$68 for mittens? Team Canada fans cry foul over Lululemon prices for official Olympic gear

Lululemon may be famous for selling pricy, form-fitting yoga pants, but the price point of the Vancouver company's official Olympic gear isn't sitting right with many customers.

The atheisure brand made a splash when it signed an exclusive deal to outfit Canada's Olympic team at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. For decades, Team Canada was outfitted by iconic Canadian brands Roots, then HBC at various Games, before the yoga chain stepped up to buy the rights to make and sell the official swag last fall.

While reviews of the look and feel of the clothes themselves have earned glowing reviews, some consumers are having a hard time getting past their pricing.

A pair of red mittens emblazoned with the letters CAN over the fingers sell for $68. That's drawing unfavourable comparisons with the iconic red and white maple leaf mittens that were a runaway hit for previous sponsor HBC, which sold for $10 a pair during the 2010 Games in Vancouver. 

This year, for $8, you can buy a Team Canada hair scrunchies. For $14, you can get some branded hair ties. The price point for larger garments goes up quickly from there, topping out at almost $500 for a parka.

Many Canadians have taken their griping online this week, with complaints that the price point for the Olympic collection is well above what average Canadians can afford. 

But Cheri Bradish, who teaches sports marketing at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto, says the strategy makes perfect sense for an aspirational brand such as Lululemon.

"The Lululemon approach is a bit more upscale, a bit more higher end," Bradish told CBC News in an interview.

While she was not party to the negotiations, she suspects the company paid in the tens of millions for the rights to be the Olympic supplier, so they would want a return on investment.

"I think Lululemon very much knows who they are and what they want to position on the brand," Bradish said.

For its part, the company says the higher price point reflects the quality of its Olympic products.

"We are committed to making the highest-quality products — not only for Team Canada but for all our guests," a spokesperson for the company told CBC News in an emailed statement. 

"As such, our products are developed with cutting-edge fabrics and innovative design techniques that deliver unparalleled feel, fit, and performance. We price our products based on our commitment to the value of innovation, technology, premium materials, functionality, and detail."

Outside a Lululemon store in Toronto, shopper Michael Bertorelli says while he likes that Lululemon is a Canadian company and generally offers high-quality products, he does wish Canadians had access to a few more inexpensive options.