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Tag: yoga

  • Issa Rae Pens Anthem For Beyond Yoga’s New Retail Brand Launch: Seek Beyond

    Issa Rae Pens Anthem For Beyond Yoga’s New Retail Brand Launch: Seek Beyond

    Beyond Yoga has introduced a fresh retail brand, Seek Beyond, unveiled in conjunction with a marketing campaign that includes an original anthem penned and sung by Issa Rae. The initiative runs parallel to the launch of Beyond Yoga’s latest Outdoor collection and will be amplified through digital media and various community engagements.

    Issa Rae shared that the collaboration with Beyond Yoga feels instinctive. She believes that the Seek Beyond ethos mirrors her approach to life, which is a preference for progress over flawlessness, executed with purpose, delight, and humor. The anthem she wrote is her expression of this sentiment.

    Nancy Green, Beyond Yoga’s CEO, expressed that the new platform embodies the company’s fundamental principles. According to her, it mirrors the manner their community participates – with receptivity, empathy, and a strong conviction that the act of moving is not merely physical but is also a method of personal growth.

    Beyond Yoga was established in Los Angeles in the year 2005. The brand provides a variety of lifestyle necessities such as outerwear, fleece, and performance trousers.

    Currently, the brand manages over 1200 wholesale accounts throughout the United States and international markets. Levi Strauss & Co acquired it in September 2021.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Beyond Yoga’s new retail brand?
    Beyond Yoga’s new retail brand is called Seek Beyond.

    Who wrote and performed the anthem for the Seek Beyond campaign?
    The anthem for the Seek Beyond campaign was written and performed by Issa Rae.

    When and where was the Beyond Yoga established?
    Beyond Yoga was established in Los Angeles, in the year 2005.

  • Lululemon and employer branding

    Lululemon and employer branding

    Lululemon Athletica Inc. is beefing up benefits to attract and retain workers, offering full-time employees from three to six months of paid parental leave. The gender-neutral benefit awards three months of paid leave to full-time workers who have been at the yogawear company for two years. Employees with five or more years at the firm qualify for six paid months off. At Lululemon, workers are considered full-time if they work 24 hours a week.

    “When you think about an investment, there’s also all of those areas where it’s really hard to quantify because of the contribution and the return,” said Susan Gelinas, senior vice president for people and culture at Vancouver-based Lululemon. “We just see this as something that’s right to do for our people.”

    In the U.S., without any federal requirement for paid parental leave, it’s up to individual companies to offer a benefit, and about 35 percent do, according to a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management. Still, 84 percent of workers in the U.S. don’t have access to paid family leave, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    The majority of Lululemon’s full-time staffers in the U.S. have been with the company for two or more years, while one-fifth have worked there five or more years. As of January 2018, about 60 percent of Lululemon’s 13,400 workers were based in the U.S. The company declined to say how much the new policy would cost.

    Employees working in Canada already receive some paid parental leave, a portion of which comes from the government’s unemployment insurance program. That compensation is partial, and Lululemon’s offer there is a “paid top-up,” Gelinas said in an interview.

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  • Alo Yoga Launches First Store in the Philippines, Expanding Its Global Reach

    Alo Yoga Launches First Store in the Philippines, Expanding Its Global Reach

    Alo Yoga’s Southeast Asian Adventure Begins

    Global wellness and lifestyle brand Alo Yoga has officially made its mark in the Philippines with the grand opening of its debut store at Greenbelt 5. Spanning an impressive 235.5 square meters, the flagship store showcases Alo Yoga’s extensive range of premium activewear and lifestyle apparel for women, men, and unisex enthusiasts alike.

    This milestone not only highlights Alo Yoga’s commitment to luxury activewear but also cements its status as a leader in holistic wellness across Southeast Asia.

    The opening event, hosted in collaboration with SSI Group, Inc., attracted Manila’s luminaries from the worlds of fashion, wellness, and vibrant content creation, making it a sparkling affair to remember. Best of all? The store is officially open for business!

    Questions & Answers

    What product range is available at the new Alo Yoga store?
    Alo Yoga’s new store features a comprehensive collection of premium activewear and lifestyle apparel suitable for women, men, and unisex.

    Who partnered with Alo Yoga for the store opening event?
    The opening event was organized in collaboration with SSI Group, Inc., bringing together Manila’s fashion, wellness, and content creation elite.

    When did the Alo Yoga store officially open its doors?
    The store is now officially open to the public, welcoming customers to explore its offerings and indulge in the brand’s luxurious lifestyle.

