Realise Your Potential
At its heart, lululemon is a brand focused on helping people to feel their best through movement and mindfulness. Here, RLI discusses with Sarah Fitch, Vice President of Global Franchise at lululemon about how they have always been about much more than what they produce, they are all about building community and creating connection.
lululemon is a purpose-driven brand whose values guide them in all that they do, from their business strategy and innovation, to how they connect and build their strong culture. They create transformational products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all.
Today, the company has more than 800 stores and a presence in more than 30 markets across North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and China Mainland. For the brand, EMEA is an increasingly important part of that footprint, with a mix of company-owned and franchise-operated stores across the region.
“It’s been an exciting year for us. Through our franchise partnerships, in 2026 we’ve entered Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania and Austria, with India still to come,” explains Sarah Fitch, Vice President of Global Franchise. “What is important to us is making sure we’re working with the right local partner to build a real connection with the community from day one.”
As part of their expansion in the last 12 months, the brand opened in Austria, with a store in Vienna on Kärntner Straße, one of the city’s most prestigious shopping streets, with their franchise partner Arion Retail Group. The Vienna store brings their full product offering to guests and they want it to become a place where they can connect with the local community through their ambassadors, partner studios and movement experiences. Covering more than 200sq m, the store showcases their technical athleticwear, footwear, style and accessories for key athletic activities as well as everyday movement.
Prior to Austria, they opened in Athens, Greece. Firstly they opened a store in the centre of Kolonaki, one of the city’s prime retail addresses popular with tourists and locals alike, before launching a store in a local shopping mall called Golden Hall.
“Our approach to expansion has always been strategic and deliberate. We do not simply look at where we can open stores, we look at where we can build a long-term presence and become part of the local community,” comments Fitch. In markets where deep local knowledge of the retail landscape, consumer behaviour and regulatory environment is critical, their franchise model enables them to work with trusted local partners to establish the name effectively while staying true to the lululemon experience. “This year, that approach will enable us to enter six new markets across EMEA, working closely with our franchise partners to introduce the business in a way that reflects both our brand and the authenticity of each local market,” Fitch continues.
The company is looking for partners through their franchise model with local market expertise, strong retail capabilities and a shared commitment to their values, particularly around product excellence, community engagement and long-term brand building. It is this combination that gives the group confidence that they can introduce lululemon through their franchise model in a way that feels local while remaining true to their roots.
They continue to invest in growing their franchise network and it is now an important part of their international growth strategy. They have more than 60 stores across EMEA operated by their franchise partners with India to follow shortly with their partner, Tata CLiQ. They have built long-term partnerships with names such as MAF and Fiba Retail, enabling them to expand thoughtfully into markets where local expertise can complement their global brand experience.
Moving the discussion onto the topic of digital channels, Fitch highlights how their physical and digital channels are designed to work with each other, giving guests the flexibility to engage with the company in the way that works best for them. While their stores are where guests can experience their products first-hand and connect with the brand and local community, their digital platforms help them to reach more people.
“As we continue to expand internationally, we look at how these channels can work together from day one. India is a great example of this. Alongside the opening of the first physical lululemon store in New Delhi later this year, our franchise partner Tata CLiQ will launch lululemon digitally on Tata CLiQ Luxury and Tata CLiQ Fashion, enabling guests to discover our products while we establish our physical presence in the market,” says Fitch.
Another element that is integrated throughout their business strategy is sustainability, which is implemented through Impact Agenda 2030, their roadmap for advancing resilience and innovation for people and the planet. A key focus area is circular innovation, where they work to bring more circular products to their guests by increasing the use of preferred materials, extending product use through offering repair and resale options to guests and investing in partnerships that help scale next-generation materials and recycling solutions.
Fitch mentions they recognise that meaningful progress requires collaboration across their value chain and industry. They are focused on scaling what is working well, strengthening partnerships that make it possible and building on the progress they have made as they continue to grow.
As we move on to asking Fitch about the key drivers and the ethos of the business, she explains that what makes lululemon distinctive is the combination of their product innovation and the relationships they build with their guests. “I feel that we are a brand that helps people realise their potential through movement and mindfulness. We believe wellbeing is about how you feel, how you connect with others and how you show up in your community.”
As we end our time with Sarah, she highlights that one of the biggest opportunities and challenges for the brand is scaling internationally while ensuring lululemon feels locally relevant.
“As we continue to expand our franchise network, what excites me most is working with local partners to bring that experience to more people in a way that feels true to each market while remaining true to lululemon,” Fitch concludes.
