Lululemon Planning Men's Line

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Vancouver) will expand its business to include a menswear line, the company announced last week. Laurent Potdevin, the company’s ceo since 2013 told investors at an analysts’ meeting that a menswear line has the potential to generate a billion dollars in annual sales. Casual wear, borrowing some of the fabrics and technologies from Lululemon’s signature women’s yoga wear, will be the staple of the men’s line. The company will also expand its casual line of women’s wear based on a capsule collection called “&Go” that was recently tested in some Lululemon stores. “This lifestyle product collection resonated with our guests exceptionally well and will become an important part of our collection,” Potdevin said.

Potdevin added that Lululemon will add more stores to its new Ivivva brand for girls. The company believes the chain has the potential to produce a half-billion dollars per year in annual sales. Ivivva stores generate sales of $900 per square foot and are showing double-digit comparable-store sales growth.

The company also announced its plans to accelerate Lululemon’s rollout in Europe. Sales at its first overseas store, which opened in London last month, were 60 percent higher than expected.