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  • Lululemon partners with local organisations to increase access to yoga

    Lululemon partners with local organisations to increase access to yoga

    Lululemon stores in Australia and New Zealand are teaming up with local nonprofits and charitable organizations to increase access to yoga and meditation.

    Stores this month will distribute grants to nonprofits and charities of their choosing that are working to break down social, physical and economic barriers to yoga and meditation.

    This is part of Lululemon’s global Here to Be program, which aims to spread the health benefits of yoga and meditation to more people around the world.

    The program first launched in 2016 and was brought to Australia and New Zealand earlier this year. Now, local stores are starting to have an impact on their communities.

    Lululemon stores in Mosman, Balmain, Chatswood and Warringah Mall, for instance, are teaming up to provide a grant to The Yoga Impact Charity, which offers yoga classes for refugees and teaches yoga teachers how to teach trauma-informed yoga to refugees.

    “As a company rooted in yoga and committed to personal development, we aim to create real change within our local communities through our social impact program Here To Be,” Paul Tinkler, managing director for Lululemon in Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement.

    “Our purpose is to elevate the world by unleashing the full potential within everyone one of us. We are accelerating our efforts across social impact, as a main agenda point for the year and we’re honored to be working with organizations that are up to big things in this area. We’re excited to see the positive changes across our communities.”

    Here to Be has provided more than US$10 million in grants globally and developed more than 500 grassroots nonprofit partnerships. It also has donated more than 10,000 yoga mats and says it’s just getting started.

    The retailer on Wednesday announced it will donate US$1 million over the next three years to a program that will teach mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing and yoga, to thousands of United Nations staff and aid workers, who report experiencing high rates of burnout.

    The program, called Peace on Purpose, aims to equip UN staff with the tools to care for themselves so they can care for others.

    The funding from Lululemon will help Peace on Purpose to train more than 3000 UN development and humanitarian workers in-person over the next three years, build a hub of digital resources and develop condensed trainings and curriculum translations to reach 30,000 staff.

    “With increasing need for international humanitarian aid and peacekeeping, we want to cultivate the long-lasting benefits of mindfulness tools and sustain support for those whose mission is to serve others,” Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon, said in a statement.

    Research following selected trainings found that over half the participants saw an improvement in overall well-being as seen in key psychological risk factors, such as work-related self-compassion, anxiety and depression, symptoms related to trauma and feelings of distress.

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  • India’s yogi to open clothing stores

    India’s yogi to open clothing stores

    Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev is making moves into fashion through his firm Patanjali. The brand plans to launch 100 exclusive clothing stores with e-commerce support across India by next year. It is also seeking to open small venues in metropolitan areas. Twenty stores are expected to be operational by the end of this year in cities such as Jaipur, Agra, Patna and Nasik.

    A recent ad campaign for the Baba Ramdev brand sought to “create a movement towards embracing and embodying Indian fashion,” according to a report.

    The firm’s flagship in New Delhi sells around 3000 items under three distinct sub-brands, which will be made available on Amazon, Flipkart and Paytm under the new expansion drive.

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  • The shares of Lululemon athletica have risen 90% in 2018

    The shares of Lululemon athletica have risen 90% in 2018

    Over the past 12 months, shares of lululemon athletica have risen 90%. The most recent surge came after an upgrade on 2018 holiday season guidance, helping the athletic-wear stock rebound from a slump brought on by a broad stock market sell-off at the end of the year. Lululemon has enjoyed several tailwinds. Athleisure (that is, activewear and sports-inspired clothing for all situations) has continued to grow in popularity, and consumers have been generously spending — to the tune of 4.9% more on clothing alone in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. After a blockbuster run, though, Lululemon may have a difficult time repeating that same success in the new year.

    It is easy to see why shares of the clothing company have come roaring back. During the all-important holiday shopping season, management updated revenue guidance to between $1.14 billion and $1.15 billion, up from previous guidance of $1.12 billion. Earnings per share also got an upgrade to a range of $1.72 to $1.74, up from a range of $1.64 to $1.67.

    The results are impressive, but Lululemon has been measured by how it approaches expansion. Through the third quarter of 2018, there were 426 physical stores, up a net 22 from the start of the year. Instead of growing primarily by new openings, the company has instead benefited from a surge in same-store sales at existing stores — which increased 6% during the third quarter — as well as directing traffic to the online store. Direct-to-consumer sales were 25.3% of revenue in the third quarter, compared with 21.2% in the same period in 2017.

    Lululemon is not alone in the athleisure-wear category, though. Gap and its Old Navy and Athleta brands continue to grow their presence in sportswear, and the largest sports-only chain, Dick’s Sporting Goods, has also launched its own branded lines of clothing. Yet in spite of the competition, Lululemon has continued to resonate with new and existing buyers, both here in the states and abroad.

