Lululemon Disappoints Wall Street, But Shows Signs of RecoveryA tumultuous two years gives ways to signs new products, strategy are working for the yoga-clothes icon.

ByLaura Entis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

LuluLemon | YouTube

Wall Street might not be happy, but embattled yoga-apparel retailer Lululemon is showing signs that its prospects are improving after a rocky few years.

Lululemon said its fiscal second-quarter profit fell to $48 million from $49 million in the second quarter last year, though that was largely in-line with what Wall Street analysts had expected. Net revenue increased 16 percent to $453 million, up from $391 million in the same period a year earlier, while same-store sales increased 6 percent.

Related:'Anti-Ball Crushing' Pants Are Putting Lululemon on the Menswear Map

The company also raised its full-year outlook, predicting net revenue in the range of $2.025 billion to $2.055 billion, up from its guidance of $2 billion to $2.05 billion last quarter.

"We exceeded our revenue targets for the past quarter, supported by strong performance from both our store and ecommerce channels," Lululemon CEO Laurent Potdevin said in a statement.

If Wall Street had a complaint, it seemed to be with profitability. Margins slipped in the quarter to 46.8 percent from 50.5 percent in the second quarter of last year. Shares of Lululemon in midday trading had fallen by more than 12 percent.

Despite Wall Street's reaction, the results do show improvement for a company that has had a string of operational issues in 2013 and 2014.

Related:From Apple to SoulCycle: Here's How Cult Brands Breed Loyalty and Fanaticism

During that period, under Lululemon's founder and former-chairman Chip Wilson, the company received heavy helpings of negative publicity. Most notably, Lululemon was forced to recall a line of yoga pants that some claimed you could see through. Not only did the recallsignificantly cut into the company's bottom line, but Wilson unleashed an avalanche of consumer backlash when he suggested, in an on-air interview, that"some women's bodies just don't actually work"for the company's clothing, implying that large thighs, not sheer fabric, was the real problem.

In the midst of all this, Potdevin, the former president of TOMS Shoes, was brought on as CEO.

The company credits its raised full year-outlook, in part, to the launch of new prints and the expansion of its men's line. "All men's clothing performed well, validating our goal of building a billion dollar men's business globally," Potdevin said on the earnings call.

Related:Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson Will Not Take on the Company's Board

Wavy Line
Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指狗万官方望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Business Solutions

Learn to Program an AI Chatbot for Your Business in This $30 Course

Get back-to-school savings on this AI coding course.

Business News

'Truly Unprecedented': If You Are Hoping to Score a Lionel Messi Soccer Jersey, You Are Going to Wait a Very Long Time

The soccer superstar's authentic Inter Miami jersey is sold out through October.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2023.

Data & Recovery

Get 1TB of Cloud Storage for Life for $119.97 With This Back-to-School Sale

This 1TB Cloud Storage Solution Is Only $119.97 for Back to School

Leadership

This Common Leadership Habit Will Harm Your Credibility. Are You Guilty of It?

As leaders, we're always looking for ways to build credibility among peers and employees. But this easy-to-make mistake can ruin it in an instant.