Allie Bernstein, '27
When it comes to the competition between athletic brands, many people will pit Lululemon and Athleta against each other. Both companies produce similar products and have similar target audiences, so customers often question what is worth the price and what product has better quality. I put together a survey to see how some students at Ensworth feel.
I began with a fun question: If you could receive a $500 gift card to either store, which would you choose? 90% of students chose Lululemon, and 10% chose Athleta. In correlation to this previous question, I asked, “Where do you shop more often, and what store do you like better?” Both questions gave the same statistics, with 80% of people selecting Lululemon and 20% of people selecting Athleta. Given these numbers alone, we can assume that customers tend to gravitate toward Lululemon more than Athleta.
I found that even though many seem to lean on the Lululemon side, it’s not game over for Athleta yet. When anonymously asking why students chose one particular store over the other, I thought there were some interesting responses. Those who seemed more in favor of Athleta said, “I think Lulu clothes are overpriced, and Athleta clothes are a bit cheaper but the same quality.” Additionally, “Athleta is cheaper, and I don't really care to buy shorts or leggings of the same quality at a higher price.”
When going onto the Athleta website, the most expensive pair of leggings you can buy is $119, and the cheapest pair is $65. According to Lululemon’s website, the most expensive pair of leggings is $168, and the cheapest pair is $88. Obviously, there is a difference in expense, so why would someone choose a pair of pants that cost so much more when they both work well? Let’s examine some more answers to see if we can further our understanding.
“I think that Lululemon has better quality stuff, and I think it's cuter.”
“The quality is better.”
“I like the style more.”
“I've shopped at both, and Lulu has more variety.”
Given these specific answers, it seems that customers are willing to pay for aesthetically better athletic clothing that they deem ‘higher quality’. Observing the high prices at Lululemon, it’s evident that the company uses its better reputation for supposed quality to inflate its prices.
I reached out to both companies over email asking about their quality control in clothes, but have received no response on either end. The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that either both companies do not wish to be explicit about the caliber of their clothing, or they are not up to the mark in overall customer service. Overall, while people prefer shopping at Lululemon, they also enjoy the lower prices at Athleta. I don’t necessarily think that one company is superior to the other, but Lululemon seems to have the upper hand.
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