lululemon and Trafford Centre serve up experiential retail with pop-up padel activation

lululemon has partnered with Trafford Centre to launch a premium pop-up padel court to celebrate the opening of its significantly larger new store at the centre. Driving demand with a limited two-week run in July, the branded lululemon x Trafford Centre court leverages the popularity of the world’s fastest-growing sport to provide a footfall-driving experiential opportunity for visitors.

Transforming part of Trafford Centre’s extensive outdoor space into an engaging immersive sporting experience, lululemon’s pop up padel court brings a complementary leisure activity to the centre’s outstanding retail offer. The activation reflects both brands’ commitment to creating immersive experiences that extend beyond traditional retail. By combining sport, wellbeing and community, the partnership will encourage longer dwell times, drive repeat visits and create memorable moments that resonate with customers.

Outside London, Manchester is one of the UK’s strongest athleisure markets and Greater Manchester is one of the country’s fastest-growing padel markets, making Trafford Centre the ideal location for this experiential padel pop up.  As padel continues its rapid growth across the UK, the co-branded court also recognises increasing consumer demand for active, experience-led leisure.

Kate Pearson, Portfolio Leasing Director at Pradera, said: “Today’s consumers are looking for more than just a day of shopping, they’re seeking memorable experiences. Partnering with lululemon to bring this premium padel activation to Trafford Centre is a fantastic example of how brands and destinations can work together to create something genuinely engaging. As we continue to evolve our retail and leisure offering, experiences like this play an important role in attracting visitors and encouraging longer stays.”