“Bringing lululemon to India has been a part of our market expansion roadmap for a number of years and represents an exciting milestone in our international growth journey,” said André Maestrini, Executive Vice President of International at lululemon. “As a brand rooted in wellbeing, we look forward to connecting with India’s guests and communities and supporting their active lifestyles through incredible products and experiences.”
With a presence in more than 30 markets around the world, lululemon has a footprint across North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and China Mainland. In May last year, ET first reported on Lululemon’s potential entry when its global team visited India to scout for locations where it could open stores.
About four years ago, the Canadian company opened a tech hub in Bengaluru, its first outside North America, to push global growth by using data science, machine learning, and full-stack cloud engineering to support merchandise planning and product and location information management.
Lululemon Athletica is a designer, distributor, and retailer of athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories. With a population of 1.4 billion, India is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for companies as they look to cash in on the surging demand for fitness and athleisure wear.
Most global brands have been around for more than two decades in India and have grown by virtue of pushing their wares partnering cricket and other sporting activities. The newer entrants, however, have been positioning themselves as comfortable lifestyle and regular athletic wear brands.In India, sales of nearly half a dozen leading sports brands have sprinted in the past few years, during the pandemic and since. Demand for fitness wear and sports equipment for disciplines other than cricket grew as people prioritised health with the onset of Covid-19.
