Retail in Asia

In Sectors

Lululemon opens experiential store

Lululemon opens experiential store

Lululemon, the brand whose yoga pants and sports bras you may or may not live in, is getting into the food game.

SEE ALSO : Lululemon partners with Sephora

The company’s first-ever experiential store opens July 11, 2019 in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, and it is completely different from any lulu boutique you have entered before: The 20,000-square-foot store is filled with a massive retail space, two fitness studios, a meditation space, areas for visitors to sit and work, and Fuel Space, a restaurant-meets-coffee-shop with a menu that will surprise you.

At first glance, it is exactly what you would expect from a health and wellness brand. There is avocado toast, smoothies, and power bowls. Everything is made with fresh, in-season produce and there is plenty of grass-fed meat and non-dairy milk to be found.

But more indulgent items are sprinkled into the mix, too: chocolate-covered bacon on the snack menu; a cheeseburger topped with caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon, and cheddar cheese; and even wine, cocktails, and beer.

“We did not want to take ourselves too seriously,” VP of Experiential Retail Maureen Erickson told Delish.

“We know our guest-what they need today might look different from what they need tomorrow to live their best life,” she continued.

As such, the menu aims to fill many needs: There are on-the-go options, like smoothies (which can be pre-ordered before classes) and ready-made protein boxes, salads, and snacks, as well as a made-to-order menu for guests looking to dine in.

Both cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner with things like acai bowls, roasted beet salads, wheatberry power bowls, and the aforementioned burger-plus, a Beyond burger, of course. And throughout, diners will see items that cater to every type of diet you can imagine: keto, paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, etc.

As for beverages, there is a range of coffee and tea options, plus bone broth and kombucha, the latter of which is served on tap. Smoothies, which cost $10, are made with of-the-moment ingredients like MCT oil, chia seeds, and marine collagen.

The project, which has been a “what if” for nearly eight years, Maureen says, has been seriously in the works for the last two years. Beyond Fuel Space, the space will offer yoga, HIIT, and meditation classes seven days a week, host community events, and of course, sell lululemon gear.

Some of that money will go to a good cause, too. As part of lululemon’s Here to Be partnership, 2 percent of all class fees will benefit I Grow Chicago, a local nonprofit that supports the community of Englewood through children’s programming, a community kitchen, and workforce training.

SEE ALSO : Lululemon reports double-digit revenue growth

The Lincoln Park experiential store is open now at 944 W North Avenue in Chicago.

(Source: Yahoo News)