    The maker of stretchy pants and other sports-inspired clothing could nevertheless continue to run higher. After all, Lululemon has momentum on its side, both on the top and bottom lines. Even should sales growth take a breather, management has said it thinks gross profit margin on product sold could continue to expand, especially as a result of the emphasis on direct selling online and new higher-margin products such as coats and sweaters.

    On the other hand, there is reason for investors to give pause before jumping on the bandwagon. Even after earnings nearly doubled in 2018, the stock still trades at a premium, largely because share performance matched that of earnings. The trailing-12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio currently sits at 52.5, a metric that only slightly improves to 43.2 when using free cash flow — a better measure of profitability, as it factors only for basic operating expenses and capital expenditures and excludes items such as depreciation and amortization.

    On a one-year forward basis, the P/E is currently at 40. Paying for decades’ worth of profits that haven’t yet been realized only makes sense if the bottom line continues to expand at breakneck speeds, and that’s what is implied in the rich valuation. Thus, there’s little room for error, and if there’s any slowdown at Lululemon, the stock could suffer losses at current levels.

    Of course, for those looking to the long term, Lululemon looks like a solid bet on the apparel industry of the future. Nevertheless, after renewed investor optimism over new fourth-quarter guidance, the stock is too rich for my taste.

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  • Brands planning to cash in on rising menswear trend

    Brands planning to cash in on rising menswear trend

    This week, Nike launched its new collection of yoga wear for men. While this was the company’s first foray into men’s yoga apparel, the move was very much in line with competitors who have been making a push into the menswear apparel market recently. Lululemon, whose bread and butter has long been women’s yoga trousers, is one of those competitors. Former CEO Laurent Potdevin described menswear as one of the brand’s “best-kept secrets.” The company is now looking to grow this division into a billion-dollar business.

    Gap also jumped on the bandwagon last year, with its new casual menswear brand Hill City. But a push into menswear stretches beyond the athletic wear market – Madewell rolled out menswear in September, Saks Fifth Avenue recently closed its womenswear store in Brookfield Place but kept its menswear location open, sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their own menswear collection for fashion brand The Row last year, and the list continues.

    These brands are all looking to capitalise on a big change in fashion, and that is that in the not too distant future, menswear may outgrow womenswear.

    Business intelligence firm Gartner L2 estimated that in just two years, revenue growth of men’s clothing will surpass that of women’s clothing. This data is backed up by Euromonitor International, which estimated that men’s lines will outperform women’s over the next six years. 

    “Fashion has always been about women but men are finally having their time,” says Lizzy Bowring, catwalk director at trend-forecasting agency WSGN.

    Bowring believes that the rise of a young, fashion-conscious male consumer is a key reason for this. “It’s the younger men that are driving the push for menswear,” she says. “These men are more savvy and aware, and there is a lot of competition to look the part.”

    Ayako Homma, beauty and fashion consultant at Euromonitor International, echoed these thoughts in an email.

    “One key trend is men’s changing perception of fashion. Men are spending more time, effort and money on their grooming and appearance,” she wrote.

    Experts say that this peak in menswear can be traced back to a boom in streetwear clothing, which has been driven by brands such as Supreme, Yeezy, and Off-White. These brands have experienced explosive growth in recent years and are considered to be redefining the fashion landscape.

    These labels have been embraced by luxury players, a move that has in turn given new life to some of the luxury brands.

    Louis Vuitton recently hired industry pro Virgil Abloh to become its new artistic director. Abloh is responsible for setting up perhaps the buzziest streetwear brand of all, Off-White, which was recently ranked the hottest label in the world.

    “The men’s business has exploded in the past five years,” Roopal Patel, fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue said. Patel said the focus had shifted to bringing in newer menswear-focused labels such as Off-White.

    “We’ve gone from just category addressing to designers looking at how they’re going to wardrobe a man’s lifestyle, everything from work to evening to weekend to sport,” she said.

    Industry insiders say this trend is here to stay. “It’s more than a buzz. It’s a deeper trend,” said Sidney Toledano, head of LVMH’s fashion group. He continued: “There’s strong demand across the men’s fashion industry, in all its shapes and forms, and which comes in part from a younger clientele. We see it very clearly in the sales.”

