So…it’s the silly season, and let me guess?
You are changing your wardrobe. I mean come on it’s 2017. You definitely need a new set of clothes.
You went to the malls and check out the stores. Too common.
You went to boutiques and check out their items. Too shabby.
You went online about to give up.
But…
You saw them attractive colors and prints. (Elle Magazine confirmed that painterly prints are still so in this year!) THEY.ARE.PERFECT!
And just when you are about to buy and ready to fill your closet, you don’t know how and where.
It brings you to this whole hoopla of instructions that you are never familiar.
What is this company??? Lula? Lula? Lula-what?!
There are several reasons why you are reading this LulaRoe review. You are either so eager to see what this company is all about as it is your first time to hear about it or you are so annoyed because people have been talking, inviting, and posting about it non-stop.
Whatever your reason is, we are here to satisfy your curiosity in a non-biased way. Not only are we going to give you a review on LulaRoe clothing, but we are also going to give you insights on the company’s business side.
Are you ready? You should. Because we are going to a runway… a review runway that is.
What is LulaRoe?
“I believe in you. You can do it.”
These are the two basic principles of LulaRoe. These are words that came from the founder of the company- DeAnne Stidham.
The company was birthed in 2014 out of passion and perseverance of then single mother DeAnne. She was juggling raising 7 children on her own, providing for the family, and unsatisfied work-life balance. She desperately wanted to be home with her children and provide for them at the same times that she gave her pitch to a clothing wholesaler who saw potential in her. She found someone who believed in her and encouraged her that she can do it. Then, comes the existence of LulaRoe and its’ basic principles.
LulaRoe is a company that caters clothing and an opportunity for consultants to grow a business. They market within the US only. That is why most of its’ traffic online comes from the US.
If you check their website, it will give you a feel of warmth, family, and relaxed fashion. It doesn’t spell competitiveness. It’s all about uplifting and inspiring each other.
If that is the case, then where are these gossips coming from? Why are there so much bad mouthing? Why is there so much hate?
Don’t worry. We will answer that in a few minutes.
What Are the Products Offered?
You could have guessed it by now. Lularoe clothing offers apparels for women, men, and children. They pride in their clothes as comfortable and fashionable.
For women, they have wide varieties of dresses, skirts, blouses, kimonos, sportswear, and leggings. For men, they have shirts and shorts. Clothing for men are known as “Lulabros”. For children, they have shirts, skirts, blouses, and shorts.
There are two things that make their products standout- PATTERNS and COLORS.
Their biggest hit was their leggings that came in different patterns and styles. They have subtle plain colored leggings to leggings with weiner dogs design. They even have holiday-themed legging prints.
Their colors range from corporate black to attention-grabber neon.
What Makes it Controversial?
Remember when we said earlier that we will identify in a few minutes why there’s such a buzz about LulaRoe? That few minutes is now. When something breaks into the internet, it can either be good or bad. Regardless of which category it belongs, it still is publicity.
That is what exactly happened to LulaRoe. It started selling like hotcakes. It started spreading like wild fire. In two years time, it made a lot of noise in the internet that made everyone talking. You would see people consistently tirelessly post about it, OOTDs left and right, and pop-up party invitations popping up from everywhere.
One thing is for sure, LulaRoe is gaining popularity. Just a few months ago, there has been a write up on LulaRoe in Business Insider entitled, Inside One of The Fastest Growing Clothing Companies That’s Making Some Millenial Moms Rich.
But what makes people talk about it is the love and hate that they have towards the PRODUCT and the MARKETING.
1. The Product
Aside from the designs of their clothing, one of the things that makes people talk about it is its’ size. Their size ranges from XXS to 3XL. The good thing about them offering a wide range of sizes is the reach of its’ market. It can cater to more women. And more women also get to have more options.
Now here’s the thing. Women are very particular with their clothing size. It is a big thing. It is a huge thing for some women to be a size 8 but fit in LulaRoe’s XXS. Some women feel that the size of LulaRoe’s clothing are deceiving. I am not kidding. There are women who complained about these things. So that’s one- their clothing size.
The next thing about their product that people talk about is the quality. LulaRoe manufactures 1000 pieces for every design that they create. A good number of women aired out their concerns of receiving clothes that are either damaged or of low fabric quality.
Currently, this is where LulaRoe is fairing in BBB. High percentage of complaints is coming from the quality of their product.
2. The Marketing
The CEO of the company- DeAnne Stidham- is a seasoned savvy networker. You got that right. LulaRoe is a multilevel marketing. The fashion consultants (LulaRoe’s term for distributors) earn not only through selling their products but also in recruiting new fashion consultants.
Because it’s a multilevel marketing, it will always be associated to a possible scam- a LulaRoe scam. This also means that you cannot purchase LulaRoe clothing in the mall but only from distributors.
We will go ahead and study its’ compensation plan further.
How Does the Business Work?
There are two ways that a person can be involved in the LulaRoe business. An individual can either be a buyer (just like the many women I know who have written loads of reviews about the products) or be a Fashion Consultant.
