Amazon isn’t playing in ‘our sandbox,’ says Lululemon CEO
Laurent Potdevin dismisses reports that Amazon is creating its own sportswear line
By Stacey Yuen
Canadian athletic apparel retailer Lululemon , hungry to expand, could lean further on Alibaba to drive growth, according to CEO Laurent Potdevin.
And while the relationship with China’s e-commerce giant pays dividends, Lululemon isn’t worrying about threats from its main U.S. rival: Some reports have said Amazon is planning to create its own sports apparel line, but Potdevin told CNBC the U.S.-based tech giant is unlikely to pose a direct threat to his company.
“I think Amazon is mostly around commodity product. That’s not our sandbox,” Potdevin said, explaining that Lululemon will continue to focus on innovation and on the high-end of the market.
“The fact that we control our distribution really allows us to have a different positioning,” he said.
As for his company’s Alibaba partnership — Lululemon products are available to consumers on Tmall, an Alibaba -run e-commerce site — Potdevin said it’s integral for the business.
