Lululemon lovers are already stretching their wallets to nan limit — and now they’ve had enough.
Fans and critics alike were clucking their tongues Friday aft nan athleisure elephantine warned customers they’d soon beryllium paying moreover much for already-pricey workout cogwheel — pursuing a whopping banal nosedive.
The culprit? President Donald Trump’s tariffs — and, apparently, collapsed Americans tightening their purse strings.
“We knowledgeable little shop postulation successful nan Americas, partially reflective of economical uncertainty, inflationary pressures, little user confidence, and changes successful discretionary spending,” nan institution said successful a caller statement.
Translation: Even nan brand’s cult-following of millennial and Gen Z yoga bunnies aren’t splurging $128 connected leggings for illustration they utilized to.
Execs are scrambling arsenic nan one-time Wall Street darling fell short of expert predictions, seeing conscionable a 1% summation successful income year-over-year, falling short of nan 3% forecast.
“We are readying to return strategical value increases … connected a mini information of our assortment, and they will beryllium humble successful nature,” main financial serviceman Meghan Frank said connected an net call, adding nan hikes will rotation retired wrong weeks.
“It will beryllium value increases connected a mini information of our assortments, and they will beryllium humble successful nature,” she claimed.
CEO Calvin McDonald admitted he was “not happy” pinch U.S. maturation figures and blamed nan belt-tightening connected skittish shoppers.
“We knowledgeable little shop postulation … little user confidence,” he echoed.
While immoderate whitethorn constituent to floundering caller lines for illustration nan Glow Up postulation aliases Daydrift trousers, nan institution is pinning nan blasted connected tariffs — peculiarly those slapped connected equipment made successful Vietnam and China, wherever nan institution sources astir of its fabrics.
In 2024, 40% of Lululemon’s products were made successful Vietnam, and 28% of its fabrics came from mainland China — some deed difficult by Trump’s waste and acquisition crackdown.
Now, Lulu says it’s moving to trim costs and discuss pinch vendors to offset nan tariff hit. But customers aren’t precisely downward dogging successful support.
On X, disgruntled users lashed retired astatine nan brand’s pricing and manufacturing decisions.
“You amended get it together. Lulu. Using tariffs arsenic an excuse successful your remainder of nan twelvemonth outlook is not a smart move. Amazon/Walmart tried this it didn’t spell well. You’re Down 65$ today. Our family was a large lulu instrumentality not truthful overmuch anymore,” one raged.
“For what they complaint for their products, you’d deliberation it was made successful America,” snapped another.
“It can’t beryllium that yoga pants shouldn’t costs $125 a pair. No. That’s not it,” personification joked.
Others were more blunt: “Their worldly is ridiculously overpriced… full ripoff.”
“Lululemon’s illness isn’t astir tariffs — it’s astir betting connected overseas manufacturing while ignoring American resilience,” 1 professional seethed.
They continued, “Relocating production… was ever a gamble, and now they’re paying for it.”
Some simply slammed nan full brand: “Lululemon clothing is truthful overpriced — ever has been. Only nan Gen Zers deliberation its nan sanction connected them that make them special.”
Another scorched: “Stupid rich | women paying exorbitant prices for agelong pants. SMH.”
Despite nan backlash, Lululemon doesn’t look to beryllium sweating conscionable yet — but pinch costs climbing and customers stretching their budgets, nan early mightiness not beryllium rather truthful flexible.