Lululemon redefines transparency with 'Lab' store format

Lululemon Athletica will open the first U.S. outpost of the brand’s design incubator “lab” format in downtown Manhattan, in March.



It’s only the second location for the unusual concept. The first, opened in 2009, is in the company’s hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.



Similar to its Vancouver counterpart, the Manhattan space will be part design center, part retail store. On a blog posting regarding the Vancouver location, the company described Lululemon Lab as a place “where guests can watch designers create clothing from inception to hanger … the lab conceptualizes, produces and sells its own exclusive line of lululemon product.”



Shoppers in New York will be able to see designers at work, watch the product be made and purchase the limited-edition apparel and accessories collections, which will not be sold outside of the store. The merchandise will reflect the styles and tastes of New Yorkers, and feature higher prices compared to Lululemon goods. (While the samples will be designed on-site, the merchandise will be manufactured at Lululemon’s overseas factories, according to the New York Business Journal.)



“We like to consider the lab an innovation hub, a design center, away from the Lululemon main design team, and a satellite that is focused on the local needs of New Yorkers,” Lululemon head designer Marcus LeBlanc told the Journal. “We’ll be designing, doing samples in the space, and all of our fittings will take place right there. Everything will be open and transparent.”



To read the full New York Business Journal article, click here.