Lululemon is one of the most expensive athleisure brands in the world – yet we see so many people on the daily wearing the brand. Do these high prices scare off buyers at all? People, specifically students at Leesville, share assorted opinions on the prices of these clothing and items from the brand. (Photo courtesy of Maddy Winick)
From their shorts, leggings, jackets, skirts, and more, Lululemon prices their items using a value-based pricing strategy. This means they focus on the overall value of their products perceived by customers, rather than a cost-based pricing strategy.
Most of their clothing ranges from around $58-$150. The cheapest item sold through this company is probably the face masks (a pack of 3 for $38), while the most expensive is a pair of running leggings sold for a whopping $298.
These by some claimed-to-be overpriced products spur different opinions of either those who do purchase their items and ones who don’t.
Multiple students do not let the price affect their personal collection, as they believe that their products are well worth the price.
“I own about 40 items from Lulu, and I love them all. All the clothes are so comfy and cute for athletic wear when I work out. I do agree the prices are expensive but personally I wear all my clothes from there all the time so they are put to use, therefore very worth it,” said Haley Lamme, a sophomore at LRHS.
On the other hand, some students at Leesville believe that the brand is flat-out overpriced, no exceptions.
“I just think Lululemon is just one of those overrated trends that comes and goes. It’s crazily overpriced. I will go to the mall with my sisters and look at leggings that are priced over 100 dollars. I can literally go to other stores and get two pairs of their leggings for cheaper which are softer and nicer,” says Emma Nani, a senior at LRHS.
Love the Product But Not the Price?
Gianna Medina, a junior at Leesville, chooses to purchase her Lululemon from secondhand websites to avoid the pricey costs.
“Personally I think the original prices are really high but Lulu is still really good quality workout clothes. To buy my clothes I usually use websites like Mercari. I can usually get Lululemon stuff for 50% off the original price if not more,” said Medina.
Mercari is a retail site with over 19 million users. It allows people to sell any clothing, shoes, accessories, sporting goods, and anything really. For people listing, the app charges 10% commissions on sales plus a $2 processing fee for direct deposits under $10. Mercari allows safe and secure transactions between buyers and sellers.
The cost of items posted on this site are most likely discounted from the original price, making Mercari an easy place for Lululemon lovers to purchase their clothes, most likely for a cheaper price than they are on Lululemons official site.
“Tank tops that are usually almost $70 on the official site, I have found for $10 on Mercari. Some people are just looking to get rid of clothing, and if I am on the app at the right time, I make sure to snag the deal. When I can find Lululemon for this cheap, it’s convenient to buy it on these apps rather than full price,” said Medina.
Above is Medina’s Lululemon collection. She owns about 20 items from the athletic clothing company including different shorts, tank tops, short sleeve swiftly tech tops, leggings, and more. By purchasing her Lululemon from websites/apps like Mercari, she claims to have saved hundreds of dollars. (Photo courtesy of Maddy Winick)
“Women’s Made Too Much”
When you search up “Lululemon”, not only will the official site come up, but a website called “Women’s Made Too Much” along with “Men’s Made Too Much” will appear. These sites were created for products they made too much of and are now being sold at a discounted price.
Any Lulu fanatic will know about these “secret” websites. They would also know that every Thursday morning, new assortments are added to the page depending on which items there is an excess stock of. Problem is, everything sells extremely fast since customers love their discounts.
Prices are usually cut $10-$30 from the original price depending on the item.
Currently listed is the very popular “cropped align top” in the color “soleil” — a bright, fun, yellow shade. This type of top in this specific color was clearly overproduced and is no $49 rather than its original price of $58. Some may call this website a friend to their bank account, while to others these “reduced” prices are still way overpriced.