Lululemon Opened an Area for ‘Mindfulosophy’ Within Its NYC Store
The expansion of Lululemon continues.
The Canadian activewear giant surprised us with the news it was about to take over our lounge rooms with ivivva, a 40-piece healthy home collection. Now, it’s delving even deeper into the wellness world.
The yoga wear go-to has this week opened its first-ever meditation space, Mindfulosophy – a destination for visitors to relax and reboot.
The concept space, nestled inside Lululemon’s brand new 8,000 square-foot store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, provides busy, stressed-out folk with zen pods where they can settle into comfortable cushions, put on a pair of headphones, and tune in to one of 12 different self-guided meditations.
Stepping into the fresh, two-level store, which only opened its doors last week, it’s clear the global fitness brand has transgressed way beyond state-of-the-art sportswear.
Outside on one of the city’s busiest streets, the congested 5pm rush hour is in full swing. But inside, it’s cool and spacious, a surprising oasis of calm – certainly not the sort of retail experience most New Yorkers are accustomed to.
And that’s clearly no accident. The meditation space on the second level has been positioned away from the apparel, allowing visitors to escape the shopping chatter and foot traffic below.
Several people are meditating as I wander upstairs. I kicked my shoes off, put the headphones on and drifted away for 10 minutes. Or was it 20? I’m not sure.
The whole set-up is mighty impressive, but then Lulu has always been ahead of the game when it comes to offering customers unique ways to connect.
In recent years, the brand started offering in-store workouts, including the aforementioned yoga sessions, in many of its locations around the world. Most stores provide cool water while you browse and some even offer a selection of fresh fruit.
Now, the zen pods are giving customers yet another reason to spend time – and inevitably money – in its most popular stores.
With Lulu opening a second Mindfulosophy location in Brooklyn’s hip Williamsburg neighbourhood shortly, it’s likely the zones dedicated to meditation and reflection will hit Aussie stores in the near future.
