Lululemon fans furious as tariffs threaten to drive prices even higher amid stock plunge

New York Post

a day ago

Lululemon lovers are already stretching their wallets to the limit — and now they've had enough.
Fans and critics alike were clucking their tongues Friday after the athleisure giant warned customers they'd soon be paying even more for already-pricey workout gear — following a whopping stock nosedive.
The culprit? President Donald Trump's tariffs — and, apparently, broke Americans tightening their purse strings.
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'We experienced lower store traffic in the Americas, partially reflective of economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, lower consumer confidence, and changes in discretionary spending,' the company said in a recent statement.
Translation: Even the brand's cult-following of millennial and Gen Z yoga bunnies aren't splurging $128 on leggings like they used to.
4 Even Lululemon's loyal legging junkies — from millennial moms to Gen Z gym rats — are tightening their waistbands on those $128 yoga pants.
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Execs are scrambling as the one-time Wall Street darling fell short of analyst predictions, seeing just a 1% increase in sales year-over-year, falling short of the 3% forecast.
'We are planning to take strategic price increases … on a small portion of our assortment, and they will be modest in nature,' chief financial officer Meghan Frank said on an earnings call, adding the hikes will roll out within weeks.
'It will be price increases on a small portion of our assortments, and they will be modest in nature,' she claimed.
4 The blame for all this? President Trump's tariffs — and cash-strapped shoppers cutting back.
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CEO Calvin McDonald admitted he was 'not happy' with U.S. growth figures and blamed the belt-tightening on skittish shoppers.
'We experienced lower store traffic … lower consumer confidence,' he echoed.
While some may point to floundering new lines like the Glow Up collection or Daydrift trousers, the company is pinning the blame on tariffs — particularly those slapped on goods made in Vietnam and China, where the company sources most of its fabrics.
In 2024, 40% of Lululemon's products were made in Vietnam, and 28% of its fabrics came from mainland China — both hit hard by Trump's trade crackdown.
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Now, Lulu says it's working to cut costs and negotiate with vendors to offset the tariff hit. But customers aren't exactly downward dogging in support.
On X, disgruntled users lashed out at the brand's pricing and manufacturing decisions.
4 The athleisure company says it's trimming costs and haggling with vendors to ease the tariff pain — but shoppers aren't exactly striking a warrior pose in approval.
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'You better get it together. Lulu. Using tariffs as an excuse in your rest of the year outlook is not a smart move. Amazon/Walmart tried this it didn't go well. You're Down 65$ today. Our family was a big lulu fan not so much anymore,' one raged.
'For what they charge for their products, you'd think it was made in America,' snapped another.
'It can't be that yoga pants shouldn't cost $125 a pair. No. That's not it,' someone joked.
Others were more blunt: 'Their stuff is ridiculously overpriced… total ripoff.'
'Lululemon's collapse isn't about tariffs — it's about betting on foreign manufacturing while ignoring American resilience,' one critic seethed.
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They continued, 'Relocating production… was always a gamble, and now they're paying for it.'
Some simply slammed the entire brand: 'Lululemon clothing is so overpriced — always has been. Only the Gen Zers think its the name on them that make them special.'
4 In 2024, Lulu pumped out 40% of its gear in Vietnam and got 28% of its fabrics from China — two prime targets in Trump's tariff smackdown.
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Another scorched: 'Stupid rich women paying exorbitant prices for stretch pants. SMH.'
Despite the backlash, Lululemon doesn't appear to be sweating just yet — but with costs climbing and customers stretching their budgets, the future might not be quite so flexible.