If you’re a content creator with an audience of fitness fanatics, fashionistas, or yoga enthusiasts, the Lululemon affiliate program could be for you. Affiliate marketing is a great way to turn your content hobby into extra income or generate extra cash from your existing business.
With so many other affiliate programs out there, it’s important to do your homework. Here’s everything you need to know about how the Lululemon affiliate program works including its benefits and how to get started.
What Is Lululemon?
It’s hard to believe but there was a time before yoga pants, when women were forced to exercise in dull, uncomfortable sportswear. Thankfully, Lululemon came along and changed all that with athletic apparel so chic and practical, their customers wear it not just for sweaty pursuits but leisure too.
The brand was launched in 1997 in a Vancouver yoga studio and is now a household name with a global footprint.
Founder Chip Wilson has said that Lululemon’s ideal customer is a “32-year-old professional single woman…who makes $100k a year…is traveling, fashionable, has an hour and a half to work out a day”.
Lululemon Affiliate Program Overview
The Lululemon affiliate program allows content creators to promote Lululemon products in return for a commission. Lululemon gains extra sales and brand recognition, while affiliates gain an additional income stream.
The Lululemon affiliate program is split into two streams:
- The main Lululemon affiliate program which caters to the media, editorial publications, and bloggers. This program is accessed via an affiliate network called Awin.
- The Lululemon Creator Network which caters to social media content creators and has its own online portal.
How Does the Lululemon Affiliate Program Work?
When a Lululemon affiliate, e.g. blogger or TikToker, registers with the program, they receive a unique link to Lululemon’s website.
The affiliate creates content promoting Lululemon products and directs their followers and fans to their custom affiliate links. When someone clicks on one of those unique links and makes a purchase, the affiliate earns a percentage commission.
Affiliate content could take the form of a product review blog, haul videos on YouTube, lifestyle images on Instagram, or any other kind of content that features Lululemon’s athletic apparel. In the TikTok shown below, the affiliate models a Lululemon haul and has their Lululemon link in their bio.
https://www.tiktok.com/@bridgetcarreon/video/7382381394363698463
Commission Rate
Lululemon doesn’t advertise their affiliate program commission rates but Awin, the network that manages the Lululemon affiliate program, advertises a 5% default commission rate. Some reviews claim that the commission rate is 5% to 20%, while other say it’s a 7% flat rate.
For comparison, Nike‘s affiliate program offers up to 15% commission while the Sweaty Betty affiliate program offers up to 12%. It’s hard to compare these rates because they don’t indicate the average commission per sale but it seems the Lululemon affiliate program is paying a competitive rate.
Order Value
The good news and the bad news is that Lululemon products are not cheap. Women’s leggings and men’s hoodies sell for around $100. A yoga mat is over $80. According to Awin, the average order value for Lululemon customers is over $100, so you’re looking at $5 commission or more per purchase.
However, a high purchase value does mean you’ll have a lower conversion rate (i.e. fewer people actually making a purchase).
Verdict: There’s plenty of money to be made with the Lululemon affiliate program if you can get a good conversion rate.
Cookie Duration
When someone clicks on a Lululemon affiliate link, cookies store that link click for a limited time. Affiliates only earn commission if a purchase is made within the cookie window. A long cookie duration maximizes an affiliate’s chance of earning commission.
According to Awin, the Lululemon affiliate program has a 30-day cookie duration. This is rather standard and it matches the cookie duration of the Nike affiliate program and the Adidas affiliate program.
Verdict: The Lululemon affiliate program cookie window matches its competitors’.
Who Is Eligible for The Lululemon Affiliate Program?
The Lululemon affiliate program is suited to content creators with an established audience of higher income fitness enthusiasts, yoga-lovers, and fashionistas. The company originally targeted women in the US and Canada but the brand is growing in popularity with men and outside North America.
Think about whether your followers are likely to purchase products like sports bras, yoga pants, and yoga mats at a relatively high price point.
To be eligible for the Lululemon affiliate program you must:
- Live in the US or Canada
- Have at least 3,000 followers on a single channel
- Not be professional athlete or Lululemon employee
If Instagram is your main channel, you must have either a Creator or Professional account.
