Lululemon thought it had developed its next hit. But after its new leggings became the butt of endless jokes, the company will have to leave them behind.
Lululemon pulled its newly-released $98 Breezethrough leggings line from its website and app after negative reviews and customer complaints about its V-shaped back seam, which rises up from the seat of the pants all the way up to the lower back.
The product snafu is Lululemon’s latest recent setback. The company, famous for its athleisure clothing, has seen its stock fall 50% so far this year, falling 16% just this past month.
“I was hoping the V shape in the back would be flattering but it was too aggressive for me. All I could see was a whale tail/giant arrow pointing to my butt crack,” one person on Reddit said.
“What’s really weird actually with these ones is the back seam,” a reviewer on TikTok said. “Do you see that? I’m not sure what’s going on over there, but that’s not very cute.” The customer said she is returning the leggings.
“I also am not a huge fan of the butt seam. I just think it’s a little bit extra. Don’t love it,” another reviewer on TikTok said.
The company launched the line on July 9 and marketed it as an innovative product with lightweight fabric and quick-drying material. But it seemed to have missed why so many across the spectrum found Lululemon’s products attractive to begin with.
JP Morgan analyst Matthew Boss said in a research note that the leggings received 3.1 stars out of 5 on 112 reviews, and the back seam was frequently mentioned as a top complaint.
Customer feedback was indeed the main impetus for the company pulling the leggings from the market, Boss said, writing that customers’ first concern was “a back seam in the shape of ’V’ which customers cited as unflattering giving them a ‘long butt.’”
Lululemon’s move to back out of the the leggings led Boss to lower his expectations for the company’s revenue and profit growth this year.
In a statement to CNN, a Lululemon spokesperson said it takes customer feedback seriously and will incorporate it into future designs.
“We have made the decision to pause on sales for now to make any adjustments necessary to deliver the best possible product experience,” the spokesperson said.
The miss comes at a challenging moment for a brand that has dominated the pricey athleisure market for years.
Earlier this year, Lululemon said it missed out on some sales because it did not stock as many different colors of leggings as customers wanted. It also comes as Lululmeon faces stiff competition from Alo, Vuori and other brands for pricey athletic clothing.
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