Athleta is an activewear brand on a mission to empower communities of strong, healthy and confident women. Committed to inclusive sizing and body positivity, the retailer offers stylish athletic apparel designed by women for women of all ages, abilities and body types.
Part of The Gap Inc. family of stores — which includes Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic — Athleta specializes in athletic apparel. The retailer is famous for its collections of athleisurewear — comfortable, fashion-forward apparel you can wear to the track, field or gym and at school, the home or the office.
Athleta prioritizes sustainability, offering quality apparel made from recycled fabrics and sustainable materials at Fair Trade Certified factories. Stylish, sustainable apparel can come at a high cost, which is why we created this comprehensive guide to saving the most at Athleta.
From where to find Athleta coupons to when to shop Athleta sales, this is everything you need to know to save at Athleta every time you shop:
1. Join Athleta Rewards
You can sign up for Athleta Rewards, the store’s loyalty club, for free. Once you’re a member, you unlock access to points back, special offers and free shipping from all four Gap Inc. stores.
As a member, you’ll advance to higher membership levels based on how much you spend at Gap Inc. stores per year. You also have the option to progress to a higher membership status and access even more perks if you sign up for an Athleta Rewards credit card. Want to learn more?
Here’s how the Athleta Rewards program breaks down:
Athleta Core
(no minimum spend)
Core is the entry Athleta membership level. You’re automatically given Core member status when you enroll in Athleta Rewards. As a Core-level member, you unlock these benefits:
- 1 point for every $1 you spend at Athleta or other Gap Inc. stores.
- $1 reward for every 100 points you earn, redeemable at any Gap Inc. store.
- Free three- to five-day shipping on orders over $50.
- Birthday bonus.
- Option to donate points to a good cause.
- Member-only exclusive discounts.
- Free 30-day Obe trial subscription.
- Convert unused GapCash, Old Navy Super Cash or Banana Republic Style Cash to points.
Athleta Enthusiast
(spend $500 to $999 per year OR become an Athleta Rewards cardholder)
Enthusiast is the mid-tier Athleta membership level. You’re automatically given Enthusiast member status when you spend between $500 and $999 at Gap Inc. stores in a calendar year or if you sign up for an Athleta Rewards credit card. As an Enthusiast-level member, you unlock these additional benefits:
- 20% off the first time you use your Athleta Rewards credit card at each of the four Gap Inc. stores within the first two weeks.
- 5 points for every $1 you spend at Athleta or other Gap stores when you use your Athleta Rewards credit card.
- 250 bonus points every quarter you shop at least one Gap Inc. store.
- Early access to new products.
- Free 60-day Obe trial subscription.
Athleta Icon
(Spend $1,000 per year OR earn 5,000 points as an Athleta Rewards cardholder)
Icon is the elite Athleta membership level. You’re automatically given Icon member status when you spend $1,000 or more at Gap Inc. stores in a calendar year or if you earn 5,000 or more points as an Athleta Rewards cardholder. As an Icon-level member, you unlock these additional benefits:
- Free two- to three-day shipping (on orders over $50).
- 500 bonus points every quarter when you shop at least one Gap Inc. store.
- Create your own sale day with 15% off one time a year.
- Free 90-day Obe trial subscription.
- Free basic Banana Republic alterations.
2. Unlock an Athleta 20% Off Coupon
When you sign up to receive emails from Athleta, you’ll receive a promo code good for 20% off a $150 purchase. Besides the Athleta 20% off promo code, you’ll receive secret promo codes, special offers, private sales, and special event emails throughout the year.
3. Follow the Athleta Sales Calendar
It’s an oft-Googled question: When does Athleta have sales? Like many retailers, Athleta hosts sales to celebrate different holidays and seasons. If you time out your athleisure purchases around Athleta’s annual sales, you can land discounts of up to 70%.
Here are some of the best Athleta sales to shop:
Athleta Summer Sale
The Athleta Summer Sale usually pops up in late spring to get shoppers ready for the upcoming season. Usually, the sale includes up to 25% off summer essentials.
Athleta Memorial Day Sale
This sale runs over Memorial Day weekend in May and typically includes up to 50% off sale styles.
Athleta Black Friday Sale
This sale happens every Black Friday in November and usually includes 20% off any order.
Athleta Cyber Monday Sale
Just like the Black Friday sale, Athleta’s Cyber Monday sale is another opportunity to find extra savings on gear for yourself or gifts for special people in your life.
