Rising Canadian athleisure brand expanding US footprint with first San Francisco store

(KRON) — A rising athleisure brand from Canada is expanding its American footprint by opening another store in the United States. DUER is opening its first Bay Area location in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood.

DUER is opening in September at 567 Hayes St., a spokesperson for the retailer told KRON4. It takes over the space that was previously occupied by the OAK + FORT clothing store. DUER’s grand opening is “likely” between Sept. 12 and 18, according to the spokesperson.

The San Francisco store would be the third in the United States. The other two are in Los Angeles and Denver. Founded in 2015 in Vancouver, DUER has seven stores in Canada, including Calgary, Ottawa, and Toronto.

DUER looks to follow the footsteps of fellow Canadian brand Lululemon, which has become one of the biggest athleisure companies in the world. Lululemon was founded in 1998, also in Vancouver.

DUER clothing is currently sold at 800 retailers worldwide. In the Bay Area, their products are sold at large retailers like REI and Nordstrom.

The brand has gained national attention by being featured in outlets like GQ, Rolling Stone and Elle. Conan O’Brien told The New York Times that DUER is his favorite brand.

“Ten years ago, I set out to create clothing for people who wanted the comfort and performance and versatility of athleisure, but in an entirely different form,” DUER founder Gary Lenett said in part in a news release. “Not gym wear and not traditional jeanswear, but something in between, made using natural fabrics like denim that balance both style and function.

“While we see great opportunities internationally with Hectic, we are equally focused on strengthening our brand here in North America… This next phase of growth is about showing up where our customers already are, starting with three new stores opening across the Pacific Northwest.”

DUER also has plans to open in Portland, Ore. The company’s website states that store is “coming soon,” but no opening date has been announced. In June, DUER also announced its plans to expand in Europe.