Lole's offers clothing

Customers at Lole's boutique are offered free Wi-Fi, free tea, free outdoor exercise classes and -- yes, you read it here first -- free showers.
The Montreal-based feminine activewear firm is attempting to marry commerce and lifestyle at its recently opened Montreal outlet. The company is also launching an online shopping site.
A competitor to Lululemon Athletica, the North Face and Patagonia, Lole makes clothing for the four seasons. Products include bathing suits, chinese fashion mens clothing, running gear, outdoor apparel and comfortable everyday garb for active women.
Bernard Mariette, 47, Lole's president and chief executive, said the philosophy behind the brand is to encourage people to exercise, not just to look good, but "to feel good and have a better life."
The retailer is opening a store in Zurich in October. After testing how customers respond to the two new outlets, Mariette plans to tweak the format and plow ahead with his plan to open 30 to 40 stores across North America next year, and later expand into Europe and Latin America.
The company chose its Montreal location because it's close to two parks where staff can teach exercise classes, he said.
Mariette acknowledged the similarities between Lole and Vancouverbased industry leader Lululemon, which has a store just up the street. Although Lole has a wider product range, both companies offer fashionable workout apparel cheap wholesale mens jeans, in similar fabrics, at comparable prices.
Both firms blur the line between commerce and lifestyle by offering free exercise classes to customers -- but Lululemon doesn't have customer showers available to people who sign up for the courses.
"We have the same philosophy: 'Be happy and live in the moment'," Mariette said.
One major difference between the two companies is that Lululemon sells its wares only in its own boutiques, but Lole wholesalers its products to major retailers, including Sports Experts in Montreal and REI and Dick's Sporting Goods in the United States.
Is there room for another competitor in the North American female activewear market?
"Yes, there always is," Toronto retail analyst John Williams said, adding that the market is huge.
"Although Lululemon is out there in front, it does not thoroughly cover the North American scene."
Lululemon has the advantage of being the first entrant in the market, he noted, and possesses a formidable track record.
"If they are going to make an impact, they have to play the game better than Lululemon," Williams said of Lole, adding that it may have gained some brand recognition in North America through its wholesale clients.
Promotional efforts like the exercise classes -- originally popularized by Lululemon -- and showers could help reel in new customers, he said.
"It just depends on getting the right locations and the right real estate -- and the rest is up to the competitive battle."
Originally from France, Mariette was president of California-based surfwear retailer Quiksilver Inc. for 15 years.
Love is owned by parent company Coalision, which also owns the Orage snowboarding brand. Coalition is owned by Kilmer Capital Fund II, a Toronto-based equity fund.
Lole's revenues for this fiscal year, which ends in December, are expected to be between $70 million and $80 million, Mariette said. He declined to disclose how much money the company plans to invest in its expansion plan.