For over a decade, Lululemon (Nasdaq: LULU) has had a stranglehold on the athleisure vogue market. Luluemon inventory hit a excessive of roughly $511/share originally of 2024. However, since then, it has tumbled 40% – unhealthy sufficient to make one of many worst-performing shares within the S&P 500. So, that is the proper time to scoop up shares of Lulu at a reduction? Or is that this the start of the top for Lulu’s dominance?

Let’s have a look.

Lulu’s Most Current Quarter

I dove into Lululemon’s most up-to-date quarterly earnings report (June sixth) to get an thought of how the corporate has been performing not too long ago. Right here’s what I realized:

1. Web Income: $2.2 billion, up 10% yearly. 
2. Gross Revenue: $1.3 billion, up 11% yearly
3. Stability Sheet: The corporate ended the Q1 2024 with $1.9 billion in money
4. Steering: For Q2 2024, Lululemon expects internet income of $2.4 – $2.42 billion, which might characterize development of 9% to 10%
5. Inventory Repurchases: The Board of Administrators licensed a $1 billion inventory buyback program.

At first look, these outcomes will not be unhealthy in any respect. However, they’re additionally not overwhelmingly good – particularly for a corporation that ought to nonetheless be rising pretty rapidly. 

CEO Calvin McDonald said that there was sturdy momentum in worldwide markets final quarter. He additionally confirmed that the corporate left cash on the desk by not having sufficient merchandise in inventory to fulfill excessive demand. McDonald additionally said that he’s assured within the firm’s talents transferring ahead. 

Trying forward, the corporate is specializing in product innovation, visitor expertise, and market growth. Lululemon additionally expects development in these areas:

• Males’s Attire 
• E-commerce
• Worldwide internet income: Worldwide income at the moment makes up simply 21% of the corporate’s gross sales. Lulu hopes to quadruple 2024 int’l income relative to 2021.

Nevertheless, so far as unhealthy information, Lululemon introduced the departure of its Chief Product Officer, Solar Choe. In accordance to some experiences I learn, Choe was a driving pressure behind product innovation at Lululemon. The corporate will miss Choe and has needed to reshuffle its inner construction following this departure. 

So, what does all this imply for traders?

Time to Purchase Lululemon Inventory?

With Lululemon inventory down 40% YTD, it would appear to be time to deploy Warren Buffet’s well-known recommendation of “purchase an important firm at a very good value.” However, I don’t assume this is applicable to Luluemon inventory proper now. I imagine that there’s draw back potential forward for Lululemon thanks to 3 danger elements.

Threat #1 – Elevated Competitors

Years in the past, Lululemon was just about alone within the athleisure house. This wasn’t all too stunning, for the reason that firm primarily created athleisure. Positive, you may argue that Nike (NYSE: NKE) or Adidas (OTCMKTS: ADDYY) have been semi-competitors. However, Lululemon was all the time in a vastly totally different house than these two all-in-one athletic attire giants. Lulu goes after a way more area of interest, high-end market.

Lulu’s days of monopolistic energy are rapidly coming to an finish. As we speak, Lululemon faces steep competitors from corporations like Alo, Vuori, Gymnasium Shark, Fabletics, and lots of smaller manufacturers. Granted, none of those corporations have grown to the scale of Lululemon (but). However, they’re all nonetheless formidable opponents:

1. Vuori: This San Diego-based model is price an estimated $4 billion and is contemplating an IPO. It has additionally differentiated itself from Lululemon by primarily concentrating on males (an space that Lulu is trying to for development). For what it’s price, I (a 28-year-old male) personal garments from each manufacturers and like Vuori for a handful of causes.
2. Alo: Alo is price an estimated $10 billion. It gained recognition due to its savvy influencer-first method to advertising and marketing.
3. Fabletics: Fabletics thought of an IPO in 2021 that might have valued it at $5 billion. I couldn’t discover any numbers newer than this.
4. Gymshark: Gymshark is valued at slightly below $2 billion. It’s additionally primarily based in the UK which may hinder Lulu’s worldwide growth plans.

With a market cap of slightly below $40 billion, these corporations nonetheless pale compared to Lululemon. However, that’s not the purpose. The purpose is that roughly 10 years in the past Lululemon was the one title in high-end athletic attire. As we speak, there are many locations the place prospects can purchase a $128 pair of leggings or pants. Two of those opponents (Vuori and Gymshark) additionally function in verticals that Lulu is trying to for development.