Everyone who wants to make LulaRoe a business starts from being a Fashion Consultant. To be a fashion consultant, there are certain requirements that need to be met. Here are certain items that a fashion consultant needs to take note of:
- Make a minimum purchase of 275- 350 pieces.
- The initial order is composed of 80 pairs of leggings. Next you will choose a product style from each of the following categories: Group A (Skirts), Group B (Dresses), and Group C (Tops)
- Note. If you order and pay at least 300 pieces in your initial order, you will receive an additional 25 free items.
- Estimated cost is at $4,500- $6,500 depending on the style that you will choose.
- Wholesale price range from $8.50 – $31 per item. The suggested retail price range from $18 to $65. The estimated profit is $9.50- $34 per item.
A fashion consultant also gets the following items:
- Training booklet
- Spiral notebook planner
- Catalog
- Fabric swatches
- Clothing hangers
- Thank-you cards
- Flyers for advertising
- Other promotional materials
- Sign-in sheets
That’s the compensaiton for a Fashion Consultant. There are women who want to go beyond just selling. The next way of earning in LulaRoe is to recruit. Here are the different levels.
- First Level: Fashion Consultant
Requirement: Must order 33 pieces per month
- Second Level: Sponsor
Requirement: Has at least 1 recruit || Must order 175 pieces per month
- Third Level: Trainer
Requirement: Has at least three recruits || Downline must be ordering at least 1,750 pieces every month
- Fourth Level: Coach
Requirement: Must meet the requirement of a Trainer || Has at least three of their recruits qualify as Trainers
There are corresponding commission percentages and overrides for each level. To know more of their compensation plan, you can check here.
To get started, here are the two simple steps:
1. Complete an application. You can either go for a paper or online application.
2. Complete the Onboarding Checklist. This is where you put in your initial order.
Is LulaRoe Legit? Or Is it Considered as a LulaRoe Scam?
After reading the above information, we have come to the part where we put all things together and answer the one million dollar question- Is it a scam?
NO. LulaRoe is not a scam.
Yes. It’s a multilevel marketing that has the same business model with Mary Kay, Amway and all other MLMs. But LulaRoe is a notch higher compared to its’ competitors. Let me tell you why.
- LulaRoe focuses on its’ products. As you may have seen and observed, the company prides in its product. Most people go for LulaRoe not because of getting overrides and commissions but because the products are something that you can sell with pride. When LulaRoe started, there were only 2000 fashion consultants. Now there are already 35,000 consultants and they continue to grow day by day.
- LulaRoe allows consultants to sell unsold inventory or items back to the company if they decide to leave the business. This is in contrast to most MLMs where no return or no refund policy exists.
So where is the scam rumor coming from? If you notice how the business has been running and the feedback that it has been getting from its’ customers, there is one major cry- the complaints about the product. Scam is defined is a dishonest way of to make money by deceiving people. People are easy to label a company scam especially if they are driven by their emotions especially dissatisfaction. And one thing that could have caused the outburst of LulaRoe being a scam is when people don’t get the clothing quality they expected. They felt they have been deceived; thus, labeling LulaRoe a scam.
How to Make It?
Just like any other multi-level marketing business, its’ philosophy is driven by introducing products through an individual’s network. And because it is a business, one must possess certain qualities to make it in this business. One must have an entrepreneur mindset. Here are certain expectations that one must need to consider when they decide to make LulaRoe a business.
- Constant Promotion
Because LulaRoe took off through the internet, you should also be ready to do your marketing and promotion the same way. The company has social media guidelines that you need to observe. The average user is from ages 16-34. This means that these age brackets are the ones very active in social media. As a fashion consultant, you should be comfortable in promoting your business online through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even in Snapchat.
- Not for the Camera Shy
One of the marketing strategies of the LulaRoe brand is encouraging its’ fashion consultants to post pictures using and wearing their products. That is one of the effective ways to attract customers. So if you are camera shy but really want to do the business, then you should start practicing now and posting Instagram-worthy pictures.
- Hosting Pop-Up Parties
Pop-up parties are where you invite your friends over to your house and let them check out and try on the LulaRoe clothing that you have for sale. This has been one of the most effective strategies that successful fashion consultants have been using. Since you have a team to guide you, you can tap on them for help. Others elevate from simple pop-up parties to pop-up boutiques.
- Part-Time gives part-time income. Full-time gives full-time income.
If you want to see the maximum potential of the business, then you should be ready to do this business full time.
- Hard work equates income.
This means that you cannot expect your income in this business to grow if you do not make the considerable effort in doing the business. Though you are no longer in an 8-5 job, starting this business should have the mindset of an 8-5 where you work during those time. Having a business means you are not constrained to work at a certain time. It can be an advantage and disadvantage. You should have the discipline to make your day productive.
“Hardwork beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” –Tim Notke
Conclusion
Whether you love to sell, tired of an 8-5 job, or you just simply loves clothes and loves posting it in Facebook or Instagram, LulaRoe is a good business to start. If LulaRoe takes care of the complaints that its’ consumers have been airing out and address them right away, then it is not impossible that this company will grow more than what we could imagine.
So regardless if it’s your silly season of redoing your closet or someone else’s, a LulaRoe clothing is not going to be a heartbreaker.