Inside the Local, Lululemon’s new menswear-only shop on Ossington
Lululemon has landed on the Ossington strip, but its latest location is more of a men’s lounge than another yoga pants-peddling storefront. It’s the second incarnation of the brand’s new menswear-only concept (the first is the Joinery, inside Manhattan’s Flatiron building), and does everything possible to lure in male shoppers, including ditching the Lululemon name in favour of “The Local” and showcasing stylish workout wear in muted grays and blacks (which is to say: you won’t find any hot-pink headbands or cheerful totes here). The place serves as a meeting spot for the area’s exercise-focused guys, who can come in to check out running group routes, play a round of ping pong, get a $10 trim or guzzle free Station cold brew. There’s plenty of workout stuff to buy, too, including technical CrossFit apparel, casual everyday wear and running gear designed to appeal to the area’s abundance of hip dudes.
The space was designed by Lululemon’s in-house design team, so there had to be at least one inspirational quote:
There’s an industrial feel to the space, with concrete floors, exposed ceiling pipes and barnboard accents:
Guys can hang out and work at this table (no purchase required) while taking advantage of the Station cold brew on tap. Classic board games, like chess, are also available:
The custom Ping Pong table was designed by local graffiti artist Kwest:
The rear of the store features a laid-back lounge, complete with retro record player and a piece of 3D artwork made entirely out of luon (it’s also by Kwest):
In addition to yoga stuff, there’s water bottles, cold-weather accessories and cozy outerwear:
At the front of the shop, a digital “community board” is an interactive place where shoppers can connect to local running groups (and find their routes), get info on upcoming events, get to know the store’s brand ambassadors and even shop online for clothing (this is particularly helpful for women who accompany their male companions to the store). Next to the board is a pop-up space that currently hosts Town Barber on Saturdays for $10 charity trims:
96 Ossington Ave., 416-535-5011, lululemon.com