Pros of Joining the Lululemon Affiliate Program✔️
- Brand recognition: Lululemon already has a large “cult” following so you don’t need to sell your audience on the brand.
- Strong earning potential: A high average order value and a decent commission rate means you have a chance to earn good money.
- Competitive cookie window: 30 days improves your chances of conversion.
- Marketing materials: Lululemon produces a range of resources to help affiliates generate sales.
Cons of Joining the Lululemon Affiliate Program❌
- Barrier to entry: You need a lot of followers to be approved for the affiliate program.
- Expensive products: It’s harder to generate sales with products at high prices.
- Brand controversies: Lululemon has had a few troubles relating to product quality and controversial founder Chip Wilson.
Getting Started with the Lululemon Affiliate Program
To register for the Lululemon affiliate program, visit this page and select “Apply Now” under the relevant stream.
If you’re applying for the main affiliate program stream, you’ll be taken to the Awin website, where you’ll be asked to fill in your name and contact details, the type of content or marketing that you do, and your URL.
If you’re applying for the creator network, you’ll be taken to the Lululemon Creator Network page, where you’ll fill in your information and link up your social handle. This gives Lululemon read-only access to metrics related to your social accounts.
It may take a few days for your application to be reviewed and approved. You’ll then be given the Lululemon brand guidelines, your affiliate link, and useful marketing materials.
How to Maximize Your Earnings As a Lululemon Affiliate – 9 Top Tips
Here are some of our top tips for turning your content into a commission factory with the Lululemon program.
1. Know your audience so you can promote the products that are most likely to grab their attention.
2. Promote trending items. Keep an eye on social media and the bestsellers section on the Lululemon website to make sure you’re promoting Lululemon products that are likely to convert.
3. Use Pinterest as a funnel. Pinterest’s users are 70% female, and it’s an image-based platform which makes it a good match for Lululemon’s women’s apparel. Use Pinterest posts to funnel customers to your website (like the one below), then write reviews that include your affiliate link.
4. Study successful affiliates. Follow successful affiliates like Jess McKay (29K YouTube followers) to identify strategies that work. Take note of factors like video length, format, and captions.
5. Use the “follow” trick. Find successful Lululemon affiliates on your social channels and follow all their followers. Many are likely to follow you back to view your Lululemon content.
6. Do keyword research. Using the right keywords can attract the right people to your content. Use tools like Ahrefs or type “lululemon” into the search bar on YouTube, Google, or TikTok to see what search suggestions come up.
7. Be useful and personal. Sharing information that helps your followers reach their goals (e.g. fitness workout videos or wellbeing tips) is a powerful strategy. Displaying your personality is another good way to connect with your community.
8. Track analytics. This gives you a sense of which strategies and products generate the most sales.
9. Leverage sales and season changes. This can help you drive additional sales.
Can I Use Lululemon’s Images and Logos on my platform?
The Lululemon affiliate program brand guidelines say the logo “should only be used when creating YouTube or blog content to indicate a sponsored video…and never for Instagram. All creatives that use the [Lululemon logo] must first be approved by [email protected].”
The affiliate program guidelines do not mention use of Lululemon’s images but state that Lululemon product “shows up best IRL—in our communities, on real people, and in real scenarios”.
Alternatives to the Lululemon Affiliate Program
If the Lululemon affiliate program isn’t right for your audience, you can explore a rival affiliate program. Here are some options and their commission rates.
- Nike (up to 11%)
- Sweaty Betty (up to 12%)
- PUMA (up to 10%)
- Columbia Sportswear (up to 10%)
- Urban Outfitters (15%)
There are also affiliate programs that carry multiple brands or a wider range of product categories, such as:
Consider factors like the demographics of your existing audience, the average order value of the retailer, and the commission structure. For example, do you earn commission on clicks or sales?
Final Thoughts: Is the Lululemon Affiliate Program Good?
Lululemon has plenty of fans who swear by their athletic apparel. If you’ve got an existing audience that fits the “Lulu” niche, the Lululemon affiliate program offers a great opportunity to earn extra income. Their high prices may make it challenging to generate sales but if you bring in enough clicks you can earn at a competitive commission rate.