Sunday, September 6, 2026
Markets

Lululemon's $100 Leggings Brand Just Got Crushed Again

After a second full-year guidance cut, Lululemon shares tumbled on the order of 15% to 20%. Americas sales fell hard. A new CEO takes over next week with shoppers walking past the brand.

Premium athleisure just lost the room

Lululemon cut its full-year outlook for the second time this year, and the stock got wrecked into the long weekend.

Second-quarter revenue fell about 4% to roughly $2.4 billion. Comparable sales dropped about 9%. Americas revenue fell about 8%. Management now sees full-year revenue down about 5% to 7%, a sharp cut from the prior forecast near flat to slightly lower.

Shares fell on the order of 15% to 20% after the update. That is not a gentle miss. That is a brand getting told no by its own customer.

Why $100 leggings are a money story

Lululemon sold a lifestyle. The kitchen-table read is colder. Shoppers are trading down, trying rivals, or simply buying less when the closet already has enough expensive stretch pants.

China, once the growth engine, softened too. Product launches have not been landing clean. Competition from other athleisure names is real. Premium casual used to feel recession-proof. This report says it is not.

When a name like this cuts twice and the stock freefalls into a CEO handoff, it is a receipt on how picky and tired the high-end casual shopper has become.

New boss, old problem

Heidi O'Neill, a former Nike executive, takes over next week. Her job is not a soft brand refresh. It is winning North America back and proving the product still matters when wallets feel tight.

Analysts lined up with lower targets after the cut. Some said the reset is not finished. That is code for: the bar just dropped, and the hard work still sits ahead.

Final Thoughts

This is a company-story Money Idea, not a buy-or-sell note.

Watch whether the new CEO talks like a turnaround or a holding pattern. Watch whether the brand keeps shrinking the year. And watch whether premium leisure stays a status buy or becomes the first thing households quietly drop.

The $100 leggings brand just told on its customers. The customers answered by walking away.

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