Lululemon Mall of America
Lululemon Mall of America
Tomorrow lululemon is opening its second largest store to date at Mall of America, where you can do a lot more than just shop.
The 19,700 square foot store (which replaced the smaller one that opened at MOA in 2010) marks the brand's second experiential format after the opening of one in Chicago last summer. But will it work? Are people looking to shop, sweat, shower and eat inside of a megamall? We'll just have to wait and see.
According to Maureen Erickson, VP of experiential retail at lululemon, the city format (Chicago) and the mall format (Twin Cities) of experiential stores are both tests and trailblazers for many more to come for the Canadian-based retailer.
The new store showcases the full expression of lulu product, merchandised in new ways. "We really looked at how to drive innovation into the shopping experience," says Erickson. Erickson and her team looked at their biggest categories and top performers (i.e. bras and pants) and reimagined how to showcase in the new brick-and-mortar setting. For instance, the retailer's top-selling sports bras and leggings are shown on a wall of full-body mannequins, allowing the shopper to see and feel the wide, rainbow-bright assortment.
Also featured is a designated area for lululemon's Labs, which are shops-within-shop collections of "no-sweat" products that blend form and function. Less activewear, more everyday clothing such as shirt dresses, blazers, and neoprene pants. Lab products are produced in limited qualities and are unique to the store's city. Previously, products within the Lab collections were only available online.
The new store also houses a fitness studio (where anyone can reserve a class online or drop in for $25), for mall-goers to break a sweat. Plus, a meditation room-meets-private event space (perfect for bridal parties and corporate meetings), and locker rooms accentuated with subway tile, blond wood, and crème de la crème touches like Dyson hair dryers and Aēsop beauty products.
Situated between the retail and sweat studio is the "fuel bar," where lululemon will partner with local restaurant Penny's Coffee to serve healthy food and drink options like coffee, smoothies, bowls, and salads. "We are so excited to be partnering with such an amazing brand like lululemon," says Foley Schmidt, President and CEO of Penny's Coffee. "Their people separate them from the rest of retail, and they've been such a great partner in every step of the whole process."
Lululemon Mall of America will also offer a "gear trial program," allowing shoppers to test drive key styles during an in-store sweat studio workout. No gear? No problem. Shoppers may also borrow merchandise if they decide to drop into a class last minute.
"When designing our strategy we really thought about who we wanted to be in the experiential retail space," says Erickson. "We leaned into the things we believe have allowed our success over the last 21 years—and it's really this concept of the sweat life which is sweat, personal development, and connection. We designed the whole space around that idea."
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mannequins wearing lulu lemon
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lululemon ambassador wall
lululemon ambassador wall
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lulu lemon retail space
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women's locker room counter and mirror with hair dryers and lockers in the background
women's locker room
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meditation room
meditation room
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fitness studio
fitness studio
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cafe concept
cafe concept
The brand also saw the new store as an opportunity to dive deeper into its ambassador program and better serve as a hub for the community to sweat, grow, and connect with one another. Currently, Lululemon has 36 local ambassadors affiliated with the MOA store to help spread the word, inspire shoppers, and host in-store events—be it a workout or artist showcase.
"We have an incredible community in the Twin Cities," says Erickson. "We opened our first store ten years ago and we are grateful to pull our new, experiential concept into our first mall format store at Mall of America."
The store officially opens to the public tomorrow, November 20, while in-store fitness classes will begin on Monday, December 2. View the schedule here.
