Dear CARPASUS Community,

On behalf of the entire CARPASUS team, I would like to sincerely thank you for your support and loyalty over the past year.

2024 has been a year of exciting developments for us:

• We welcomed 786 new customers to our online shop.
• For the first time, we offered products from other brands in our online shop.
• Our Mallard Duck Edition with embroidered shirts and T-shirts was a big success – especially the white T-shirts, which became bestsellers.
• We hosted several events in our Brand Store, including a Tiny Store Concert.
• In Germany, we are now represented by an agency to expand our retail network.
• We moved our shipping warehouse in Switzerland, further automating our shipping process.

The Challenges of 2024

However, 2024 has also been a challenging year. Like many other companies in the retail and fashion industry, we felt the uncertainties in the market and the cautiousness of consumers. Our sales in retail and the online shop fell short of our expectations.

This situation led us to ask fundamental questions: Who are we? Why do we do what we do? Where should we go from here? The answers have led us to make important decisions that we would like to share with you:

Our Focus for 2025

• Closing our Brand Store in Zurich: Sometimes you need to take a step back to gain momentum for a bigger leap forward. At the end of January 2025, we will close our store on Zurlindenstrasse in Zurich. However, we will still be available to you through our retail partners, online shop, and our showroom in St. Gallen. Throughout the year, we plan to host events, pop-ups, and trade show appearances where you can meet us in person.
• Focus on retail and online presence: We are concentrating on expanding our network in Switzerland and the EU, as well as strengthening our online presence. In February, we will launch a refreshed online shop.
• Sharpening our brand: CARPASUS will remain CARPASUS. Our key product is and will always be the shirt. In addition to shirts, you will continue to find other products in the CARPASUS style. We will continue to offer you the best possible quality and service. Only our communication and appearance will change slightly—perhaps a bit more joyful, a bit louder.
• Redefining our core values: We have redfined our core values: Authenticity, integrity, and zest for life will take center stage. We create timeless shirts from environmentally friendly materials that will accompany you for a long time and bring you joy every time you wear them. Those values will be reflected in our products and our imagery.
• Sustainability as a mission: For us, sustainability is not a status quo but an ongoing process. We want to shape a future-proof fashion industry and support our customers in making a positive contribution through their purchases. This is reflected in the use of eco-friendly natural materials, the production of small series, manufacturing in Europe, and collaboration with partners who take social responsibility.

Steps Towards a Circular Economy

• One of the biggest environmental challenges in the fashion industry is the linear use of our resources. Fashion companies design collections, have them made, sell them, customers wear the clothing, and eventually, it ends up in textile containers, secondhand markets, or, in the worst case, in landfills in third-world countries.
• We already focus on high-quality, durable designs and well-constructed materials that withstand many uses and washes. We already use recycled cotton in some of our shirt fabrics. We have our laundry bags made from leftover materials. Recently, we introduced reusable shipping bags from Kickbag for our online orders in Switzerland. We also offer a repair service for our clothes. But there is more.
• As a new associate member of the Circular Clothingcooperative, we are working with other brands on solutions for closed material loops.
• Starting in 2025, we will collaborate with iceep to collect used CARPASUS items and use them to create new fabrics.
• Our partnership with the bioRe® Foundation will be strengthened to better support communities of small farmers in India and Tanzania.

These and other innovations will be introduced to you throughout the year. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, we always look forward to hearing from you.

I wish you all the best for 2025 and hope that you continue to accompany CARPASUS on our journey. Together, we can make the fashion industry more sustainable and future-proof.

Warm regards,
René and the CARPASUS Team