Denim-focused firm sets up Winnipeg shop

A Canadian apparel brand known for its “performance jeanswear” is one of the newest tenants in Winnipeg’s largest mall.

Duer opened a retail shop in CF Polo Park at the end of August. It’s the first Manitoba storefront for the Vancouver-based company, which offers clothing for men and women, with a focus on denim.

Company founder Gary Lenett says Duer has built a demand in the province for its products through its wholesale and e-commerce channels, which drove the company’s decision to open a retail store in Winnipeg.

“We landed on Polo Park because it’s the busiest mall in the city and the best way to reach a wide group of people in one place,” Lenett said in an email.

Located next to the Apple Store, Duer’s shop occupies 2,300 square feet and employs six people. The target customers are men and women between the ages of 30 and 45 who lead active, urban lifestyles. The company is tailoring the new store’s offerings to Manitobans, Lenett said.

“Winnipeg gets a real winter, so we’ll be leading with our winter denim collection there soon,” he said, adding Duer’s tech fleece is the “hero piece” in the collection. “On the outside, our tech fleece looks like a regular, stylish jean, but it’s actually fleece and denim interwoven together, so you get the warmth without the bulky look of a lined jean.”

Born and raised in Vancouver, Lenett practiced law for five years before joining his father and brother in a denim manufacturing business.

The business designed and produced jeans for numerous companies, including Levi Strauss & Co., Guess Jeans and Lee. It also launched a number of its own brands, including International Denim (ID Wear), Dish Denim and DRT Jeans.

Eleven years ago, Lenett began pursuing what he describes as a simpler, more active lifestyle, which included giving up his car and biking everywhere instead.

The classic jeans he loved were too rigid and athletic options didn’t look or feel right for daily wear. So, he created denim built to stretch, breathe and feel as comfortable as clothing made for the gym.

Lenett launched Duer in 2015. Today, it’s a global brand.

The company partners with retailers across North America, the European Union and United Kingdom and ships its apparel worldwide. It also operates 14 of its own stores: 10 in Canada and four in the United States.

Lenett doesn’t share Duer’s annual revenue, but said the company is growing about 40 per cent year over year. The Winnipeg location is the retailer’s third new store this year and it plans to open 10 more over the next two years.

“Most days, I love what I do,” said Lenett, 68. “It’s likely the last business I’ll grow to this scale and it really comes down to the team I get to work with daily that makes it worthwhile and keeps me engaged.”

Duer announced the Winnipeg store in mid-August via a short video it posted to its social media channels. The 30-second video was filmed in Manitoba’s capital, in partnership with local media production company Adventures Within Media Inc.

Adventures Within Media owner Vince Blais said he was pleased to get the invitation from Duer. At a time when artificial intelligence has the potential to change the media production landscape, he was happy the company wanted to avoid anything AI-generated.

“They wanted to include real people,” Blais said. “I think that this idea of wanting to stay connected and grounded with people was a really cool perspective.”

Lenett said Duer staff have been surprised by how many people walking into the Winnipeg store are already fans of the brand. “It’s only been about two weeks since we opened the doors, but we’re off to a strong start.”

CF Polo Park is excited to have Duer aboard, said Peter Havens, general manager. “It’s a really interesting concept and I think it’s very complementary to what we already have in Polo Park. It’s great to bring a new concept to Winnipeg.”

Duer isn’t the only new addition to CF Polo Park. After operating a pop-up in the mall for a number of months, local retailer Primos Toys opened a store at the beginning of September.

Meanwhile, Miniso — a Chinese retailer selling tchotchkes, beauty products and plushies — is preparing to move from its current store into a bigger location. Additionally, Havens said, Nespresso will return to the mall after a four-year absence when it opens a boutique on Oct. 1.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca