Lululemon Athletica Inc. styled as lululemon athletica, is a yoga-inspired active apparel company, which produces a clothing line and runs global clothing stores from its business base in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Dennis “Chip” Wilson established Lululemon Athletica in 1998 in response to increased female participation in sports and by his belief in yoga as the optimal way to maintain athletic excellence into an advanced age.
Wilson opened the first Lululemon shop in Kitsilano, a Vancouver neighborhood. It included a design studio, a retail store, and shared space with a yoga studio. Lululemon operates approximately 201 stores, with the majority in North America. Lululemon also operates stores in Australia and New Zealand. There are also showrooms in Hong Kong and Great Britain. Also, Lululemon is sold at fitness studios including Physique 57, Equinox, CorePower Yoga, Pure Barre and more.
In fall 2009 the company started Ivivva Athletica, a new subsidiary targeting girls from ages 6 to 12. Ivivva Athletica was stated by Lululemon in September 2009. Ivivva started with the opening of three stores in December 2009. As of October 2012, Ivivva has 14 locations – mostly located in Lululemon’s principal markets in Canada and the United States.
