How this fitness retailer convinces women to buy $300 yoga pants

Willing to pay $300 for yoga pants?

A fitness boutique called Bandier sells exclusive athleisure from designers such as Zara Terez, Stella McCartney, C3Fit and Outdoor Voices, reports Kim Bhasin at Bloomberg News.

Select Nike and Reebok items are sold in the boutique, but the store aims to keep an exclusive image.

The founder, Jennifer Bandier, opened its first location in Southampton in 2014 and has since expanded into Manhattan. Before entering retail, she managed the once-popular music group, TLC. 

This celebrity destination markets to a specific clientele - women who participate in trendy fitness crazes such as SoulCycle or Pure Barre. But the problem with this narrow audience is that if those classes lose their popularity, then the boutique risks the same fate. 

So how does she get away with selling premier athletic wear to such a narrow audience?

It's reeks of exclusivity. Active wear labels are becoming a status symbol and luxury shoppers go for labels. If shoppers are willing to pay $1,200 for a handbag or $600 for sunglasses, why not $300 for leggings? 

The boutique has grown noticeably over the past year. It launched its online shop in April and will be expanding its physical stores throughout New York, and even one in Dallas. With athleisure on the rise, the future may be bright for Bandier.

"If you're a woman, chances are you're wearing leggings," Bandier told Bloomberg. "Or you want wear comfortable clothing. People get home from work, they want to wear a comfy T-shirt."

The key for the boutique would be to create a loyal customer base, as did Lululemon.

Her boutique has a lively atmosphere - streaming loud music over the speakers and offering in-store fitness classes on the weekends. The designs of the clothing sold in the boutique are chic, trendy and out of the ordinary - with cheetah print patterns, colorful tie die prints or unique styles. 

Athleisure is no longer a trend - consumers will like feeling comfortable in the longterm, according to research from NPD group.