Expanding our footprint and realizing our vision for growth

Following the unveiling of our Power of Three ×2 growth plan this spring, I wanted to spotlight each of our strategic pillars – Product Innovation, Guest Experience, and International Expansion – and share my perspective on the role an intentional growth strategy can have in accelerating innovation and driving value creation within an organization.

Earlier this month, we shared our plans to launch lululemon in Spain. It is incredibly exciting to introduce our brand to new communities and continue growing our collective around the world, as we work towards our goal of quadrupling our international business and driving double-digit growth in North America by 2026.

As leaders, there are many considerations to navigate in pursuit of growth – driving momentum in successful areas of our business on the one hand, and pursuing untapped opportunities on the other. Throughout my leadership journey, a clear vision has always been the best foundation for pursuing something new, and it begins with aligning on intent. What are we trying to achieve? Why are we trying to achieve it? How are we going to know if we were successful?

With every new idea or innovation at lululemon, we consider three factors – size of prize, right to win, and difficulty of dive. In the case of market expansion, we filter our research and data through a formula we call “The Sweat Index” to measure market capacity, level of premium activewear potential, and “sweat readiness,” or the culture of guests living an active and mindful lifestyle. This process helps us understand and address the questions of?what?and?why.

At lululemon, the?how?must always be grounded in our vision,?which is that we create transformative products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all.?Our?definition of success is not possible?at the expense of our vision?or culture.

And it is our people – embedded in our local communities, building strong relationships and authentic brand loyalty with our guests – who create our strong culture. These?qualities make our business and brand unique,?and?must be the?foundation for how we build, pace, and scale in each of our markets.?

Striking the right balance is a blend of both science and art. For us, our approach is to balance growth in core international markets as we also scale in new and existing markets. Intentionality is key to ensuring we are not just?accelerating the business for short-term gains. Focusing on our vision helps bring growth opportunities into alignment, because?how?we achieve our results matters.