here), Lululemon has made the news again this week as Christine Day was named CEO of the Year by Report on the Business (and the first ever woman to do so!).

The Toronto Sun reports in an article this morning:

Lululemon Athletica Inc.’s Christine Day has become the first woman to be crowned chief executive of the year by a leading business magazine.

Day was chosen for “her ability to create a remarkable bond between the brand and its ultra-loyal fans,” the Report on Business said Wednesday.

Since Day joined the company in 2008, Lululemon has gone from a niche Vancouver startup specializing in yoga wear to an international lifestyle brand
worth nearly $5 billion.

Day has a knack for building strong corporate cultures and cult-like followings around consumer goods. Prior to Lululemon, she spent 20 years at Starbucks, where she held several key management positions.

Day – wife and mother of three now living in Vancouver – has a BA from Central Washington University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Last year, the magazine named Quebecor’s Pierre Karl Peladeau, Wind Mobile’s Anthony Lacavera and Shaw’s Jim Shaw CEOs of the year. Past winners also include  Chrysler’s Sergio Marchionne and Fairfax Financial’s Prem Watsa.

 

Vancouver Yoga Pants To Blame?

MSN created a list of the Worst-Dressed Cities In The World. Guess who made #3 on the list? That’s right, beautiful Vancouver, BC. The offending reason being that Vancouver is the birthplace of Lululemon Athletica yoga pants – although they don’t specify the company outright, they do allude the famous brand name.

Here’s an excerpt:

There is one reason, and one reason only, why we’ve decided to include Vancouver on this list of the sartorially damned: yoga pants. We blame you, Vancouver, birthplace of a certain, insanely popular yoga gear brand which will go unnamed, for spawning a street trend dreaded by all women with wobbly bits and fat deposits in the wrong places. Really, what gives with the whole wearing of bum hugging workout gear to every other place except the gym? On behalf of women with hips and thighs everywhere, who like their pants to have buttons and zippers thank you very much, and who are of the opinion that yoga pants are a ruse worn by lazy pseudo-fashionistas, we beseech you: unless you plan to do a downward dog within the hour, spare us the yoga pants and put on some real trousers.

What do you think of this list, and the fact that Vancouver’s on it? Let us know in the comments below!

Salutation Nation 2011 In Vancouver

On Saturday, September 10, 2011, at 9:00 am local time, roll out your mat and do yoga. Join your community to move, breathe, connect, get your downdog on, and create this neverending om! What is Salutation Nation?

• An annual, international day of yoga
• Led by local yoga ambassadors
• Complimentary
• Open to all levels
Salutation Nation In Vancouver:

  • lululemon Oakridge

    Spanish Banks, 4707 Northwest Marine Drive


  • lululemon Metrotown

    North Pond, Central Park, Burnaby BC


  • lululemon Robson

    Spanish Banks, 4707 Northwest Marine Drive


  • lululemon W. 4th

    Spanish Banks, 4707 Northwest Marine Drive


  • lululemon lab

    Spanish Banks, 4707 Northwest Marine Drive


  • lululemon Factory Outlet

    North Pond, Central Park, Burnaby BC

Can’t make it an event in your area? Celebrate Salutation Nation at home! Visit www.salutationnation.com for more details.

Lululemon Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Our friends at I Heart Wellness (Vancouver ladies who ‘bring the glam to healthy’) are currently offering a chance to win a $250 gift card to lululemon athletica!

Yes, you heard correctly, $250 to spend at Lululemon to purchase more yoga pants, perhaps a new mat, or whatever your heart desires! How do you enter this contest? Visit their Vancouver-based health and wellness website here for all the details.

Vancouver Chopra Yoga Center’s Complimentary Classes At Lululemon

Breathe, flow, meditate with Danielle Mika Nagel of the Chopra Yoga Center in Vancouver, BC.

Danielle will be offering complimentary yoga classes at various Lululemon stores in Vancouver for the month of August. Classes will be suitable for all levels so you can get a sneak peak of what the new Chopra Yoga Center has to offer.

Free Yoga Classes At Lululemon:

  • Mondays Aug 1 & 22 West 4th at 8pm
  • Tuesdays Aug 2-30 Lululemon Lab West Broadway at 6:30pm
  • Sundays Aug 7-21 Robson at 9am

How to Find Free or Almost Free Yoga Classes: What Every Yogi/ini Frugalista Should Know!

How to Find Free or Almost Free Yoga Classes: What Every Yogi/ini Frugalista Should Know!

Going to a studio and finding a well qualified teacher is definitely worthwhile to help deepen your practice as well as allow you to be an active part of the yoga community. But for many of us $100- $150 per month for a studio pass is just not an option!

Here are 12 great alternatives:

1. Many yoga studios offer Karma classes that are by donation or as little as $5.

2. Take advantage of the first time rate that most studios offer to new students. I spent a year and a half jumping from studio to studio only ever paying the new student rate! This is also a great way to see what is out there before settling on a home studio!

