lululemon athletica is an athletic-wear retailer based in Vancouver, Canada. Best known for their yoga pants made of a nylon/lycra blend the company calls Luon, lululemon also offers clothing for running, rowing, and rock-climbing, as well as fashion clothing and accessories. Vancouver (pronounced ) is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nylon represents a family of synthetic polymers, a thermoplastic material, invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont. ... Lycra is INVISTAs trademark for a synthetic polyurethane-based elastane textile with elastic properties of the sort known generically as spandex. As with other spandex materials, Lycra is commonly used in athletic or active clothing, such as clothes for cycling, swimwear, leotards and dancewear, as well as in underclothes. ...

lululemon was founded in Kitsilano, BC by Chip Wilson in 1998. The first store outside of Canada opened in Santa Monica, California in 2003, and the company now has 33 retail outlets across Canada, the United States, Japan, and Australia. The chain touts its ethical business practices, including paying its retail employees rates above minimum wage and offering them access to free yoga classes, and ensuring good working conditions in its factories. Until 2004 the brand's clothes were made only in Canada; production has now expanded to the United States, Sri Lanka, China, and Israel. Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica is a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA, by the Pacific Ocean, south of Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, and north of Venice. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ...

After four years of doubling revenues, U.S. private equity firm Advent International invested CDN$225 million in lulumon for a minority interest.

References

• Alexander, Renee (2006). "Anatomy of a Brand", BusinessWeek, February 22, 2006. Article on lululemon atheletics.
• "lululemon athletica Gains Partners in Growth Equity Investment", December 8, 2005. Press release from Highland Capital Partners.

BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. ... February 22 is the 53rd day of every year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Lululemon website.
• Ammenheuser, Maura K. "Yoga Chic: Inner beauty isn’t enough for Lululemon Athletica fans", International Council of Shopping Centers, May 2005.
• "Lululemon's Mastermind", Vancouver Magazine, October 2003.