You’ll have to drive to Wayne to get your Align high-rise leggings, Montclair.
Lululemon, which opened a storefront in town 10 years ago, has closed shop and moved to Willowbrook Mall.
Jason Gleason, executive director of Montclair BID, says Montclair Center is sad to see Lululemon go because they were great business for downtown. While Gleason can’t speak for all the reasons for the move, he said Lululemon Corporate appears to be shifting away from downtown locations, favoring mall settings—a strategic move he finds unwise.
“What we are seeing is that people want a ‘live, work, play’ experience. They want vibrant downtowns in their towns, and Montclair certainly has that.”
Montclair Local spoke with a Lululemon Wayne employee, who preferred to remain anonymous as they couldn’t officially represent the Corporate stance, who cited “opportunity and growth” as a factor driving the move.
The question on everyone’s mind? Who will take over the space at 520 Bloomfield Avenue? Gleason told Montclair Local he is excited about the business moving in. Unfortunately, the announcement is still under wraps, but he says we can expect an opening within 3-6 months.