Is Dick's Sporting Goods The New Affordable Lululemon? New Athleisure Line Launches

Pittsburgh-based sporting goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods on Tuesday released a new line of men’s clothing, called VRST, which appears to compete against Lululemon’s fashion brand.

The sporting goods store carries brands like Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Adidas and others but has never sold any Lululemon products. Its new athleisure line appears to be the store’s own version of Lululemon's popular brand.

Among other items, the fashion line offers commuter pants, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and quarter-zips. Prices range from $30 to $120.

Brian Nagel, an Oppenheimer analyst who covers Dick’s Sporting Goods, explained that he doesn’t see VRST as a threat to Lululemon.

"Lululemon is an extraordinarily strong brand with a very, very loyal customer base,” he stated.

It also won’t compete with the brands already in the store, since it carries styles and pieces that aren’t even comparable to what’s being sold currently, especially since large brands like Nike have been selling more directly to customers instead of going through third-party sources.

"Dick's is dependent upon companies like Nike and Under Armour," Nagel said. "If someone like Nike started to not deliver products to Dick's, Dick's can say 'we have our other brand.’”

This is the company’s second exclusive line, with the first being the women’s brand, Calia. Both of these brands have their own websites customers can order directly from.