DUER GREAT OUTDOORS S/S 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Great Outdoors S/S 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Duer
Interviewee: Pascal Wehr, Dir. of Sales

What is the status of the Men’s Outdoor Apparel Market after summer 2024?
Based on feedback from our retail partners, Spring sell through performance did not meet expectations with a slow start to the season that never really recovered. Some segments seem to have benefitted from the wet weather, namely rain jackets, but pant and short sales fell short of expectations. We hear tentative optimism for a stronger Fall, typically a better pant selling season for DUER in general. This is underlined by some of our key account partners in both North America and in Europe to ship their FW24 POs early.

How did war, economy, global warming, overall inflation affect your SS24 sell in plans (delays/ range cancellations/ carry over/stock)?
Retailers pushed back sell-in meeting dates from June to July. A 4-6 week delay seems common. We did not see any retailers cancel their SS24 commitments but left over stock from SS24 and the incoming FW24 stock has dampened SS25 commitments in some cases, but not all. At DUER we only had to cancel a few style/colors based on soft sell-in. Overall, all new collections have been well received and providing a more progressive line, changing over some long-standing fits and fabrics has paid off. Lighter weight, natural fibers continue to gain traction over petroleum based fibers.

What are the major trends in the Mens Outdoor Apparel segment in spring/summer 2025?
For us in bottoms, we see lighter fabrics and a stronger embrace of natural fibers for hot weather everyday wear. Customers are looking for style and versatility for everyday wear, not just specific to one Outdoor activity.

Take us through your brand line in detail for s/s 2025
We are launching a multitude of new fabrics and innovations in SS25. Naming just two, our NEW Performance Denim Lite and No Sweat Denim: Our Performance Denim Lite fabric sets a new standard for lightweight denim. It weighs 25% less than our Performance Denim but maintains the same performance fibres to provide stretch, temperature regulation and moisture wicking for all-day comfort. Complete with our signature gusset for limitless range of motion. We are introducing two new silhouettes in this fabric: Performance Denim Lite Slim Straight is designed to be slim through the hip and thigh with a straight leg from knee to sweep. The fabric is exceptionally light while looking like traditional denim. With performance fibers, it keeps you cool when it gets warm outside. And the Essential Pant, relaxed through the hip and thigh with a straight leg, our Performance Denim Lite Essential Pant is a casual choice complete with a drawstring for an adjustable fit. Our No Sweat Denim is an indigo version of our bestselling No Sweat fabric with all the same features and benefits blends. This 11.5 oz fabric has plant-derived TENCEL™ fibers naturally inhibit bacterial growth and provide a soft hand feel, further enhanced by stretch for added comfort. Here as well, we see a trend towards a straighter leg silhouettes. The new Slim Straight is slim through the hip and thigh with a straight leg from knee to sweep our No Sweat Denim is enhanced with Tencel for a soft, smooth hand-feel elevating the already impressive quality of our Performance Denim. The fabric is high stretch with a cooling feel which makes it great all year and ideal in the hotter weather

What efforts are you implementing towards sustainability?
Our primary factory in Lahore, Pakistan was built by our co-founders, Gary and Abid. Being vertically integrated isn’t the norm – most brands use a complicated web of manufacturers – and it definitely wasn’t easy to set up. But ownership gives us an ethical and environmental edge. So there was never any other option for us. We have the agency to power the building with wind and solar energy, and to choose non-tox ic dyes that protect our water sources. We decide to produce small-batch runs based on real demand, not speculation. And put quality over quantity, so we create less waste. As owners, we get true visibility over waste, quality control, inventory, and daily operations. We have the power to put our people first. They deserve ethical, safe practices like anyone else. Factory ownership is not the industry standard. But we’ve never been interested in average.

We design timeless pieces that move easily between work and adventure. So you can own fewer, better-made things.
We ship primarily via ocean, not air (for a lower carbon footprint). Eco-friendly materials like eucalyptus make up 85% of our products, and we’re figuring out how to turn that number into 100% in the next four years. We produce to demand, not speculation, and we prioritize versatility over trends.

What marketing stories and themes are you telling in your line for SS2025?
DUERs appeal to the customer revolves around combining function and style. You don’t need to change your clothes to embark on an adventure, any day of the week. The theme is “ the scenic route” – this could be intentionally deviating from your “mini-highway” on the way to work – whatever mode of transportation is yours. Rarely does an experience present itself on your trotted path, but rather on the detour you chose or embraced. Think of your way to work on a bike and seeing wildlife on the detour through Stanley Park in Vancouver.

How will you be helping retailers to sell your brands?
We are a product first led company. Our customers immediately understand the exceptional fit and comfort we provide when they step into a pair of DUER. Communicating this to our retail partners and their staff is one of our main strategies, through staff wear programs and “try a pair win a pair” contest for customers. Most importantly, we have changed our strategic approach in Europe/UK by forming a DUER Europe Ltd with a best in class partner, Hectic, with offices in mainland Europe and the UK. This allows us to implement our tried and proven omnichannel strategy from our home market in North America here in Europe and the UK. We can now build brand awareness with one partner across many markets that knows how.

Key Products:

No Sweat Slim Straight Crusade:
Our No Sweat program offers the words most comfortable pants. Period. No Sweat is a plant-based fabric with the structure of a woven and the softness of a knit, offering the comfort of a sweatpant with a more elevated appearance. The plant-derived TENCEL™ fibres naturally inhibit bacterial growth and provide a soft hand feel, further enhanced by stretch for added comfort. Specifically, the No Seat Relaxed Taper Pant is one of DUERs best=sellers and available in many colors on S25 A traditional fit with the addition of a tapered leg for a modern silhouette, the No Sweat Pant is crafted in our bestselling stretch fabric that’s designed to feel like your sweats with 5-pocket detailing for a polished, versatile look. Plant rich fibres offer moisture management and antibacterial properties for less washing and comfort across seasons.

No_Sweat_Denim_Slim_Straight-Crusade

Performance Denim Lite:
Our Performance Denim Lite fabric sets a new standard for lightweight denim. It weighs 25% less than our Performance Denim but maintains the same performance fibres to provide stretch, temperature regulation and moisture wicking for all-day comfort. Complete with our signature gusset for limitless range of motion. The fabric is exceptionally light while looking like traditional denim. With performance fibers, it keeps you cool when it gets warm outside. The Performance Denim Lite Essential Pant, relaxed through the hip and thigh with a straight leg, it is a casual choice complete with a drawstring for an adjustable fit.
• Lightweight denim for hot weather comfort
• Stretch fibres for comfort and ease of movement
• Performance fibres for moisture management
• Elasticated waistband and drawstring for a comfortable fit
• Antimicrobial treatment for all day fresh feel

Performance_Denim_Lite_Essential_Pant-Haze_Indigo

Performance Denim Relaxed Taper:
Traditional fit with the addition of a tapered leg for a modern silhouette. Classic-looking denim with the integration of stretch, our signature gusset, and performance fibres for all-day comfort and style. Complete with temperature regulating and anti-microbial properties to stay fresh-feeling, cool and dry.

Performance_Denim_Relaxed_Taper-Vintage_Seaside