In honor of International Women's Day (is this new? I don't recall hearing, or at least paying attention to this day before) lululemon is giving 21% off (for the oft-reported pay gap) to women on in-store purchases. I think women can buy men's items, too, but not sure about that. I'm reading that Ivivva is also offering this discount and that instructors can stack their discount.
This North America-wide discount is rather unprecedented in the time I've been shopping at the company so I hightailed it down to the store today, prepared to re-buy everything I ordered at yesterday's upload. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I didn't like anything I ordered but I did take advantage of the discount to buy my first pair of Align crops and another Glide and Stride bra. I have to say I expected the store to be a lot busier because of the discount but it was pretty empty.
34 comments:
Today was also "A Day Without A Woman" in the US to show the importance of women on our economy. That's why no one was shopping. Lulu was trying hard to entice us with their discount, though, lol.
Is this on phone orders as well?
How did you hear about this discount? In an email? I suspect the store wasn't busy because LLL didn't do a good job getting the word out about this. I would have stopped by the store if I had known.
Why didn't they tell us at least? Geez, I had no clue. Wouldn't went for sure! I don't get this company's strategy
How did they advertise the discount? My husband & I walked by a store tonight but decided not to go inside. If I'd had any idea about the discount we would have at least looked around.
@anon 6:40 pm - mixed reports about phone orders.
@ Julie - I heard about it through my various Facebook groups. People just happened to be shopping at the store today and got the discount and then told everyone. It was very much on the down low.
Thanks to you LLA, as soon as I read the post, I hightailed it over the GGB to get the Effortless Jacket in Chrome. I had seen it last week. The Chrome color is a really nice neutral. I was concerned it might be red casted, but it isn't. After reading the five 5 star reviews, I decided I would buy it and see what I think tomorrow. I'm typically not into short and boxy, but this has potential once you cinch the drawcord at the hem. Nice spring/summer jacket.
Also double bought the lipgloss energy bra, which I ordered online yesterday. It is really, really close to boom juice. The speed shorts that are coming will probably need to go back as I have speeds in boom juice.
Thanks for the heads up LLA!
P.S. The salesperson said she was not even aware of the 21% discount till she got to work. I ask if it had been marketed at all and she said no.
No phone orders. In store only. They told me when I checked out.
was it for sure today only? :(
@Jillian - I'm pretty sure it's only today.
@ anon 8:06 pm - some stores were taking phones orders, I've read, but I'm sure that was totally up to the individual managers.
@ anon 8:01 pm - awesome! I tried on the lipgloss Energy bra today, too, but I have a ton of other hot pink Eneryg bras and this one didn't stand out so the one I ordered will be going back.
Went in store in London yesterday. No such offer....unless anyone else had a different experience? So much for 'international' women's day.
I'm bummed out that I didn't find out about the discount until this evening, finally home after a long day and I just couldn't motivate myself to go out again. Too bad, I have 3 things on my wish list that I would've grabbed! I'm happy for those that scored something new though!
LLA, International Women's Day is actually over 100 years old. It's a big deal in some countries, but never has been in the US. The thing is, this is a political action holiday - like May Day and Earth Day - so without retailers trying to sell things, it's been overlooked. Increasingly, retailers are trying to turn it into a Mother's Day "feel good" type event where they can move product and sell flowers and cards, but really it's supposed to be a day for marching and demanding equal rights. Personally, I have no problem marching and then going shopping, but every woman will have to figure out her own way of celebrating International Women's Day.
1. The 21% is a nice tip to pay inequity, but giving it on the day when women are refraining from shopping =bad decision by the Lululemon patriarchy.
2. The discount was totally unmarketed so the customers who would take advantage had no way to know this was available = bad decision by the Lululemon patriarchy, and also wrong day to do it.
3. I received some vague email from Lululemon late last night which I think was a tribute & a nod to International Womens' Day, but it was so tepid & unidentified as such that I felt Lululemon did not want to go full on in its support of women & womens' rights =bad decision by the Lululemon patriarchy.
4. Having a bungled marketing campaign to entice women to shop on a day explicitly set aside for women to not shop = everything that is wrong with Lululemon's male management team & the reason it needs WOMEN in its management team.
5. Listening to its women customers. Hiring & promoting women as top executives, designers, & buyers would be way more awesome than a bungled marketing campaign.
@ anon 5:39 am - "Listening to its women customers. Hiring & promoting women as top executives, designers, & buyers would be way more awesome than a bungled marketing campaign." ==> Totally agree!!!
@Priya - From what I have read the discount was only given in Canada and the US.
