GUL WETSUITS F/W 2025 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Wetsuits F/W 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Gul
Interviewee: Jack Knowles – Sales Manager

In anticipation of Fall-Winter 2025, were the pre-orders/orders for FW24 up to your expectations? Did the retailers eventually clear their hangers from the 2022/23 collections?
Pre-orders are still lower than hoped but it hasn’t been hugely surprising. We’ve also been carrying stock from 2022/23 so we knew it was going to be a challenge because we didn’t have much newness to offer retailers but that will change in 2025 which is exciting.

And what about the summer sales of your SS24 ranges?
As above but we believe S25 will finally see us clear of old stock and back to a more comfortable position in preparation for the new range in FW25.

What is your strategy for FW25? What is the ratio between carryovers and new SKUs? Prices are on the rise?
FW25 is hugely exciting for Gul. We’re very pleased to introduce our most compelling, commercial proposition for several years. We’re making important changes to the structure of the wetsuit families in our range to make it easier to navigate and shop. We’re also very pleased to be partnering with Yulex 2.0 as well as Yamamoto to ensure our range offers consumers the very best in material innovation, performance and of course, sustainability. Finally, we will offer natural rubber wetsuits at entry level price points because sustainable choices shouldn’t only for the elite but should be accessible to all.

Fall-winter wetsuits used to target the core surfers, with a priority on performance over price. Is that still true or the increased participation [of newbies] lead to new purchase habits, may be more price oriented?
Gul has always occupied the middle ground which is no bad place to be. We have tried to pack as much tech as possible into our new range without hitting the consumer too hard in the pocket. We feel our brand is a great option for core surfers that want great value. Equally, if somebody is new to the sport then Gul is an ideal choice to keep them protected form the elements whilst they ‘fine tune’ their new skills!

Yulex, classic limestone, oyster shell foam or good ol’ neoprene: which one(s) did you implement for FW25?
We’re delighted to announce that 94% of our FW25 range will be Natural Rubber including the entry level G-force family. We’ll use Yulex 2.0 for the majority of the range and continue with Yamamoto for our high-performance Viper suits.

Linings make a huge difference in cold water. Any innovation in that field for 2025?
We agree that linings are a great way to add thermal performance to a suit. We’ve increased the usage/coverage of thermal linings in each suit to improve the value that our customers get from each family within the range.

Beyond the gender specific fit, is your women wetsuit collection any different from the men’s?
Our women’s range reflects the men’s range suit for suit except in the Viper family where we only offer it as a 6/5/4 Hooded suit.

A good after sales service is sought-after nowadays, with the capacity to warranty, repair and/or recycle wetsuits. What do you have to offer on that matter?
We can do all 3. We offer a 1 year warranty, we use Bodyline, Newquay for repairs and we will shortly be partnering with TerraCycle to recycle suits. Coupled with the natural rubber we’re ensuring we do all that we can to make sustainable choices for our customers to enjoy.

How are you helping retailers to sell more suits? (ordering terms, demos, product training, instore and online assets, etc.)
We have worked hard on imagery and assets to try and improve the conversion rate when a consumer lands on a Gul PLP. Product training is a solid fixture and we have been quite generous on terms!

What are your goals for the FW25 season and beyond?
We’re looking to increase our distribution network in Europe and so would love to speak to any retailers that are looking for a heritage brand that offers their customer excellent value and across a wide range of watersports products. Please contact [email protected] for an informal chat about our plans and for more information on the new range.

Key Products:

Viper 6/5/4/Hooded: