Whether you’re unlocking everyday savings with our lululemon hacks or shopping their weekly We Made Too Much sale, there’s no reason to ever pay full price at lululemon. But I found another way to save on their trendy athleisure items — by hitting up a lululemon Outlet store.
These lululemon outlet stores are filled with clearance-priced leggings, workout tops, yoga essentials, and more. And the prices on these items are usually even cheaper than what you can find online. To help you get the best deal on all things lulu, here’s everything you need to know about shopping lululemon Outlet stores.
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1. lululemon outlet stores are different than the online warehouse sale.
While you can definitely score some great lululemon deals online, lululemon outlet stores have even better deals. There are more than 20 lululemon outlet stores across the U.S. and Canada. Use this handy locator tool to find one in your area.
Don’t get confused, though — the outlet stores we’re talking about are different from lululemon’s online warehouse deals. Those get added to the website each Thursday morning and consist of overstocked products.
2. The physical lululemon outlet stores have great deals, but you can’t be picky.
Any styles that lululemon plans to discontinue — or items that just aren’t selling well in regular stores — will get routed to a lululemon outlet location.
That means you won’t find basics like the solid black Align leggings or their popular belt bags at an outlet store. As long as you’re okay with colorful tops and patterned sports bras, the outlets are the place to go.
While it’s frustrating that they don’t sell the basics at outlet stores, I actually appreciate the fact that the outlets have such good deals on fun colors and patterns. I’m willing to pay a little bit more for the practical basics that I’ll wear a few times a week. But I’m less likely to splurge on a pair of hot pink workout tights that I won’t wear as often. With the outlet pricing, it’s a lot easier to justify the fun and less practical hues and prints.
Related: Don’t live near an outlet location? You can always shop lululemon’s We Made Too Much deals online.
3. lululemon outlet stores get all the inventory that didn’t sell well at the regular store.
A lot of brands — like Nike — have factory outlets that get their merchandise directly from the manufacturer. Or they’ll sell items with slight defects that can’t be sold at the regular store.
But lululemon doesn’t do this with their outlets. Everything you find at a lululemon outlet came from a regular lululemon store — it just didn’t sell well for one reason or another.
The upside to this is that every item you purchase at the outlet is legit and has passed their quality control process. But the downside is that these items didn’t sell for a reason. Sometimes it’s because the color or pattern wasn’t popular. Other times it’s because the item went out of style or they need to make room for a newer product.
4. Plan to save around 40% – 60% at lululemon outlets (versus 30% during a sale).
The best deals we find on lululemon online are usually around 30% off regular prices. But the savings at lululemon outlets hover around 40%.
Of course, you’ll find items with even steeper discounts — up to 70% off! — but don’t go in planning to get a whole cart full of items for the price of one pair of Aligns.
Here’s an example of what you can save:
TIP: Be sure to download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to get all the latest lululemon deals right on your phone.
5. Outlets have lower prices, but ‘We Made Too Much’ deals have more sizes.
When I compared outlet pricing to lululemon’s We Made Too Much deals, I found that outlet prices were at least 10% cheaper (usually even more!). But the selection of sizes was definitely limited.
You’ll have better luck finding items in your size by shopping We Made Too Much deals online because you can easily filter by size and check back weekly. So while you can score an even better deal at the outlet stores, you may be better off paying a bit more to shop their online deals.
Related: Did you know there’s an Amazon Outlet with deals up to 70% off?
6. Set a budget before you go, and have a general idea of what you need.
Okay, I know I said you can’t go into the outlet with a specific product in mind — but you should think about what you need before you go. If your plan is to only look for leggings and shorts (regardless of color or style), you won’t face the temptation to buy three sports bras you don’t need just because they’re marked way down.
It’s also helpful to set a budget before you go in so you aren’t tempted by all the sale stickers. Remember: just because an item is on sale doesn’t mean you need it.
7. Outlet stores usually don’t accept returns.
As a general rule, most lululemon outlet stores don’t accept returns, as the words “Final Sale” get printed on almost all tags. (And you can never return outlet store items to a regular lululemon.)
But every outlet store is different. Some outlet stores will let you exchange an outlet purchase for something of equal value (like if you need to exchange sizes or swap for another color). But it’s best to assume anything you buy at an outlet location is a done deal.
Related: Here’s everything you need to know about the lululemon return policy.
8. Stack discounts at lululemon outlets for even bigger savings.
lululemon’s Sweat Collective program is open to fitness professionals, gym instructors, coaches, and other active careers. (You can find out if you’re eligible on the Sweat Collective application page.)
Approved members can save 25% at lululemon stores, and the discount can be used at outlet stores, too. This means you’ll save an additional 25% on their already steeply discounted items.
Likewise, if you qualify for lululemon’s generous military and first responder discount, you can typically use it at the outlets for the usual 15% off.
TIP: Policies tend to vary by outlet location, so always call ahead to confirm you can use your discount.
9. For an easier shopping experience at the outlets, wait for a storewide sale.
Sometimes merchandise at the outlets will get individually priced. That means you’ll have to dig through racks and racks of pants and workout tops, checking each individual tag to find a good price.
But other times, the outlets will advertise storewide deals, like $59 for any pair of leggings in the store or $20 for all bras. If digging through racks stresses you out, wait for these storewide sales!
10. lululemon outlets have an unpredictable restock schedule, unlike regular stores.
While internet sleuths have figured out the pattern for regular sales at lululemon, there’s no set schedule for the outlet stores. This is because their selection depends on what sells (or doesn’t sell) in store.
Here’s how the restocks typically happen at regular lululemon stores:
- Physical store restocks: Three times a week (usually Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday)
- Online restocks: Every Tuesday evening
- We Made Too Much restocks: Every Thursday morning
TIP: I recommend calling your nearest outlet location to ask when the next big merchandise delivery will happen.
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