When the clock struck midnight on November 29, 2025, thousands of shoppers across North America and Europe scrambled to their phones and laptops—not for a new smartphone, not for a TV, but for a pair of leggings. Lululemon had just unleashed its most aggressive Black Friday sale in years, with over 500 styles slashed in price, and the Align™ High-Rise Pant series, the holy grail of yoga leggings, dropping as low as $59. The frenzy wasn’t just online. Stores in New York, London, and Toronto saw lines forming before dawn. This wasn’t just a sale. It was a cultural moment.
Why This Sale Feels Different
For years, Lululemon has teased its Black Friday deals like a Hollywood trailer—short, cryptic, and dripping with urgency. But this year? They dropped the veil. The official Black Friday hub didn’t just list discounts—it created a sense of scarcity so intense, you felt like you were bidding on a limited-edition sneaker drop. "Seize the styles. The hype is real, your time is now, but these tights, tops, and shoes won't last," read the tagline. And they weren’t exaggerating.
What made this sale unique wasn’t just the depth of the discounts—it was the timing. Creator Gabi LeMoine, a trusted voice in the activewear community, had already broken down the sale in a 13-minute YouTube guide published on November 12, 2025. "Their 'We Made Too Much' section is basically their markdown section," she explained. "They stop weekly Thursday updates in November and dump everything into Black Friday." That’s the twist: this wasn’t a surprise. It was a carefully orchestrated inventory purge.
The Discount Breakdown: What’s Actually Worth It
Here’s what sold out within hours:
- Define Jacket Nulu: $99 (down from $128)
- Scuba Oversized Full-Zip Hoodie: $89 (down from $138)
- Align™ High-Rise Mini-Flare Pant: $59–$79 (down from $128)
- Wunder Train High-Rise Tight: $39–$59 (down from $98)
- Love Tank Top: $24 (down from $38)
- Double-Zip Backpack 22L: $49 (down from $98)
Even the Wool-Blend Ribbed Sweater, normally a $168 winter staple, dropped to $99. And for those chasing the cult-favorite Blue Twill hue? Lululemon curated a "Save on your favourite blue hue" section, featuring bestsellers like the Commission Slim-Fit Pant at $84—half its regular price.
Global Reach, Identical Deals
What’s remarkable is how uniform the sale was. Whether you were in San Francisco or Amsterdam, the same 500+ items were discounted. The European site, eu.lululemon.com, even ran a campaign titled "Black Friday: the leggings edit," with the same urgency: "It’s now or never." Currency differences aside, the product IDs, descriptions, and markdown percentages matched perfectly.
Size inclusivity was also a quiet win. From US 0 to 20, plus specialty sizes like XXXS to XXL, filters for rise, length, and price range made it easier than ever to find the perfect fit. That’s not just good business—it’s good ethics.
The 'We Made Too Much' Strategy
Lululemon doesn’t just discount—it curates. The "We Made Too Much" section, accessible via both Lululemon’s North American and European sites, isn’t a clearance bin. It’s a rotating inventory of overstock, discontinued colors, and excess production. Normally, new items are added every Thursday. But in November? They freeze it. All those weekly markdowns—hundreds of items—get rolled into one massive, global sale.
"They don’t do this to be generous," says fitness retail analyst Marisol Chen. "They do it to avoid dead stock. But the side effect? You get the same quality, same fabric, same fit—for 40% off. And loyal customers know: if you wait until December, it’s gone. And not just gone—gone forever. These aren’t seasonal items. They’re timeless."
What’s Next? The Aftermath
By December 3, just four days after the sale launched, Lululemon’s website began quietly removing sold-out items. The Align™ High-Rise Pant 28" in Charcoal? Sold out. The Define Jacket in Midnight Blue? Gone. The "Hits under $50" section? Reduced to 12 items from over 60.
And yet, the brand’s stock didn’t dip. If anything, investor sentiment improved. Why? Because Lululemon turned a clearance event into a revenue engine. The sale didn’t just move inventory—it re-engaged lapsed customers, attracted first-time buyers, and reinforced the brand’s cult status.
Next year? Expect more. More styles. More urgency. Maybe even a pre-Black Friday early access for loyalty members. But for now? The lesson is clear: in the world of activewear, perception is everything. And Lululemon didn’t just sell leggings. They sold belonging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Lululemon’s Black Friday discounts available in physical stores too?
Yes. Lululemon’s Black Friday 2025 sale ran simultaneously online and in over 600 physical stores across North America, Europe, and Australia. In-store shoppers had access to the exact same 500+ discounted items as those shopping online, with identical pricing and product codes. Many locations reported long lines and sold-out inventory by noon on Black Friday.
Why did Gabi LeMoine’s YouTube guide cause so much buzz?
Gabi LeMoine’s video, published on November 12, 2025, was the first to decode Lululemon’s "We Made Too Much" strategy in detail. She revealed that the brand halts weekly Thursday markdowns in November to consolidate inventory for Black Friday—a tactic few customers knew about. Her breakdown of specific discounted items and timing gave viewers a competitive edge, making her guide a viral resource among loyal shoppers.
Is the Align™ Pant really worth buying on sale?
Absolutely. The Align™ High-Rise Pant uses Lululemon’s signature Nulu fabric, known for buttery softness and four-way stretch. Even at $128 regular price, it’s considered a premium product. At $59–$79 during Black Friday, it’s a steal. Many buyers report wearing the same pair for over three years. The sale price makes it an investment, not a splurge.
What happens to items that don’t sell during Black Friday?
Unsold items from the "We Made Too Much" collection typically get donated to nonprofit organizations or recycled through Lululemon’s "Like New" program, where gently used gear is resold at steep discounts. The brand has publicly committed to diverting 95% of unsold inventory from landfills by 2026, making this sale not just profitable—but purposeful.
Will these discounts return next year?
Lululemon has never promised repeat discounts on specific items, but history suggests similar deals will return. The Align™ Pant and Define Jacket have been on sale every Black Friday since 2021. Expect the same 40–50% markdowns on core items—but with new colors and fits. The "We Made Too Much" strategy is now a permanent fixture in their annual calendar.
Are there any items that were never discounted?
Yes. Lululemon’s newest collections—like the 2026 Spring line released in December—were excluded. Also excluded were custom-fit items, gift cards, and select collaborations (like the recent partnership with Apple for fitness trackers). The sale focused exclusively on existing inventory, not new launches.