Is lululemon (LULU) really the next Under Armour (UA)?

Jon Ogg — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:30:00 EST

Does lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) really feel like Under Armour Inc. (NYSE: UA)? The long and short of it is "NO, it doesn't." But there are many merits ahead, and the underlying "sport" of yoga has actually continued to grow in appeal to the masses. Yoga, it seems, isn't just for hippies anymore.

On Friday evening's MAD MONEY on CNBC, Jim Cramer noted that Lululemon has many of the same characteristics of Under Armour. In his defense, this was more figurative than literal and he said there is not a hurry to buy it because it has run a lot already. The company has many store openings and even more coming in 2008, and Cramer is looking at it for accelerated revenue and accelerated earnings growth.

LULU is an odd call because there are actually very few reliable statistics on just how many people practice yoga. Many still believe that it's a bit strange or "out there," compared to other forms of exercise or stress-relief. When you look at the lululemon.com website you will understand why. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you will know why the stereotypes can instantly be debunked. LULU is going to be interesting to watch, mainly because of its stellar IPO performance. Cramer recently called Under Armour "The Next Nike!" but that won't be the case for LULU. Still, there is a growth story here, and one that investors are looking at. How it will do and if it manages its own growth is where the jury is still out.

Is lululemon (LULU) really the next Under Armour (UA)? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I am a 'Yoga Mama': We kick soccer moms' tushies

Sarah Gilbert — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:11:00 EST

Filed under: Consumer Experience, Wal-Mart (WMT), Marketing and Advertising, Walt Disney (DIS), Kellogg Co (K)

I love labels. I especially love labels when they're devised by 'savvy' marketing analysts or pollsters. And the newest target for the corporate marketing dollar? 'Yoga Moms.'

I love this one particularly, not least because I'm totally a Yoga Mama (I prefer the "mama" moniker to "mom," as do most Yoga Mamas; you all may want to make a note of this). In fact, I registered the domain "spa mama.com" years ago and still receive email to some variant of "zen@" said dotcom. And yes, I do a lot of yoga. Yoga Mamas are said to be very particular about eating organic and feeding it to their kids; buying natural products; and we'll pay top dollar for it.

Whoa! Hold on. Maybe I'm not a Yoga Mama after all. Or maybe y'all have it wrong (still taking notes?) In fact, in my market analysis (done among my friends, many of whom I met at prenatal yoga, or at new mama knitting circles, or at the organic foods market, or as kindred spirits on some mama-centric web site), Yoga Mamas aren't willing to pay top dollar for anything organic or natural; in fact, our choices are much more shrewd than that.

My friends are, in fact, always talking about how they're on a budget, or they don't have money for this luxury or that luxury. Most of us don't spend much on our own clothes, for instance, and we're savvy resale shoppers -- often picking up expensive labels, to be sure, but for a fraction of the retail price. While we'll occasionally splurge on treats for ourselves (heck, someone's keeping those manicurists in business, and we love a good glass of Pinot Noir) we're also fanatic 'unit price' comparers and we won't go back to a place that doesn't fit in with a raft of values, from "respectful" to "green" to "treats its employees well." None of us shop at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT). All of us shop at Trader Joe's.

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I am a 'Yoga Mama': We kick soccer moms' tushies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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