lululemon opens at Summit

lululemon athletica, a high-end yoga and active wear clothing store for men and women, is now open at The Summit mall.

The retailer is located between Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma at the outdoor shopping center at the Mt. Rose Highway and South Virginia Street.

According to Michelle Greathouse, the southwest area community strategist for lululemon athletica, the Reno location will employ 15 people. The business anticipates employing around 20 people during the holiday season.

The company ranks third in U.S. retailers in terms of sales per square foot with Apple being the highest-performing retailer in the country. According to one survey, the average lululemon store brings in $1,936 in sales per square foot.

The store aims to attract both locals and tourists in the northern Nevada area to their new location.

“We welcome everyone in our stores to experience our technical product (and) to explore different activities through our in-store classes and experiences,” Greathouse said.

The company frequently hosts complimentary in-store yoga and fitness classes as part of the lululemon athletica experience. The classes are led by company employees called ambassadors.

“Northern Nevada provides countless opportunities for healthy recreation,” said Alexia Bratiotis, general manager of The Summit, in a news release. “Welcoming lululemon athletica to The Summit complements nicely with all active indoor and outdoor enthusiasts here.”

The retailer celebrated the grand opening Friday, May 29 through Sunday, May 31 with a variety of activities and entertainment to invite customers to the new location.

The opening featured a dance party with DJ Denver Miler III as well as a Silent Headphone Experience with yoga sessions and a bootcamp coordinated by store ambassadors. There were also meditation stations, complimentary massages and entertainment by the Tahoe Cielo Aerialists, a troupe of silk aerial performers.

Prior to the grand opening at The Summit, the company had a showroom in Reno on Riverside Drive. Many times the showrooms act as predecessors to the opening of a more substantial bricks-and-mortar space. The Reno showroom closed May 9 to prepare for the opening of the new store.

The Summit location will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.