lululemon teams with Trafford Centre on pop-up padel court to mark the opening of its upsized store
lululemon has partnered with Trafford Centre to launch a pop-up padel court in celebration of the opening of its larger new store at the shopping and leisure destination.
During a two-week run in July, the branded lululemon x Trafford Centre court will, according to a press release, "leverage the popularity of the world's fastest growing sport to provide a footfall driving experiential opportunity for visitors."
Kate Pearson, Portfolio Leasing Director at Pradera, says: "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."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
