Athleta how many stores

What Athleta lacks in Canada is brand awareness because it has not had stores here, Patterson said. Lululemon, in contrast, has strong brand recognition in Canada, and a community of customers that at times can be like a "cult following," he said. Both Athleta and Lululemon are involved with Olympic athletes. Lululemon, earlier this month, signed on as the official outfitter of Team Canada, starting with the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and running through the end of the Los Angeles Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Athleta has about stores in the U. View comments. By Glen Korstrom October 1, , am. Lululemon's success there provides Athleta with promise. Lululemon was founded by Chip Wilson in Vancouver in The brand started as a yoga studio, then became a stand-alone store in The key for Athleta will be to determine if there is enough market share for it, too.

Skip Navigation. Key Points. Gap announced it will take its Athleta brand into Canada, rival Lululemon's home turf. It marks Athleta's first expansion outside the United States. Athleta, which sells pricey yoga pants, workout tops and hoodies, has flown under the radar compared to its bigger sister brands.

That's by design. The company's flagship brand found success by opening up thousands of stores in malls across the world. But the company took a methodical approach to building Athleta stores because it wanted to protect its niche status. Peck also said last week on an analyst call that the company has been "purposeful and intentional" about building Athleta. Gap did not want to get stuck with too many Athleta stores, nor did it want to hold extra inventory in case the athleisure trend slowed.

But the market for fitness clothes is still booming in the United States, and analysts believe Athleta can take a larger slice. If the new-look Gap is going to survive on its own, its Athleta brand may hold the key. Shifting fashion tastes have driven the trend. Dress codes at work and schools have gotten more casual, while more Americans have become comfortable wearing leggings, sweatpants and sneakers outside of the gym.

Gap is not only betting on the women's athleisure market. It debuted Hill City last fall to compliment its Athleta line. Hill City does not have any plans to open standalone stores, though. Athleta plans to build new stores and grow online by pushing its environmentally friendly clothing profile and inclusive advertising to reach women.

Gap said last week that it is focused on opening more Athleta stores, but the company has stayed mum on exactly how big it expects the brand to become.

Analysts expect Athleta to continue stepping up its clothing business for girls.