Last week, lululemon debuted its new store design concept with the opening of two flagships in iconic locations around the world – SoHo, New York City and Gangnam, Seoul. Rooted in movement, connection, and sensory engagement, the elevated creative expression sets the blueprint for the future of lululemon retail as the company continues to invest in enhancing its guest experience globally.
As part of this new playbook, the company is incorporating a breadth of considered structural materials and colour palettes that are designed to take guests on a journey through the store and pay homage to lululemon’s roots in the Pacific Northwest.
“Our new store expression reflects lululemon’s commitment to creating a welcoming, dynamic retail experience, designed to celebrate our product and community,” said Darin Rabb, Senior Vice President, Global Brand Creative & Experience, lululemon. “Every detail has been curated to evoke emotion and connection, with elevated materials to reflect the quality and craftsmanship of our products.”
lululemon’s new SoHo flagship is located at 524 Broadway in New York City, spanning more than 17,000 square feet across two floors, and ranking among the brand’s largest stores worldwide.
At over 9,000 square feet, lululemon’s Gangnam store is located at 458, Gangnam-daero, Gangnam-gu in Seoul, and is the company’s first flagship store in Asia with a full men’s focused floor for the first time in Korea.
Each store is wrapped in custom 3D-printed recycled materials, inspired by the design lines of some of lululemon’s most iconic products. Notable elements include bespoke terrazzo floors, a hand-formed tile staircase, and hand-carved timber joinery, while the staircase has a fully immersive lighting installation which reflects the atmospheric hues of the Pacific Northwest sky.
A glimpse at the SoHo store location featuring the hand-crafted and bespoke detail of lululemon’s new creative expression.
Building Community
Across all regions, lululemon stores continue to play a critical role not only in bringing the brand and products to life for its guests, but also in serving as community hubs that create space to enable movement and connection. At the new locations in SoHo and Gangnam, guests can find local community boards highlighting Ambassadors in market and upcoming events from run clubs to tailored brand activations.
Each lululemon store is designed to reflect the local market it serves. Unique to the SoHo store, are localized “love notes” – playful phrases – integrated throughout the space to offer moments of surprise and delight. The SoHo location also features printed neighborhood guides for guests to check out and engage with the local community.
A range of products on display at the Gangnam flagship, showcasing lululemon’s new hydration station, pictured left.
To celebrate the opening weekend, guests in both locations enjoyed a range of activities and community events led by lululemon Ambassadors in local markets. This included product personalization, 5K runs, and complimentary yoga and training classes.
lululemon has over 780 company-operated locations across nearly 25 markets around the world today. Additionally, in FY25, the company anticipates completing 35 store optimizations globally as it continues to elevate the lululemon brand experience and showcase its full potential for guests in all regions.