New In Stride - White / Coal Strata Stripe

I spotted this on Facebook yesterday but forgot to post it. It's an In Stride in White and Coal Strata Stripe.

Two more photos of the Coal Strata Stripe Pace Setter Pullover. My sister just bought this in the Bend, OR showroom today. She got the static black version, too. These will be her first running luon pullovers. They did not have the Lilac Snow version.

Oh yeah, just noticed - no zipper pocket in the rear? Hmmm. Not really a deal breaker for me since I bought an Amphipod micro waist pack so I wouldn't stress my clothes with the weight of my cell phone. However, it's still nice to have the option. I know there is a little pocket in the kangaroo pocket but it doesn't zip.

Nit: Why Can't Lululemon Put a Store/Showroom/Strategic Partner in North Orange County?

Gorgeous Anaheim Hills - put a store near us!

I don't understand why Lululemon has concentrated putting all their stores, showrooms, and strategic partner outlets in south Orange County. I think one big reason I don't spot a lot of Lulu in my gym is because there isn't a store very close. It's not like there isn't enough money and people in the area. Anaheim Hills has about 60,000 people and an average income of $95,000. Nearby Yorba Linda has a population of 66,000 and a gross income of $102,000.  Villa Park has a gross income of $141,000. I would estimate northern parts of the city of Orange and Orange Park Acres have populations of probably at least 60,000 people and incomes of over $100,000. Brea's (pop: 40,000) average income is nearly $80,000.

Lululemon put a store in Chino Hills. An idea, that if they ran it by me first, I could have told them would never make it. It closed within a year. Lululemon also put a store in El Segundo (population 16,000; income $79,000) which, granted, gets customers from Manhattan Beach (pop. 37,000; income $126,000) and Hermosa Beach (pop. 19,000; income $104,000) but is surrounded by not so chi chi areas. Anyway, food for thought, Lulu.

FYI - Another Facebook Resource for Buying/Trading Lululemon: Lululemon Trading Post

There is another Facebook site where you can buy, sell, and trade your Lululemon. It's the Lululemon Trading Post group. I belong to this and the Exchange group and they are both great resources. I haven't really used either of them much because I tend to buy new from the store but every now and then something good pops up. I bought the Long Cool Raceback from the Lab in the Camo print through the Exchange site. Between these two sites and the Lulu This Just In, there is a huge and helpful Lululemon community on Facebook for you to tap into to feed your addiction. Happy shopping!

Return Policy Change Rumor - Lululemon Speaks

Wow! So many comments on the rumored change in return policy. Lululemon posted a reply but for those who didn't read through the 59 (!) comments about it, here it is:

Hi all,
This is just a rumour. Our return policy hasn't changed. Stores will still accept returns of online purchases. You can read our full return policy on the website here: http://shop.lululemon.com/help.html#returns

Cheers,
Laura
GEC Online

As someone very sagely pointed out on the Lulu This Just In Facebook page, they wrote their response in the present tense "Our policy hasn't changed," not "won't" but "hasn't" so it leaves the door open. However, I know they read this blog and obviously your responses so if the rumor was some sort of trial balloon, maybe they got enough feedback to head off making a change. Or, if they  make a change, it may be more consumer friendly like including free return shipping labels, like Zobha does. Free shipping and free returns -  I'm sure that would keep a lot of people happy.

For those of you complaining that the good stock is taken by the educators in the store, you should definitely tell Lululemon / store management. They don't like the educators buying the stock at a significant discount before the consumers get a change to pay full price for it. I know for a fact one one of my local stores had a meeting about this subject for their staff. I suspect when there is a hot item they want to push, they send extra stock. For instance, I know my local store has days that are designated as "No Limit" day where they all have to wear No Limit tanks. I can't imagine they'd do that unless they sent enough to cover what the staff would buy. As for the educators getting a big discount off, I don't have a problem with that since they have to wear current Lululemon for their job and they only make something like $10 an hour.

I also thought Susan made a very cogent point about limited stock and things selling out so quickly - that it guarantees that you won't see a ton of people with the same tank/jacket/etc. as you. Although in areas saturated with Lululemon stores like Los Angeles, it doesn't work that well. I kind of agree with this thinking. There's nothing worse than wearing the same top as some other lady in a class with you. At my normal gym I usually don't have to worry about duplicating items but when I go to the spin studio, I always try to choose something I don't think anyone else will wear (I'm usually ok since most people seem to wear CRBs and Scoop Neck tanks).

I've also been buying Lululemon long enough so that I've become more philosophical about getting whatever the "it" item is - 1) Lululemon always seems to come out with something just as cute or cuter than what I wanted, 2) I will eventually be able to find what I want on eBay, maybe a couple of months or a year later, through the various Exchange pages on Facebook.

Anyway, the tempest this rumor stirred up is interesting. Hopefully, it was just a rumor.