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  • Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Located in Macao’s bustling premier leisure resort, The Venetian Macao, which is home to world-class casinos, hoteliers and luxury shopping. The store is set to transform the traditional shopping experience with 2,110 square feet of retail, fitness, and community experience unlike any other in Macao. The overall aesthetic of the store is classic and refined. Inspired by the blue sky and the grand canal in Venetian Macao, with touches of golden tone and sun elements throughout the store. The fitting room area also features blue tone to highlight the color of local Macao, as well creating a separated and private area for guests.

    The retail space showcases the premium athletic apparel retailer’s full collection of innovative technical products for run, cycling, yoga, water pursuits and everything in between. The store also features our signature pant wall, designated to help customers find the right pair based on different sensations.

    Behind the cash desk features large digital screens showcasing product stories and the store ambassador films. Next to the cash desk is a community board where guests can find information on complimentary workshops they can partake in, as well discover local fitness and cultural points of interest curated by lululemon’s local team.

    A space to stretch, sweat, connect and enjoy the latest collections, lululemon’s Venetian Macao store has been created to offer you retail space with a difference, helping you escape from the buzz of the city and find stillness, happiness, and above all fun.

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  • Lenovo achieves world records in fund raising event

    Lenovo achieves world records in fund raising event

    Lenovo achieves a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the “Most people performing the warrior I pose (yoga) simultaneously (multiple venues)” on Sunday, 16 December 2018, across three cities doing a Warrior I Yoga pose simultaneously. Taking place at Boost in Yoga Style, a fundraising event co-organised by Lenovo and Pure Yoga, the event saw a turnout of over 600 participants across Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan region. Locally, 116 participated in setting the record at the National Gallery of Singapore.

    Boost in Yoga Style aimed to increase awareness on heart wellness and cardiovascular disease, and all proceeds from the event were donated to the Singapore Heart Foundation, totaling S$4,500.

    ‘This event represents a unique partnership between Lenovo and Pure Yoga and is aligned with our shared goal of enriching and enhancing lives in the community. We are glad to see such a positive turnout today and are delighted to have achieved the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title together with Pure Yoga. We hope that the money we’ve raised goes a long way in helping patients at the Singapore Heart Foundation,’ said Eddie Ang, Country General Manager, Singapore, Lenovo. ‘Partnering with a consumer-focused brand like Lenovo is important for us to deliver a differentiated experience for our members, and Boost in Yoga Style was a great way to drive awareness by leveraging the power of yoga to benefit the community,’ said Miryam Acosta, Pure Yoga Singapore.

    The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ achievement is aligned with Lenovo’s shift toward becoming a customer-centric organisation with the belief that ‘different is better’, exemplified through partnerships that deliver better value and unique experiences to users.

  • Lululemon founder to join the takeover bid for Amer

    Lululemon founder to join the takeover bid for Amer

    Canadian founder of yoga-apparel retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc., Chip Wilson, is close to joining the Chinese investor group pursuing a takeover of Amer Sports Oyj. The billionaire is in talks to take around a 20 per cent stake as part of the consortium led by Anta Sports Products Ltd. The buyer group and Helsinki-based Amer could announce a takeover agreement as soon as the next few weeks, a anonymous source reported.

    Shares of Amer climbed by the most in almost three months.

    Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. has been discussing joining the Anta consortium with a stake of roughly 5 to 10 per cent.

    Anta said in September it had teamed up with Chinese buyout firm FountainVest Partners to make an indicative offer valuing Amer at about 4.7 billion euros (US$5.3 billion).

    Negotiations are reportedly ongoing, and precise terms could change. No final decisions have been made, and the talks could still be delayed or fall apart.

    A representative for the Chinese consortium said she couldn’t immediately comment. Wilson couldn’t immediately be reached. A spokeswoman for Tencent declined to comment, while a representative for Amer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Shares of Amer surged as much as 9.7 per cent — the most since Sept. 11 — before trading up 7.2 per cent to 35.44 euros as of 1:26 p.m. in Helsinki.

    Wilson’s holding company Hold It All Inc., which manages his family’s investments and real estate, also has a private equity unit and a philanthropic arm. He stepped down from the board of Vancouver-based Lululemon in 2015, two years after resigning as chairman. Wilson has a net worth of about US$3.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

    Anta, which has a market value of about US$12.5 billion, has been working to grow its business overseas amid a Chinese government push to expand in sports ranging from soccer to skiing. Amer’s portfolio of well-known sports brands, including Salomon ski equipment, could be an attractive prospect for Anta ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games in Asia.

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  • Indonesia to attend International Yoga Festival in India

    Indonesia to attend International Yoga Festival in India

    Through its Wonderful Indonesia brand, Indonesia will promote its vast tourism potential at the annual International Yoga Festival, due to be held in the Indian city of Rishikesh on March 1-7, 2017.

