A lot can change in 12 years. For lululemon, the Canadian technical athletic apparel company has grown to nine stores in Singapore, including two within Changi Airport. And in the process, the brand has built and actively engaged with a community that shares its belief in the importance of movement. One would be able to just as easily purchase a full yoga kit before heading to a class in the very same store (a partnership with Within at the lululemon Takashimaya store), or take part in community runs that are done on the weekly. In between, lululemon organises movement-focused classes as well, and all open to the public.
Community is certainly one of the driving forces behind lululemon, and it continues to shape how the brand caters to this growing community. And after 12 years, it was time for an upgrade to its ION Orchard store—lululemon's first official physical outpost in Asia.
Moving away from its original unit within ION Orchard, the new location expands the floorspace to 5,821 square feet, almost double that of the original. The size matters because it allows lululemon to better cater to its community. Built around three core pillars—Movement, Joy, and Connection—the store is intentioned to be more than just, well, a store. It's the first in Singapore to debut this latest global concept that aims to elevate the lululemon experience. There's nary a sharp corner nor finishing throughout the interior of the space; smooth curves reflect a sense of unrelenting movement as they seemingly guide customers to explore the different product offerings. The colours and tactility in the choice of materials took inspiration from the natural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, with contrasting neutral and vibrant tones defining distinct zones. Statements of empowerment are peppered throughout specific touchpoints in the customer journey, acting as thoughtful reminders as well as to emphasise a sense of belonging.
It's in a dedicated space within the store that customers are able to engage with the lululemon community. The space is designed to spotlight local happenings and upcoming events to bring people together through movement, connection and wellbeing—all to help them feel at their best.
The expanded space also leads to new in-store-only exclusives. For the first time in Singapore, lululemon introduces a personalisation service. Customers who purchase the Everywhere Belt Bag have the option of embossing it, and those who purchase select water bottle designs will now be able to get them engraved.
The store, naturally, is where the tools to aid in a movement-centric life can be found. lululemon's ethos of merging style and performance is one of the reasons why the brand has been able to penetrate into the consciousness of anyone gearing up for an active lifestyle. The store stocks both women's and men's categories, offering gear for training, yoga, and running with zero compromises to style. The Fast and Free capsule collection, for example, focuses on lightweight and moisture-wicking materials with thoughtful design elements that any runner would appreciate on their short or long runs. The ION Orchard store will exclusively stock the capsule as well as run products in seasonal colourways, ensuring a fresh rotation of the tried-and-tested favourites.
The emphasis on movement continues with lululemon's newest seasonal run collection that looks just as stylish as it is technical in performance. The collection is designed to "Outrun the noise" so that all one has to do is simply focus on the run itself, by ensuring that the pieces are lightweight in construction, breathable, and fast-drying. Beloved signatures like the Fast and Free singlet, Pace Breaker shorts, and Mile Maker shorts are all refreshed in seasonal colourways that, dare we say, look uplifting too.
Because when you feel your best, you perform your best—that's the lululemon way.
As a precursor to the reopening of lululemon's ION Orchard store, the brand engaged with its community as way of celebrating the milestone. A series of pre-opening activations were held at Design Orchard Singapore leading up to the opening, where run, yoga, reformer Pilates and train classes were made available for anyone to participate in. These were led by lululemon ambassadors and leading instructors. In addition, there were also a curated selection of food and drinks by local partners as well as a photobooth to capture moments being with the community.
For the first time in Singapore, lululemon has launched exclusive limited-edition blind boxes to celebrate the reopening of its milestone store. Like an act of mindfulness itself—letting go of control and going with the flow, so to speak—each blind box contains one of five charm designs rendered in signature lululemon red. In addition to that, each blind box also contains a "made to feel" charm in silver. The only way to get your hand on a blind box from 12 November is to spend at least SGD288 from at the ION Orchard store, while stocks last. So perhaps, get moving.
Discover the reopened lululemon store and the exclusive personalisation services at ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #B1-06/07, Singapore 238801. Follow @lululemonsoutheastasia for the latest updates.
