How DUER Defied Tariffs and Doubled Revenue in a Year

President Trump is set to hit most Canadian imports with a 50% tariff on Aug. 19, the first use of the Smoot-Hawley Act since 1930. Retailers across the border are bracing for price hikes and margin pressure. Vancouver-based DUER, a denim brand that blends classic jeans with athleisure performance, isn't panicking.

“I dare say, we might be the fastest growing apparel brand in North America,” said CEO Gary Lenett. First-quarter sales rose 40% year over year. The company has been profitable every year since 2017.

DUER shifted its distribution model after the first round of tariffs last year. Half of its sales now flow through a U.S. warehouse, letting the company absorb the levy without raising prices. The move also helped double its women's line, launched in 2021, which is now the fastest-growing segment.

Lenett started his career as a lawyer. A call from his brother to help at the family clothing factory turned into 15 years producing jeans for Levi Strauss, Guess and The Gap. That background gave him a deep understanding of the denim supply chain.

He founded DUER in 2014 after spotting a gap in the market. “The question was ‘Does the world need another jeans brand?’ and the answer was emphatically no, unless it was clearly differentiated,” he said. The brand spent two years developing proprietary fabrics. The main one is a denim weave with 70% cotton, plus polyester and spandex, finished with an antimicrobial treatment. The other is a cotton-and-Tencel blend used in its “No Sweat Pant.” Together, those two fabrics account for about 70% of volume and have been bestsellers for five years.