3. Often yoga studios offer a work-trade program where you can do some non-paid work in exchange for free classes.

4. Some yoga studios offer cheaper rates for  classes taught by a student teacher.

5. Check Kijiji and Craigslist for people trying to sell yoga passes they won or purchased but will no longer use.

6. Sign up for Groupon and other group purchasing websites. Many studios have been posting passes for 50-75% off.

7. Join the Facebook groups of local studios or follow them on Twitter for updates on any sales on passes.

8. Lululemon facilitates weekly yoga classes for free.

9. Check if Meetup.com has any nearby yoga meet up groups.

10. Borrow yoga DVDs from the public library.

11. Websites like Yogaglo and MyYogaOnline offer unlimited excess to online yoga classes for a monthly rate (around $18). Many of these classes are taught by some of the world’s most well known instructors.

12. Check out Yoga Journal for free online yoga videos. I recently signed up for the 21-day challenge and have been getting a free yoga class emailed to me daily!

I hope this list helps!

Namaste!

Jessica Hamilton

Images from: www.groupon.com, http://www.benefitsofyoganow.com/shop.html

Yoga Pants or?

I’ve heard a LOT of talk over the last little while that “Yoga Pants are Not Pants!”  From newspaper articles, word of mouth, to even a pol on Virgin Radio a couple of weeks ago. While yoga pants, specifically lululemon branded ones, seem to be the staple in the yoga community around Vancouver, there seems to be a lot of huffing & puffing about whether or not yoga pants should be worn out in public.

Whether you want to call yoga pants and all the accessories, tanks and hoodies as part of the fashion industry or not, there are certainly enough styles and colours and fabrics to enter them into this category, as I’m sure all the designers who make these items would agree.

So being the devils advocate that I am, I’ve compiled a list of 3 Places to NOT where Yoga Pants and 3 Reasons Yoga Pants are Pants!

3 Reasons Yoga Pants ARE Pants;

  • Well, let’s just say – They are PANTS!
  • They are more cleverly designed than a pair of sweat pants from the 80’s with the elastic ankles.
  • They are available in multiple colours, fabrics and styles and there is something for everybody from straightlegged to tights to capris.

Posted in a Gastown Shop Window; Ishara boutique, 38 Water Street, Vancouver, BC

While the argument can be construed that they are great if you are going to or coming from yoga they aren’t meant to be worn everywhere. Sure, but in reality how are most yoga pants different from regular pants? Form fitting? Yes, but so are tights or pencil skirts for that matter.

But realistically, there is a time and a place for everything! While I will admit, I do wear yoga pants A LOT, as tights or in the summer as capri”s, they are multi functional when I want to run in & take a class, I don’t need to go home and change first. But there are places that we really don’t need to see the lululemon logo!

3 Places to NOT Wear Yoga Pants;

  • Funerals – Take the extra 5 minutes and put on a pair of slacks that will make you come off as being a little bit more modest, especially if you are in a church.
  • Weddings – Unless the wedding involves a yoga class they are probably way too casual to pull off at a wedding.
  • Job Interview and maybe the job depending of course what it is, if you work in a business office downtown, the lulu’s won’t fly!

While I’m sure there are the lover’s and the haters out there on where they should and shouldn’t be worn, but my vote is in; Yoga Pants are Pants! What do you think?

Free Yoga From Lululemon

Stop by your local Lululemon store from now until November 17th to receive your free gift of yoga. The company is giving away over 6 million minutes worth of yoga passes to local studios.

To get in on the action: Visit a Lululemon Athletica store and “check-in” on your mobile phone with Facebook Places or foursquare.

You’ll want to act quickly on this giveaway if you’re interested, because the free passes are going quickly and are only available while quantities last.

FYI: A few yogis without smart phones have had luck presenting a print-out of Lululemon‘s Facebook page to receive their free gift of yoga.

Why is Lululemon feeling so generous? They want to connect YOU with your community. They believe that yoga can bring everyone together and change the world!

Namaste Lululemon 🙂

Yoga Wear Profit for Vancouver’s Lululemon

During the early 2000’s, I was working my way through university and could only justify paying $100 for a pair of yoga pants because they were made in Canada, and I was supporting local workers.

However, around 2004 I discovered that Lululemon had just expanded their production to China. Opening up shop in China and charging the same price, for the same product and obviously paying these workers lower wages, I didn’t just think it was right.

Therefore, I wrote a disgruntled email to Lululemon headquarters and received a generic email response thanking me for my business and explaining the growth of their company, etc. How are they now any different from Nike, I thought? Well…at least they continue operate their main factory in Vancouver, I rationalized.

Lululemon has even infiltrated the Hollywood crowd, as seen purchased by Cameron Diaz.

[Source: popsugar]

Recently, the company’s profits have tripled in the last quarter.

According the the Vancouver Sun:

For the 13 weeks in the quarter, sales were $138 million US, up from $81.7 million US during the 13 weeks ending May 3, 2009. At the same time, costs of the goods sold increased only 37 per cent, from $46.7 million US to $63.9 US. As a result, profits jumped from $6.5 million to $19.6 million during the quarter, or 28 cents US a share compared to nine cents US a share a year earlier.

I like the description written on Wikipedia regarding what Lululemon Athletica has now become:

Originally marketed as yogawear, today the brand is best known by fans as very-well-fitting workout clothing that is more likely to be worn to and from the gym, on airplanes, and at home.

It’s so true! I never travel on international long-haul flights without my black Groove Pants, which I’ve had for over 7 years and they still look great. Seriously. I attribute my pants’ longevity to the fact they were actually manufactured in Vancouver! And I never put them in the dryer 😉

What do YOU think about Lululemon attire and their business practices?

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