With first floor retail space in downtown Ann Arbor in high demand, lululemon athletica, a yoga-inspired clothing store, opened a showroom on a third floor loft at 623 E. William St. in August.

Showroom manager of Ann Arbor’s lululemon athletica Amy Klippert said she signed the lease for the property in July because a third floor space was “exactly what [she] was looking for” in a location.

The showroom, according to the company's website, is a "cozier version" of the larger retail stores, carrying fewer items.

“Showrooms are usually hidden because we want people to take the time to find us and show us they want a store here,” Klippert said.

Since opening on Aug. 20, the business has been tucked away on the upper floor with only a small sign at street level. Despite their discreet location, Klippert said they have had a steady flow of business and she thinks they are “creating a buzz” in Ann Arbor.

Klippert said some of the showroom’s customers might come from the Center for Yoga, which opened on the floor beneath lululemon athletica in September.

“I think people kind of wander up here after a yoga class,” Klippert said. “It’s cool because we always like to ask how their classes were, and once we close up here I can go down and take a class.”

While they do sell their clothing in the showroom, lululemon athletica regional community guru Jackie Carr said a showroom is like a preview to a store.

“It’s smaller and they’re only open three to four days a week,” Carr said. “The rest of the time is spent out in the community building a relationship. It’s like dating before you get married.”

Klippert said the employees at the Ann Arbor lululemon athletica showroom have tried to get involved with the community by offering a free yoga class on Friday mornings, setting up a water station at the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and supporting SHEI Magazine’s fall fashion show with clothes from their showroom.

According to the lululemon athletica website, the Ann Arbor showroom joins over 150 lululemon athletica stores and showrooms nationwide since it was founded in 1998. It is the second location in Michigan, following a store in the Somerset Collection in Troy.

While this is the first lululemon athletica showroom in Ann Arbor, there are two wholesale accounts downtown, Klippert said. Vie Fitness & Spa and Bivouac sells lululemon athletica products, and Klippert said she is building a relationship with them.

“If we don’t have something in here we recommend Vie or Bivouac,” Klippert said. “I’ve even walked customers over to Bivouac to help them find something.”

Co-owner of Bivouac Judi Davidson said they have carried lululemon athletica products for years and she hopes both Bivouac and the lululemon athletica showroom can work to raise the brand awareness for the popular product.

“Lululemon definitely has a high profile and their designs seem to be unique,” Davidson said. “They keep coming up with different styles that seem to have appeal. We’ll continue to carry it.”

As for bringing a lululemon athletica store to Ann Arbor, Klippert said the showroom is still new but she would like to have a store eventually.

“We hope to get a store,” Klippert said. “It’s basically determined by how our community reacts to us.”

Lizzy Alfs is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.