Yogis Say What?
Lululemon at NorthPark Center takes oddly aggressive stance against Dallas charity
The windows at Lululemon Athletica in NorthPark Center are attracting more attention than usual thanks to an oddly worded advertisement: "We do partners yoga, not partners card," the window reads. It's an obvious reference to the flagship fundraiser for the Family Place, a beloved Dallas charity that provides support for battered women and children.
What's less clear is why Lululemon has a beef with Partners Card. The $70 card purchase goes directly to the Family Place, and card holders in turn receive a 20 percent discount in October and November from participating retailers — a long list that doesn't include Lululemon.
Although the company isn't participating in the standard sense, a representative insists it is working with Family Place. After customers expressed concern on Facebook and posted photos of the window, Lululemon posted the following statement on Facebook.
The intention behind the window decal was to share our love for yoga, not to offend our community. Although we choose not to participate in Partner's Card, we choose to give back in a different way. We are working in collaboration with Family Place to offer the gift of yoga, and what we can create together.
We reached out to Family Place to see if there is an existing relationship with Lululemon and what it might entail, and Paige Flink emailed the following statement:
Every Partners Card we sell at the Family Place provides a night of safety and shelter for victims of family violence. We understand that not every retailer can give the 20% discount, but we are thankful for the hundreds who do and for the thousands of donors who buy a card. We look forward to working out a way Lululemon can join our important mission to end violence in the homes of Dallas County.
For more on this issue, read Lululemon tries to make amends after lying about existing Family Place partnership.