    To this end, the Indonesian Tourism Ministrys Deputy for International Marketing I Gde Pitana will be sent to head a delegation attending the event, the ministry noted in a press statement here on Tuesday.

    Pitana said promoting the archipelagos tourism sector in this “City of the Divine” of India is a strategic move, as Indonesia also has several interesting destinations for practicing the art of yoga, and India is a potential market, which has yet to be tapped optimally.

    At present, with its growing number of outbound tourists, India has become an important contributor of foreign visitors to Indonesia, he pointed out.

    Several factors that may have attracted them to visit Indonesia are related to the two nations cultural similarities and the archipelagos diverse tourist destinations. The increasing trend of Indian travelers visiting the archipelago is also driven by Garuda Indonesias Mumbai-Jakarta flight.

    With its diverse tourist destinations, Indonesia has plenty to offer to Indian travelers. Hence, it is necessary to implement various promotional strategies to attract more outbound tourists from the country, Pitana stated.

    “One of our efforts is promoting the Wonderful Indonesia brand in India,” he revealed.

    For the International Yoga Festival, Indonesia is sending a delegation, setting up a pavilion, as well as displaying and distributing the Wonderful Indonesia promotional materials, Pitana remarked.

    The Tourism Ministry is offering support to singer Ayu Laksmi from Balis Svara Semesta (Sound of the Universe) to perform at the worlds largest yoga festival in which yoga lovers from 110 countries are expected to participate.

    Laksmi and Semesta will perform at the opening and closing sessions of this annual event. During the festival, Indra Udayana, an artist and envoy of peace, and yoga instructor Anjasmara will also join the performers.

    “This event is expected to help boost the image of Indonesias tourism industry to offer greater exposure in India. This is indeed a good opportunity to attract more outbound tourists from India and other countries,” he noted.

    Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministrys Deputy Assistant of the Asia Pacific Market Development Vinsensius Jemadu stated that an awareness campaign package of the Wonderful Indonesia brand will be prepared for Indias electronic media.

    “We shall also dispatch a Wonderful Indonesia team and prepare attractive souvenirs for the visitors at the Indonesia Pavilion,” he noted.

    Bali will be highlighted at the event, as it is the main destination offered to Indians who have known the resort island as a popular place for yoga and spas.

    Promoting the Wonderful Indonesia brand in India is expected to strengthen the positive image of the archipelagos tourism sector and to attract more Indian travelers to visit Indonesia, Jemadu remarked.

    The Indonesian Tourism Ministry has noted that the biggest contributors of foreign tourists to Indonesia in 2015 were Singapore, with 1,571,982 visitors; Malaysia, with 1,247,270; China, with 1,141,330; Australia, with 1,051,141; Japan, with 528,465; South Korea, with 359,468; India, with 293,415; the UK, with 280,198; the US, with 263,429; and Taiwan, with 211,528.

    Referring to the countries of origin and number of foreign tourist arrivals during the period between January and October 2016, the five main contributors were Singapore, with 1,177,695 visitors; China, with 1,221,422; Australia, with 1,011,077; Malaysia, with 989,739; and Japan, with 434,352.

    As one of the largest economies of the G-20, India is regarded as a huge potential source of foreign tourists.

    The Ministry of Tourism is targeting 15 million international tourist arrivals in 2017.

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  • Lululemon eyes Asia growth

    Lululemon eyes Asia growth

    Yogawear retailer Lululemon sees a positive future in Asia, despite bad experiences in Japan and Australia.

    Announcing a 13 per cent jump in global revenue in 2014 to US$1.6 billion, the Canadian company reiterated plans to open a new store in Hong Kong this year.

    The company plans 20 new stores in Europe and Asia this year with Hong Kong, Germany and the UK singled out as priorities.

    CEO Laurent Potdevin told analysts in a conference call he believed international revenues could eventually exceed those from North America.

    Lululemon currently has stores in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia and New Zealand.

    It once had stores in Japan but withdrew from that market in 2009 after poor sales. It has also trimmed its network in Australia where sales failed to meet expectations.

    Besides Asia, the company is bullish about its prospects in the Middle East.

    It has a partnership with Dubai-based retail conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim to open stores in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. The first store is scheduled to open in Dubai late this year

    Potdevin described 2014 as “a critical year when we strengthened our leadership team and made important investments in our product pipeline, guest experience, brand, and community engagement”.

    “In 2015, we expect to substantially complete this foundational work and accelerate our investments in innovation to drive sustainable global growth as we continue to lead the market that we created,” he said in an earnings statement.