lululemon (NASDAQ:LULU) announced plans to expand its international presence in 2026 with six new market entries – a record number for the brand in a single year – through its new franchise partnership model agreements. lululemon plans to launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania next year with partner Arion Retail Group, in addition to its previously announced entry into India through a partnership with Tata CLiQ.

These partnerships will bring lululemon’s innovative athletic and lifestyle apparel and accessories to new and existing guests across Europe and Asia Pacific and provide high performance product offerings that are designed to support a wide range of activities including yoga, running, training, tennis, and golf.

Lululemon plans to enter six new markets in 2026 via franchise partnerships, marking its largest annual international expansion.
The brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Romania with Arion Retail Group, and in India with Tata CLiQ.
Customers will access products online, supported by Lululemon’s community-focused brand approach.

lululemon guests across Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania will have access to the brand’s full range of products online through eu.lululemon.com, while guests in India will be able to digitally shop the brand through online marketplaces Tata CLiQ Luxury and Tata CLiQ Fashion.

“As we continue to see strong demand for the lululemon brand around the world, we’re thrilled to grow our presence and communities across Europe and Asia Pacific with entry into six new markets in 2026,” said Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, EMEA, lululemon. “Each of these markets offer exciting potential for our brand, and we look forward to working with our franchise partners to introduce our innovative products and engaging guest experiences to more consumers in these regions.”

Building Community

lululemon continues to deepen its connection to guests through its ambassador network and local community events, which deliver movement and wellbeing experiences shaped in collaboration with partners around the world. Reflecting the brand’s holistic approach to physical, mental, and social wellbeing, this community-first model will remain central to how the lululemon brand enters new markets in 2026 with its partners.

International Expansion

Market expansion is a key pillar of lululemon’s growth strategy. With a presence in more than 30 markets around the world today, lululemon has an established and growing footprint across North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and China Mainland. These forthcoming market entries represent another important step in lululemon’s international expansion and follow the company’s entry into Italy this summer, as well as recent openings in Denmark, Turkey, and Belgium through its franchise model. Preparations for the new openings will continue into next year, with details on store locations, timelines, and community activations to be shared in 2026.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)

In the past two decades SIMTA has established itself as producer of specialized machinery for the textile industry. In short period of time, SIMTA became an important supplier of precise rollers for top OEMs. Afterwards SIMTA started manufacturing overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems, and other textile ancillaries. In the meantime, SIMTA is a leader in this space in collaboration with the German automation technology partner Jacobi.

SIMTA has grown into a leading Indian producer of specialised textile machinery, supplying rollers, overhead cleaners, bobbin transport systems and ancillaries, in collaboration with German partner Jacobi.
ITMF welcomed SIMTA as a corporate member, highlighting India’s machinery relevance, while SIMTA said the move supports its international expansion and global industry engagement.

Mr. Christian Schindler, Director General of ITMF, commented:

“Welcoming SIMTA as a new Corporate Member of ITMF underscores the growing relevance of the Indian textile machinery industry. Textile machinery companies are key players in the textile value chain and within ITMF, providing essential innovations and solutions that help address challenges such as labour shortages or the need to digitize the value chain. By joining ITMF, SIMTA gains access to a unique global platform for information exchange, dialogue, and industry networking. We are confident that SIMTA will benefit from the wide range of services ITMF offers, including statistics, reports, surveys, webinars, and, of course, the networking opportunities provided through our conferences, workshops, and excursions.”

Mr. Senthil Kumar, Executive Director of SIMTA, stated:

“Joining ITMF is a logical step in SIMTA’s ongoing internationalization process. ITMF provides a unique international forum that enables SIMTA to actively participate in industry discussions, helping us better understand and contribute to shaping global dynamics within the textile value chain. The access to exclusive information will help us to develop and continuously adapt our business strategy. Our association with ITMF reinforces our commitment to strengthening our position as a supplier of technologies and solutions for the global textile value chain.”

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)

New Balance Americas senior vice president Melissa Worth is leaving her post at the American sportswear giant, according to a LinkedIn post.

Her successor is yet to be announced.

Joining New Balance seven years ago, Worth has also held senior roles at U.S. fashion companies, Perry Ellis International, and TJX, during her career.

“I’m closing this chapter at New Balance with immense gratitude—for the journey, the growth, and most of all, the people who made it unforgettable,” said Worth in her post.

“Leading this team has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. I’m proud of the business we’ve built together and the brand’s tremendous growth during this time. Across these seven years, we’ve broken through milestone after milestone—each one a testament to the talent, resilience, and ambition of this team.”

Worth’s next career move is yet to be announced.

Earlier this year, New Balance revealed Spanish pop sensation Rosalía as its new global brand ambassador.

Marking the partnership, the Grammy-award-winning artist stars in a five-part cinematic campaign that opens with the musician at the New Balance headquarters in Boston, leading to the unveiling of a custom painting of the debut New Balance x Rosalía logo.