The news: Lululemon announced a deal with the NFL to sell fan apparel for all 32 teams.
- The collection will include men’s and women’s clothing, along with accessories.
- Shoppers can purchase the items from the NFL’s online shop, at team retail locations, and on Fanatics.com.
The play: Lululemon, like Abercrombie & Fitch and Best Buy before it, sees the NFL partnership as an opportunity to appeal to the league’s massive and engaged fanbase. In lululemon’s case, it has a strong chance of winning over the growing numbers of women who, thanks to Taylor Swift, are tuning in more often to games and looking for stylish ways to rep their favorite teams.
- The new collection gives lululemon the opportunity to attract an entirely new customer base and increase the number of places where shoppers can purchase the brand’s products.
- Wider availability and brand exposure could help revitalize the company’s sluggish sales and stave off competition from brands like Vuori and Alo Yoga.
The NFL deal follows another savvy move: The company partnered with American Express Platinum to offer cardmembers up to $300 in annual credits ($75 per quarter), a move that gives lululemon a better shot at retaining—and acquiring—affluent customers.
The takeaway for brands: With sales increasingly uncertain due to trade and economic uncertainty, as well as fiercer competition, brands should be looking to partnerships that can broaden their audiences and increase engagement.
- Sports is an obvious choice, given sustained interest in leagues like the NFL and NBA, as well as skyrocketing viewership for the WNBA.
- Novelty partnerships—like Urban Outfitters’ Chipotle-themed back-to-school collection and Kate Spade’s crossbody Heinz Ketchup bags—can also help get shoppers’ attention.
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