Gross sales information for the 4 opponents listed above is basically personal. So, I used one other metric to check them to Lululemon: Instagram followers (Nasdaq: META). Right here’s how they stack up:

1. Gymshark: 7 million followers (Gymshark Girls has 3.5 million)
2. Lululemon: 5 million 
3. Alo: 2 million 
4. Fabletics: 2 million
5. Vuori: 1 million

In the event you’re pondering of shopping for Lululemon inventory, it’s a must to contemplate how this competitors may eat into Lululemon’s development over the subsequent 5-10 years. Lululemon has such a head begin so it’s unlikely that it’ll get absolutely dethroned from its prime place. However, the corporate additionally received’t benefit from the monopolistic place that it had over the previous yr. Loads of former-Lulu male prospects could begin choosing Vuori whereas abroad athletes could select Gymshark.

Threat #2 – Dupe Tradition 

The rise of dupe tradition is one other situation that would harm Lululemon inventory within the coming months. A “dupe” or duplicate is only a knockoff of an current product. 

The price of residing within the US has risen dramatically previously few years. In response, US shoppers are turning to dupes greater than ever. In Lululemon’s case, extra persons are shopping for off-brand yoga pants for $40 as an alternative of shelling out $128 to purchase Lulus. In the event you seek for #Lululemondupe on TikTok, you’ll see tons of movies on the topic that routinely get hundreds of thousands of views. I additionally took a have a look at Google Tendencies information, which confirmed that web searches for “lululemon dupe” have been constantly trending greater since 2020. 

Lululemon isn’t the one firm that has to take care of dupes. Actually, most high-end manufacturers can anticipate their merchandise to get copied. For instance, Nike (Nasdaq: NKE) has all the time had a problem with faux Air Jordans but it surely has by no means appeared to harm the corporate’s income.

Proper now, it’s laborious to inform if dupe tradition is hurting Lululemon’s gross sales. However, it’s a sufficiently big situation that Lululemon felt the necessity to addressed it. Both manner, dupes are one other danger issue for Lulu transferring ahead.

Threat #3 – Gen Z’s Saggy Pants Development

Lululemon has made a residing off of its skin-hugging yoga pants. However, from what I’ve seen, Gen Zers present a desire for baggier sweatpants, hoodies, and t-shirts.

 A 5-year Google Tendencies chart for “saggy pants” helps this thesis. However, aside from that, I don’t have a lot tangible information to level to for this development. It’s simply one thing I’ve noticed on social media and in my very own life. In my expertise, tighter garments appear to be on their manner out whereas overly saggy clothes is in. I scanned Lululemon’s web site and didn’t discover something that seemed like they’ve caught on to this development. Lululemon additionally launched in 1995 and had a stranglehold on shoppers within the 2000s and 2010s. However, by this level, Lulu may not resonate as a lot with youthful consumers. If this doesn’t change, I wouldn’t be shocked if Lululemon began to get stereotyped as an “older individuals model” within the coming years and misplaced floor to “cooler” upstarts (just like the aforementioned Vuori, Alo, Gymshark, and many others). That mentioned, vogue developments fluctuate by area and may change rapidly. 

That is admittedly the weakest danger on this record. However, it’s nonetheless a possible danger nonetheless. 

Now, again to the query at hand.

Ought to You Purchase Lululemon Inventory?

I wouldn’t. It looks as if Lulu is going through fairly a couple of headwinds over the approaching months. The corporate simply misplaced a key government in Solar Choe. It’s additionally going through steep competitors within the precise verticals the place it’s hoping for development (males’s put on and worldwide markets). The inventory has additionally been getting punished up to now this yr, which is an indication that investor sentiment has modified for Lululemon – maybe the hardest impediment to beat. 

I don’t essentially assume that Lululemon inventory will tank over the approaching months. However, it’s possible that Lulu will underperform the market or at greatest break even. Even when Lulu hits its purpose of 10% income development in 2024, I don’t see traders getting significantly excited. 

That mentioned, vogue developments can change on a dime. All it takes is the blowout success of 1 product to vary the narrative – a feat that Lulu has completed many occasions.

I hope that you just’ve discovered this text helpful in the case of discovering whether or not or to not purchase Lululemon inventory. In the event you’re occupied with studying extra then please subscribe beneath to get alerted of recent articles.

Disclaimer: This text is for normal informational and academic functions solely. It shouldn’t be construed as monetary recommendation because the creator, Ted Stavetski, just isn’t a monetary advisor.