Active wear brand Lululemon has today launched its biggest store in Europe in a two level flagship on Regent Street. The Canadian headquartered company has doubled the size of its previous outlet on the West End shopping street, which it moved out of last week.
The 8,923 sq ft store, previously occupied by luxury fashion label Michael Kors, will become Lululemon’s biggest in Europe or the Middle East, overtaking the Dubai Mall outlet. Features include the retailer’s biggest “pant wall” in Europe showcasing its ranges of leggings, led by the best selling Align style.
There will also be the biggest menswear section in Europe, and a water bottle personalisation station. The opening comes 11 years after the Vancouver based business launched its first London location. It now has 11 London stores out of a total of 51 across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Sarah Clark, senior vice president of Lululemon in EMEA, said the company had “ambitions” for the Regent Street flagship to rank among the top ten in the world by sales. She said the relocation had taken 18 months to plan and execute. Design features in the store, which will have 90 members of staff, include a terrazzo polished floor at ground level and a wooden floor on upper level. The staircase lighting will change tones depending on time of day.
Ms Clark added: ”Lululemon has seen significant international growth in recent years - we have ambitions to quadruple International sales from 2021 to 2026 - and this London flagship store will be a must-visit destination for both our local and international guests.”.
She said the investment was being made in part because of the strength of the exercise culture in London. The capital is the only region in the UK where over half of the population exercise regularly. Women’s ranges will occupy the entire ground floor with menswear above. Across the group menswear accounts for around a quarter of total sales.
The opening week will see a variety of events, including a newsstand takeover where guests pick up a Lululemon newspaper with details about the new store. The newsstand will also host DJ sets, and surprise performances from company ambassadors including Phil Wizard, 2024 Olympic gold medallist in Men’s Breaking.
Community events include movement sessions hosted at The Vinyl Factory Soho on Saturday, 1 March, followed by a disco-house dance party headlined by underground London DJs Don’t Fk With Disco. Lululemon has also teamed up with the running coach app Runna, for a run event tomorrow, inviting 400 guests to join an 8km run through London, starting from the new store.
