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Strategic HR solutions designed to help Lululemon attract, develop, support, and retain top talent in a competitive retail environment.
Strategic HR solutions designed to help Lululemon attract, develop, support, and retain top talent in a competitive retail environment.
Our HR Functional Expertise page highlights six essential HR functions that work together to solve key retail industry challenges, such as turnover, burnout, employee engagement, and maintaining a strong brand culture. Each function was designed to align people's strategy with business success.
Our HR Functional Expertise page highlights six essential HR functions that work together to solve key retail industry challenges, such as turnover, burnout, employee engagement, and maintaining a strong brand culture. Each function was designed to align people's strategy with business success.
Retail Industry Challenges
Retail Industry Challenges
High Turnover and Staffing Instability
High Turnover and Staffing Instability
Retail continues to experience above-average workforce churn. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average total separations rate for retail trade was 4.0% in 2024, compared with 3.3% across all industries, and retail remained elevated at 3.8% in 2025. That means retail employers are still dealing with more employee exits than the economy overall. This matters financially. Gallup estimates that replacing a frontline employee costs about 40% of that employee’s salary, while replacement costs rise even higher for more specialized roles. In a retail environment, repeated churn does not just increase recruiting and training costs — it also disrupts store operations, weakens team consistency, and puts more pressure on the employees who stay.
High turnover means:
Our HR strategy addresses this through stronger talent acquisition, clearer development pathways, better recognition, and a more supportive employee experience.
Why it matters to Lululemon
High turnover means:Why it matters to Lululemon
- more time spent hiring and onboarding
- less consistency in customer service
- weaker team cohesion
- higher labor and training costs
How our HR strategy responds:
Our HR strategy addresses this through stronger talent acquisition, clearer development pathways, better recognition, and a more supportive employee experience.How our HR strategy responds:
Burnout and Employee Wellbeing
Burnout and Employee Wellbeing
Burnout is a major retail risk because retail work is fast-paced, customer-facing, and often schedule-sensitive. McKinsey Health Institute reported that in its 2023 survey of more than 30,000 employees across 30 countries, one in five employees reported burnout symptoms, and retail was one of the five industries with higher burnout symptoms and lower overall employee health. McKinsey also found that in two-thirds of industries, more than 20% of employees said they were burned out.That is especially important in retail because burnout affects the people who interact directly with customers, solve problems on the floor, and represent the brand in real time. When employees are exhausted or emotionally drained, service quality, resilience, and retention all suffer. This is one reason wellness, flexibility, and supportive management are strategic issues, not just “nice to have” benefits.
Burnout leads to:
Our HR strategy responds through wellness resources, mental health support, work-life integration, manager coaching, and a stronger culture of trust and psychological safety.
Why it matters to the business
Burnout leads to:Why it matters to the business
- lower engagement and productivity
- more absenteeism and turnover
- weaker customer interactions
- greater risk of errors and conflict
How our HR strategy responds
Our HR strategy responds through wellness resources, mental health support, work-life integration, manager coaching, and a stronger culture of trust and psychological safety.How our HR strategy responds
Employee Engagement & Brand Culture
Employee Engagement & Brand Culture
Retail employees do not just perform tasks — they deliver the brand. That makes engagement and day-to-day employee experience a business issue. Gallup reported that U.S. employee engagement fell to a 10-year low in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged and 17% actively disengaged. Gallup also found that only 46% of employees clearly know what is expected of them, only 30% strongly agree that someone at work encourages their development, and only 39% strongly agree that someone at work cares about them as a person.Gallup’s 2026 customer-experience data shows the same tension from another angle: 43% of U.S. employees strongly agreed they feel great responsibility for customer experience, but only 23% strongly agreed their organization always delivers on the promises it makes to customers. That gap matters in retail, where customer perception depends heavily on whether frontline employees have the support, clarity, and culture needed to deliver a consistent experience.
Weak engagement and inconsistent culture can lead to:
Our HR strategy addresses this through values-based hiring, performance coaching, recognition, leadership development, and HR systems designed to reinforce Lululemon’s culture at every stage of the employee experience.
Why it matters to the business
Weak engagement and inconsistent culture can lead to:Why it matters to the business
- uneven customer experience
- weaker loyalty and brand perception
- lower sales performance
- more preventable turnover
How our HR strategy responds
Our HR strategy addresses this through values-based hiring, performance coaching, recognition, leadership development, and HR systems designed to reinforce Lululemon’s culture at every stage of the employee experience.How our HR strategy responds
Module 8
Module 8
Talent Acquisition
Talent Acquisition
We developed a strategic hiring process to attract high-quality, culture-fit employees while reducing bias. Our tools include structured interviews, manager resources, and quality-of-hire metrics to improve retention and hiring success.
Supports turnover reduction and brand culture.
Module 9
Module 9
Talent Development
Talent Development
Our performance management strategy emphasizes continuous feedback, coaching, and employee growth rather than outdated annual reviews. This helps employees stay engaged, improve performance, and build long-term careers.
Supports engagement and retention.
Module 10
Module 10
Compensation & Rewards
Compensation & Rewards
We designed a total rewards strategy that includes fair compensation, meaningful recognition, and retention-focused incentives. Our approach motivates employees while strengthening workplace culture.
Supports motivation and retention.
Module 11
Module 11
Crisis Preparedness
Crisis Preparedness
Our crisis readiness strategy includes workplace violence prevention, emergency communication plans, and employee support resources. This ensures a safe and resilient workplace.
Supports safety and business continuity.
Module 12
Module 12
Benefits & Wellness
Benefits & Wellness
We created a holistic wellness strategy centered on mental health, burnout prevention, flexibility, and employee well-being. Healthy employees create stronger teams and better customer experiences.
Supports wellbeing and lower burnout.
Module 13
Module 13
HR Effectivenss & Empowerment
HR Effectivenss & Empowerment
We focused on measuring HR impact through analytics, strategic leadership, and employee empowerment. By tracking results and giving employees more voice and ownership, HR becomes a true business partner.
Supports innovation, engagement, and long-term business success.
Why It Matters
Why It Matters
Together, these six HR functions create an integrated people strategy that helps Lululemon compete for talent, strengthen culture, improve employee experience, and drive organizational performance.
Together, these six HR functions create an integrated people strategy that helps Lululemon compete for talent, strengthen culture, improve employee experience, and drive organizational performance.
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