What can 18 athleisure brands teach you?

Hi all,

What can 18 athleisure brands teach you about brand experience? A lot apparently.

And a very clear pattern emerged: clarity is rare. But when a brand has it, you feel it instantly, and it changes everything.

Whether you’re in retail or not, this episode is about the decisions that signal who you are and who you are for.

Warning, due to all the pics, this one will get cut off. If you want all 18, view in the app.

Enjoy!

Hit the links to skip to the bits you fancy

04:00 — LULULEMON // A brand loses its power the moment it stops knowing who it’s for. The everything to everybody strategy is never the right move.

08:36 — NIKE X SKIMS // A huge launch means nothing if the store gives you no reason to care. The fixes are complicated, but they matter.

13:20 — BEYOND YOGA // If the space feels like a sample sale, the brand message is missing. Retail 101: If you remove the logo, you should still know where you are.

15:58 — ALO // When every detail reinforces the story, brand expansion looks effortless.

20:51 — WILSON // The unexpected star players. Lessons in updating legacy.

24:28 — ADIDAS // A store that feels like pickup instead of discovery leaves no memory behind. Where’s the brand we experience at every other touchpoint?

27:54 — VUORI // Soft fabric isn’t enough to carry you in this economy. It might be working but for how long?

31:20 — FREE PEOPLE MOVEMENT // Fun, energy, and stellar merchandising do a lot for desire.

34:59 — ON // Great product with no story around it creates a brand that feels unfinished. The product works, but the experience feels removed.

41:10 — AVIATOR NATION // A complex one. Dated from the beginning, but doing well in many other ways.

44:06 — ATHLETA // Windows are the first handshake, and this one missed that moment. And others. The zoning did work at least.

46:46 — BANDIT // A differentiated perspective in a very crowded market is refreshing.

49:25 — TRACKSMITH // Strong design choices can carry you far.

50:53 — HOKA // Hugely popular, a bit basic but working.

51:40 — LACOSTE // Retail as a signal for who you want to become.

52:58 — NEW BALANCE // They may have cultural heat, but the store feels lukewarm.

53:40 — GYMSHARK // When the fundamentals are sharp, the clarity is real. (no pics, sorry but many from the London store in this letter.)

54:09 — PSYCHO BUNNY // Mixed signals make everything confused.

That’s all, folx.

-Chris

If you read this and liked it, that little heart is there for that. The algo and I appreciate it.

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