Comments on: Lululemon, CSR, and product attributes http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/ ... it's about public relations, marketing, retail quirks, government communications and oddities ... and written in Canada! Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:28:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Diana http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/comment-page-1/#comment-55289 Diana Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:58:10 +0000 http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/#comment-55289 I've always loved the way lululemon's stuff looks, but I've never been able to afford it anyway. What a bizarre story. Thanks for sharing. I'm all for shining the light on bad practices of all organizations - even the overall good ones. I’ve always loved the way lululemon’s stuff looks, but I’ve never been able to afford it anyway.

What a bizarre story. Thanks for sharing. I’m all for shining the light on bad practices of all organizations - even the overall good ones.

]]> By: Judy Gombita http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/comment-page-1/#comment-42705 Judy Gombita Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:13:45 +0000 http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/#comment-42705 I don't own a single piece of lululemon clothing, because it became apparent several years ago that every second female at my gym wears its pricey gear (Naomi Klein's No Logo is always top of mind). I think I became more even less enthusiastic about the mandate of the company (and its commitment to CSR) via its "yoga" line of clothing after Chatelaine magazine published a 4,000-word article by Alexandra Gill (September 2006) about lululemon athletica, “Mind-bending Truth: The Untold Story of lululemon.” It was a bit of an eye-opener, exploring the connection between the company’s founder, Chip Wilson, and the controversial self-help organization Landmark Education Corp. Unfortunately, I can't find the article online, but several bloggers picked up on it and wrote about it, including this one: http://www.chezkirby.ca/wordpress/?p=94 lululemon athletica is a business selling clothes to women who lead active lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that fact. The problem is when the company markets or "promises" health benefits and life choices that its product simply can't match. The cover story in the current edition of my favourite health newsletter, Nutrition Action, investigates "Confusion at the Vitamin Counter. Too Little or Too Much?" which is mainly about dodgy marketing claims (based on single/subjective or unverified tests) of vitamin companies. Too bad lululemon's "VitaSea" claims weren't uncovered in time for this issue. (Then again, I guess the company never said the shirts made for good eating...just "healthy" sweating.) http://www.cspinet.org/nah/canada.htm I don’t own a single piece of lululemon clothing, because it became apparent several years ago that every second female at my gym wears its pricey gear (Naomi Klein’s No Logo is always top of mind).

I think I became more even less enthusiastic about the mandate of the company (and its commitment to CSR) via its “yoga” line of clothing after Chatelaine magazine published a 4,000-word article by Alexandra Gill (September 2006) about lululemon athletica, “Mind-bending Truth: The Untold Story of lululemon.” It was a bit of an eye-opener, exploring the connection between the company’s founder, Chip Wilson, and the controversial self-help organization Landmark Education Corp.

Unfortunately, I can’t find the article online, but several bloggers picked up on it and wrote about it, including this one:

http://www.chezkirby.ca/wordpress/?p=94

lululemon athletica is a business selling clothes to women who lead active lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that fact. The problem is when the company markets or “promises” health benefits and life choices that its product simply can’t match. The cover story in the current edition of my favourite health newsletter, Nutrition Action, investigates “Confusion at the Vitamin Counter. Too Little or Too Much?” which is mainly about dodgy marketing claims (based on single/subjective or unverified tests) of vitamin companies. Too bad lululemon’s “VitaSea” claims weren’t uncovered in time for this issue. (Then again, I guess the company never said the shirts made for good eating…just “healthy” sweating.)

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/canada.htm

]]> By: And Lululemon Changes their Product Descriptions… http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/comment-page-1/#comment-42703 And Lululemon Changes their Product Descriptions… Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:55:30 +0000 http://canuckflack.com/2007/11/18/lululemon-csr-and-product-attributes/#comment-42703 [...] Colin McKay has a great graphic showing the strained credibility that Lululemon was relying on (CSR= corporate social responsibility): [...] [...] Colin McKay has a great graphic showing the strained credibility that Lululemon was relying on (CSR= corporate social responsibility): [...]

]]>