Anon @ 5:39 AM, Preach it! Agree with everything you said.
I got two corporate International Women's Day emails yesterday. One was the weird one you got from Lulu. The other one was from K-Deer, which included a reminder that it's a female-led company and asked for cool experiences you've had while wearing your K-Deer clothes for possible inclusion in an upcoming ad campaign. For example, have you struck up a conversation with a stranger only to develop a lifelong friendship (while wearing your signature stripe leggings)? True, it's marketing, but it feels much more personal and had an upbeat, friendly tone similar to what we used to get from Lulu before Potdevin took over and hired that jerk who ruined the website and shut down HeyLululemon.
So, at the end of the day, I did not go to Lulu for the sale, but I did put a pair of K-Deer leggings on my wish list for the next pair of yoga pants I buy. Of course, most of that decision is based on the designs each company offers, but I'm sure that marketing also had an impact.
I was able to place a phone order. My store didn't have my size in anything
I heard from social media about the discount during sometime around noon. I went to the store set to buy something. i even tried a couple things on. and could not find one single item to buy... so I left empty handed. I told myself that I shouldn't buy something just because it is on sale. and I didn't. so proud of myself!! lol
anyways, the store eds did not say anything about the sale. even when I was in the fitting room they said no word about it. I actually sat right next to the cashier to see if they say anything about it. and this is when I heard them tell to a lady that was paying that they have 21% off.
I find it interesting that store would not advertise it. something like, yeah we have a sale but will keep quiet about it until we absolutely have to give it to you.
I felt the same after long day at work yesterday. I saw this post when I got into car and thought I would just try calling a store to see if they will ship to me. Two stores in WA were super nice and I didn't have any issues placing orders. Thank you for the heads up LLA! I got On The Fly pants , OnThe Fly shorts, Get Low tank in Carbon . Wish they had Bomber jacket in black in my size 2, but I was too tired to make more calls
I was in Russia for the winter semester of 2003, and Women's Day was a big deal there. Flowers, gifts, cards, etc. It was a lot like we celebrate Mother's Day in the US.
Thank you for the tip yesterday! Glad I check this site so often!
I think you all misunderstood their intent - this was NOT a marketing campaign. They INTENTIONALLY did not market the discount, and told stores not to promote the discount on their social media either. The purpose was not to drive sales or make more money, but take a stand for supporting women. It was a fun surprise for customers who happened to be shopping that day, and they didn't tell them until they checked out.
I got the lulu emails but thought it was just like a nice e-card shout out. My bf is from Europe originally, and he sent me a text wishing me happy women's day and had supper ready for me when I got home :). It was really sweet and I felt really touched (I'm not a mother so it was thoughtful to be appreciated as a woman).
anon@1:32 thanks for clarifying. That thought did cross my mind. A kind gesture on International Women's Day.
If Lululemon just send an email about this, would have been a nice touch, instead of the random (Thursday - usually) "Back to Basic Black" blah blah... I'm not buying the surprise at the register thing.. sounds like weird Secret Santa..
Well this pisses me off. The amount of $$$ Ive spent at LL, it would of been nice to be given the heads up about the 21% off. If I had known I definitely would of made the hour trip. Now I just feel cheated and stupid, kind of the opposite what this day was meant to be. Good thing there's other brands such as Teeki, Onzie, Liquido, Manduka and Inner fire that I' can shop at without feeling like I was cheated.
Exactly this. Rather than capitalize on the day to try to drive sales/profit from it, the company instead wanted to promote awareness of the gender pay gap while giving a gift in the form of a discount with no incentive other than to delight their guests. I personally thought it was a really beautiful gesture.
The above comment is so on point- If anything, lululemon dropped the ball by not explaining this sentiment more clearly to customers.
After hearing so many women criticize the intent/purpose/proper way to celebrate international women's day, the above comment made me smile. I think that saying "every woman will have to figure out her own way of celebrating international
Women's day" is such a beautifully succinct, empowering perspective. What could be more appropriate than letting women decide what to do for themselves? Well done :)
I'm m sorry, but that's lame. It really is. @Anonym 1:32 It leaves the rest of us who shop either primarily online (if they had offered the same discount online for that one day, I might not be feeling this) or shop weekends bc we have to work Mon-Fri, feeling left out. Just my thoughts....I spend thousands at Lululemon each year. Would've been nice to have one day of 21% off. I find myself looking more and more to other retailers. This is a good example of how to piss off loyal customers.
Do you work for lululemon?
Touché
Lululemon + discount on regularly priced items? I am so confused! Do their cash registers even know how to do that?
Post a Comment