Athleta Warehouse Sale
Sometimes called the “Athleta Secret Sale,” the Athleta Warehouse Sale pops up around the year (March in 2022, August in 2020). It usually runs for three days, is available online only and includes deals of up to 70%.
Athleta Semiannual Sale
This sale usually runs twice a year: once in the summer (typically toward the end of June and into early July) in and once in the winter (in December and into January). Also known as the Athleta 60% off Sale, the semiannual event usually includes up to 60% off sale styles.
Athleta sales dates may change from year to year, so it’s best to watch our Athleta store page to stay on top of the latest sale updates and cash back offers.
Athleta Last Chance Sales
You don’t have to wait for an annual sale to score Athleta 60% off. You can find discounts of 60% off or more year-round in the Athleta Final Sale section.
In this section, you can find clearance items from the most recent season, discounted deeply as Athleta tries to make way for new styles. Note that these are final sales, so you won’t be able to return them after you make your purchase.
4. Get Discounted Athleta Gift Cards
You can score Athleta gift cards for up to 18% off its face value on sites like Raise.
While we’re discussing gift cards, here’s another nifty tip: You can use gift cards — discounted or otherwise — from any of The Gap Inc. stores interchangeably. For example, if you have an Athleta gift card, you can use it at Old Navy, and vice versa.
5. Shop an Athleta Outlet Store
In July 2022, Athleta announced it would open new outlet stores at Chicago Premium Outlets in Illinois (in the summer) and Leesburg Premium Outlets in Virginia (in the fall).
According to the statement, “Each outlet store will feature a curated assortment of Athleta’s premium performance and lifestyle products, including most-loved styles like the Salutation Stash Tight, Momentum Seamless Tank and Conscious Crop. The remaining outlet store assortment will offer customers unique value on existing high-quality and on-trend Athleta styles.”
Athleta plans to open another 30 to 40 outlets across the U.S. during the 2022 fiscal year. Stay tuned.
6. Athleta Insider Shopping Tips
As longtime, devoted Gap Inc. shoppers, we wanted to answer some of the most common questions and concerns we encounter when shopping at Athleta, Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic:
What Is the Athleta Return Policy?
The Athleta return policy permits free returns and exchanges for up to 60 days after the purchase or ship date. You can return purchases in Athleta stores or by mail using a prepaid UPS label.
Can You Return Athleta to Old Navy?
No, you can only return Athleta purchases to Athleta stores. Basically, if you would like to process a return from any Gap Inc. store — Old Navy, Gap or Banana Republic — you must return it to the store of the same brand as the items purchased.
For example, if you purchased an item from BananaRepublic.com, you can only return it to Banana Republic stores — and not to an Athleta, Gap or Old Navy store.
Why Is Athleta So Expensive?
Much of Athleta’s clothing comes from sustainable and recycled materials at Fair Trade Certified factories.
In addition, they make Athleta athleisure apparel to last a long time and for “multipurpose use” or worn for all kinds of activities — including workouts, workdays and hangouts.
Is Athleta Sustainable?
As a certified B Corp, Athleta dedicates itself to protecting the environment and reducing its carbon footprint. The brand is working to reduce its carbon emissions by opting for recycled materials, natural materials and organic cotton and investing in renewable energy.
Athleta vs. Lululemon
Finally, we want to tackle a time-honored question: Which is better, Athleta or Lululemon?
Both brands offer quality athleisure wear and promote active lifestyles. But when compared to competitors like Target, both are relatively pricey. For all their amazing similarities, there are plenty of differences, too.
We’re breaking down Athleta versus Lululemon:
- Offerings: While Lululemon specializes in yoga outfits, Athleta offers a broader range of apparel for hiking, running, yoga and beyond. Athleta only offers women’s clothing, while Lululemon recently expanded into men’s apparel, too.
- Sizes: Athleta prides itself in offering inclusive sizing, offering XXS to 3X. By comparison, Lululemon sizes (0 to 14) are a little more limited.
- Quality: Lululemon focuses on high-end patented fabrics, while Athleta prioritizes sustainable fibers like recycled polyester, nylon and organic cotton. In the end, however, both stores offer quality, durable athletic clothing that feels superb every time you put it on.
The post Here’s Exactly How To Save at Athleta All Year appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
