Wow! So many comments on the rumored change in return policy. Lululemon posted a reply but for those who didn't read through the 59 (!) comments about it, here it is:
Hi all,
This is just a rumour. Our return policy hasn't changed. Stores will still accept returns of online purchases. You can read our full return policy on the website here: http://shop.lululemon.com/help.html#returns
Cheers,
Laura
GEC Online
As someone very sagely pointed out on the Lulu This Just In Facebook page, they wrote their response in the present tense "Our policy hasn't changed," not "won't" but "hasn't" so it leaves the door open. However, I know they read this blog and obviously your responses so if the rumor was some sort of trial balloon, maybe they got enough feedback to head off making a change. Or, if they make a change, it may be more consumer friendly like including free return shipping labels, like Zobha does. Free shipping and free returns - I'm sure that would keep a lot of people happy.
For those of you complaining that the good stock is taken by the educators in the store, you should definitely tell Lululemon / store management. They don't like the educators buying the stock at a significant discount before the consumers get a change to pay full price for it. I know for a fact one one of my local stores had a meeting about this subject for their staff. I suspect when there is a hot item they want to push, they send extra stock. For instance, I know my local store has days that are designated as "No Limit" day where they all have to wear No Limit tanks. I can't imagine they'd do that unless they sent enough to cover what the staff would buy. As for the educators getting a big discount off, I don't have a problem with that since they have to wear current Lululemon for their job and they only make something like $10 an hour.
I also thought Susan made a very cogent point about limited stock and things selling out so quickly - that it guarantees that you won't see a ton of people with the same tank/jacket/etc. as you. Although in areas saturated with Lululemon stores like Los Angeles, it doesn't work that well. I kind of agree with this thinking. There's nothing worse than wearing the same top as some other lady in a class with you. At my normal gym I usually don't have to worry about duplicating items but when I go to the spin studio, I always try to choose something I don't think anyone else will wear (I'm usually ok since most people seem to wear CRBs and Scoop Neck tanks).
I've also been buying Lululemon long enough so that I've become more philosophical about getting whatever the "it" item is - 1) Lululemon always seems to come out with something just as cute or cuter than what I wanted, 2) I will eventually be able to find what I want on eBay, maybe a couple of months or a year later, through the various Exchange pages on Facebook.
Anyway, the tempest this rumor stirred up is interesting. Hopefully, it was just a rumor.
