Today there are quite a few Facebook posts and an update on the Lululemon site about what is going on with the on line store. The GEC wrote today "New product will start returning to our site mid-Spring" but I know in the fourth quarter earnings call Christine Day said in her opening remarks: "...we re-launch our site at the end of the first quarter, ...Our new product deliveries are now weighted towards April, beginning the replenishment of our inventory position. ...Next, as previewed last year, we are transferring our E-commerce platform from our current third-party vendor to our in-house ATG platform. This is a complex project that requires significant IT infrastructure changes and integration of multiple service vendors to a new site. It also requires a physical move of inventory from the third-party supplier to our own U.S. DC. The date of the official transfer is April 15th. To facilitate the cutover from our vendor systems to ours, the entire site will be down for a few hours so we can test new site integration. This will occur during the evening hours of April 14 to early morning of the 15th. " So, I am really hoping the re-launch date is April 15th.
From Lululemon's website:
it's a black out
Beginning April 5th, only black products and limited styles will be available online while we move our distribution centre. This is only temporary. Colours will be back in plenty of time for summer.
They also say they hope the renovation will be completed next month so that fits in with Day's remarks to shareholders.
I'm going to be going through Lululemon withdrawl but my bank account will probably be happier. I believe the regular stores are going to get items but I'm starting to suspect quite a few of the "new" items are really older stock in core items. Stores have been getting "new" colors in CRBs such as Savage Green, Bold Blue, Faded Zap - all which have been released before. There are plenty of "angels", listed on the right side of the blog under Resources and people on the This Just In site who can pick items up for people who are not near a store.
