Lululemon announced its newest men’s elite ambassador on Instagram Tuesday: Skateboarder Neen Williams.
The post included a short video about how Neen got into health and wellness after too many years of partying and after tearing his ACL.
Doubling the size of its men’s business in the next five years is a key priority for Lululemon. Currently, men’s accounts for 20% of total sales. The company believes men’s can grow to be as big as the women’s business.
Training is one of the target growth areas for men, and Neen’s photo leads the product page for the category on the Lululemon website.
Lululemon had a fantastic 2018. Revenue reached $3.3 billion, an increase of 25% in constant currency.
Comparable sales grew 18% with store comps up 8% and e-commerce comps up 46%.
Gross margin increased to 55.2%, and earnings per share jumped to $3.61, up from $1.90 in 2017.
Neen Williams leads the page for training gear on the Lululemon website
While Neen is the first skateboarder sponsored by Lululemon, he joins other action sports athletes on the Lululemon roster including snowboarders Alex Diebold and Craig McMorris, surfers Mark Healy, Evan Valiere and Dennis Walsh, and kite surfer Damien LeRoy.
Before joining Lululemon, Neen was sponsored by Altamont.
Here’s what Neen wrote on Instagram about his new relationship with Lululemon:
“I have been a fan of lululemon for years and can’t believe that I am part of the family now! They make the best quality gear in my opinion, the most comfortable, breathable and durable gear I have ever worn on or off the board. @lululemonmen and I share a lot of the same views: mindfulness, mobility, longevity and athleticism. I am beyond stoked to be representing and working alongside with such genuine talented people and an awesome brand.”
