Lululemon tests how far men will stretch

https://www.wsj.com/articles/lululemon-tests-how-far-men-will-stretch-11576069203?mod=e2li

Insight: Lululemon is betting more men want pants that look like dress pants but feel "like sweatpants.”Insight

Lululemon Athletica Inc., best known for yoga gear for women, is positioned to disrupt the menswear category, analysts say.

Lululemon LULU, -0.08%   reported fourth-quarter earnings that blew past expectations. The results sent shares soaring more than 14% in Thursday trading to reach a high of $20.74.

Women’s gear remains a strong category for the brand with comparative sales for women’s bottoms up 21%, while men’s bottoms, which includes shorts and a stretch chino-like pant, were up 28%.

“It’s growing faster than our women’s business,” said Stuart Haselden, Lululemon’s chief operating officer, on the earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. “We really believe that Lululemon can be a dual-gender brand, and that our men’s business can ultimately be as big as our women’s.”