Vancouver-based athleisure brand Lululemon has significantly expanded its location at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. The store is said to be the top selling location for the company in Canada and sales are expected to grow even higher with the additional space.
The store now spans just over 10,500 square feet on one level, made possible by annexing two adjacent retail spaces. That includes a 2,347 square foot space formerly occupied by Oakley and a 2,006 square foot space recently vacated by Arc’teryx. Both were added to the formerly 6,190 square foot Lululemon space — Oakley and Arc’teryx have since relocated within the mall.
The expanded Lululemon features a new black facade and expansive frontage on the second floor in Phase Two of the mall. The store’s interior has been updated with a bright aesthetic, including light terrazzo flooring, white walls and brown wood accents. International design-build firm SAJO brought the space to life.
It’s now one of the largest Lululemon stores in the chain, and is said to be the top selling location for the brand in Canada. The only location globally that is said to have higher sales is the Lululemon store at Mall of America near Minneapolis, which spans nearly 20,000 square feet.
Nearby retailers at West Edmonton Mall include Uniqlo, JD Sports and Apple which are located directly across from Lululemon, while the Ice Palace skating rink is located a short distance away.
Lululemon has grown its footprint at West Edmonton Mall significantly in less than a decade. In 2015 Retail Insider reported that Lululemon’s then 3,585 square foot store, which then was the top-selling location for the company, would be expanding to over 6,000 square feet by annexing a retail space formerly occupied by Mexx and Oakley. A unique new facade and full renovation of the store was included with the expansion at that time, and that facade has since been replaced for the expanded store.
A competitor to Lululemon recently opened at West Edmonton Mall — US-based Alo Yoga now operates a 6,150 square foot location in the mall’s rapidly transforming luxury area. Alo is also opening a store at Southgate Centre in Edmonton, looking to gain market share.
West Edmonton Mall has been adding retailers recently, while others relocate. Luxury brand Moncler will be opening in the mall in a few weeks, while the mall’s Anthropologie store will be relocating into Phase One of the mall. Rayban just opened its first store in Alberta in the mall over the weekend. And towards the end of the year (or possibly in early 2024) Nike will open its largest single-floor store in the world at West Edmonton Mall, spanning more than 27,000 square feet boasting expansive frontage on the Ice Palace.
Over the summer, Lululemon shut its only street-front Edmonton store at 10558 Whyte Avenue. The store operated there for years and saw a full renovation in late 2014, acting as a community hub to help drive brand awareness in the city. Lululemon continues to operate stores in Edmonton including at the Southgate Centre and Kingsway Mall.
Lululemon has been updating its retail portfolio in Canada, including during the pandemic when it was able to negotiate favourable lease terms to expand and build new stores. This has continued with the brand growing several of its existing locations while building new ones, including one of its largest at the northwest corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets in Toronto (opening in early 2024). Larger stores are being used to showcase Lululemon’s expanded product assortment while also adding experiences and community opportunities.
Sources have told Retail Insider that Lululemon is finalizing a lease at The Well in downtown Toronto — the location and size are not yet known and it’s opening could be expected for spring 2024.
In Canada, Lululemon has over 70 stores across the country. The brand is now expanding globally with strong penetration into the US market as well as countries overseas. Lululemon is facing competition from US-based Alo Yoga which is expanding rapidly in the US and now in Canada, featuring a similar product and price-point, not to mention Montreal-based Lolë which is growing again.
