How the buying season SS25 is going for Marc O'Polo

Since the start of the Düsseldorf Orderdays, the ordering phase for spring/summer 2025 is in full swing. It's high time to find out what retailers are thinking about and what brands are hoping for next season. FashionUnited spoke with Kathrin Fuchs, Head of Sales Casual Women and Leon Eckert, Head of Sales Casual Men at Marc O'Polo about the lessons of the past season, currently popular products and the most relevant topics for SS25.

Retail is currently facing a number of challenges. How is Marc O'Polo dealing with this?

"The challenges don't stop there for Marc O'Polo either. However, we still manage to complete a very successful SS24 season so far and the start of Fall/Winter 24 has been promising."

Before we start the upcoming SS25 season, can you take a look back at last season?

"We started the season very well and were able to reach a record high, especially in women's clothing. Extreme weather conditions and the European Football Championship caused a certain buying frenzy in June. In contrast, July started well again and we are very satisfied with our sales for spring/summer and autumn/winter."

Was this also reflected economically?

"We have been able to further increase our turnover, which was already at a high level. The margin has improved considerably due to sometimes fewer or later reductions in the market. As a result, we are recording very high growth in gross profit. The collection content of this season was exactly the right one at the right time."

What sold well and what lessons did you take into SS25?

"With our core competencies of linen, polo and T-shirts, we have achieved a high level of sales in men's clothing. Knitted themes with half sleeves are developing positively for polos and shirts. We want to expand this further in the spring/summer 2025 season."

"In women's clothing, trousers are becoming a stable pillar. It is a seasonal product that is less dependent on the weather. In the denim sector, we have made significant gains thanks to newer, more modern shapes. We have been able to increase our share of blouses again and have positioned ourselves well in the mid to high price segment with modern content in knitwear and jersey. As in men's clothing, knitwear with half sleeves is selling very strongly, and the same applies to linen. However, we are noticing slight shifts towards flowing linen blend qualities such as Tencell linen. In addition, knitwear is the clear winner alongside blouses and outdoor clothing, especially blousons."

Speaking of the start, how did the current order round start?

"The current round of orders is going very positively, for both men and women. Based on our development in recent seasons, we are pleased with the great confidence of our partners. The announcement of a new brand campaign for Marc O'Polo Casual Men, among others, with Toni Kroos as testimonial does the rest."

You just mentioned Toni Kroos, do collaborations also play a role for Marc O'Polo?

We currently have no plans for this. We are fully focused on our large-scale testimonial campaign, which will start in late summer.

Are there any specific differences you notice between Marc O’Polo and Marc O’Polo Denim? In which direction are both lines going?

"Marc O'Polo Denim appeals to younger end customers through style and pricing. We want to attract new end customers to our brand at an earlier stage. Marc O'Polo Denim operates in a different competitive environment in which we also want to position ourselves successfully."

Are there any topics that are particularly relevant to this order?

"The issues of inventory turnover (LUG) and inventory are more relevant than ever. For us, this means more precision in the planning and control of shared spaces to improve this critical performance indicator."

Is price sensitivity – both among end consumers and trading partners – still noticeable? "End consumers are still very price sensitive. We are therefore very pleased that, thanks to the great performance of our teams, we have been able to keep the prices of our core products at last year's level."

Are there any hopes and wishes for the rest of the year and the coming season?

"Above all, we hope for a better autumn/winter activity in knitwear and outdoor clothing than last year. We want to continue our success and growth in Spring/Summer 24 and Autumn/Winter 24."

“With a large-scale brand campaign starting at the end of the summer, we want to further expand our international brand presence, differentiate ourselves even more clearly from our competitors and focus even more on our commitment to sustainability.”

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.DE, translated and edited to English.