Americans are emerging from their homes. They’re heading back to school and work after months of lockdown and limited activities. Many are also updating their wardrobes from sweatpants and pajamas to trousers and tops. For jeans giant Levi Strauss & Co., the change means re-thinking both methods and materials.
Last year, pandemic stay-at-home orders devastated businesses. Stores closed, people lost jobs, and sales plummeted. Shuttered shops and out-of-work consumers meant bankruptcy for many clothing companies, including Brooks Brothers, Chico’s, J. Crew, J.C. Penney, and others.
Not so with Levi’s. The business has adapted before—numerous times since its founding in 1853. Recent challenges weren’t viewed as obstacles. CEO Chip Bergh saw the 2020 health crisis as an opportunity. He invested “where we knew consumers were going to be going during the pandemic”—at home and online.
Company officials knew they needed to enhance consumer experiences. To that end, Levi’s unveiled a product suggestion engine on its website, created a new mobile app, introduced contactless returns, and enabled self-checkout at stores. These and other crisis-driven tech features have been popular with both pandemic and post-pandemic consumers.
Ten years ago, Levi’s sold only about 21% of its products directly to consumers. “Last year,” Bergh says, “we finished the year at almost 40%” straight-to-consumer sales. Bergh hopes to increase that percentage going forward. He says selling sans go-between is “important to us because we’re able to have that direct connection with the consumer.”
Another change for Levi’s was selling products virtually. Sellers moved from displaying actual clothing in person to presenting digital designs online. Bergh admits the change would’ve happened with or without the pandemic. But he believes the crisis sped up the process.
The company also recognized that comfy is here to stay. So Levi’s launched a line of cozy loungewear made of “eco-aware” cotton. The line sold out within weeks.
But the picture isn’t all rosy. Outside the United States, pandemic clusters remain. The Levi’s global market makes up over 50% of the corporation’s $4.45 billion in yearly sales. In addition, the company faces labor shortages, wage hike demands, and rising cotton prices.
Today, Levi’s sells products in more than 100 countries and operates 1,000 stores. Bergh continues to focus on the strategies that helped Levi’s emerge stronger from the pandemic. “We’re seeing a denim resurgence as more people are going out,” he says.
There’s another reason for the sales uptick: People changed sizes during lockdown. Some got bigger, some smaller. Either way, Bergh says over “25% of consumers have a new size.” Turns out, almost everyone needs new jeans.
This is London
It’s so sad how clothing stores are going out of business, I love shopping and I hate it online you don’t know what your going to get. What it really looks like or of it will fit. I wear a bunch of different branded jeans.(hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch) but I don’t have any Levi’s sadly .
My favourite jeans are the high rise mom jeans. My and Mylee are selling cloths online ( we just started lol) and we have a pair of Levi’s on there.
If any of y’all have Poshmark are profile is called ThriftyTwins07
Ok
I don't really know what to say about this... I get almost all my clothes from Walmart and Goodwill... Goodwill is kinda amazing in my opinion! There isn't always something you like, but if there is it isn't going too expensive! Except normal t-shirts apparently... :) @London, ok! I don't have it, but if I get it at some point I'll look you guys up!
This is London
I love thrift stores!!! I hate Walmart clothing lol bc everybody has it and I don’t like wearing the same shirt as someone. :0
Most of my clothes are hand me downs from my older cousin. Goodwill is cheap but I can get new cloths at Burke’s for under 10 dollars
Online Stores
I know online stores are convenient, but physical shopping is more fun for me. I don't want Amazon to take over everything! They don't seem like they make good choices and treat their workers badly. @Caroline, I like Target, H&M, and Macy's for clothing.
Then again, I find myself buying from Amazon a lot. And if it weren't for Amazon, how could anyone buy my novel? That one bothers me a little. I want people to read my words, but I don't want to support Amazon too much.
@London, wow! That sounds really cool!
@Above
I do a lot of online shopping, because I mostly wear dresses or skirts, and it is really hard to find something modest in the few stores we have around here. But we have found some places online that have somewhat modest stuff that we can make work, or a lot of times we just buy fabric and make our own dresses. We actually have a thrift store in town now! I haven't found anything I like yet, but whenever we go I look just in case! :) Whenever I do wear jeans, like for riding horse, I usually just wear loose boys Wrangler brand jeans from Walmart. :)
@Scarlett: Not to bust your bubble about shopping at Target, but I did want to just tell you that their policies freely let men use the women's bathrooms and changing rooms. So my family has joined a boycott Target thing through American Family Association. Just a little info in case you didn't know. :)
@London: Wow! That is very cool! No, I don't have poshmark, too bad.
This is London
I find a lot of modest clothing and skirts at thrift stores but we have a concinment store that I find a bunch of good stuff.(tho it’s more expensive than a thrift store) we go to a camp where you can only wear skirts so I find stuff there
@Riley D
I just heard about something similar to that! Apparently, they banned a book which talked about how wrong that is and how unhealthy it is for children to be hearing that kind of thing. I said, "Oops, there's goes Target."
This is Mylee
@ Riley we have a store called Cato 's fashions and it has modern stuff ,but a lot of skirts and dresses the're long or capri pretty /casual ones too ;). Poshmark has been very fun for us I suggest getting the app ;). @ Scarlet what is your novel called :) ^. ^
@Mylee
"The Summer of the Terrific Trio." It's selling pretty well! Thanks for asking.
@Above
@London/Mylee: Yeah thanks for the ideas. You can find some things, and even though some are long enough, they still don't cover as much as I would like to at the top. Also, we try to find ones with more cotton in them because with poly and the super dryness here where I live, you get HORRIBLE static. :) Thanks though! If we ever do get Poshmark I will check out your store! Do you sell stuff on Etsy?
@Scarlett: Go here please: https://teen.wng.org/node/6293 First of all you will find an amazing amount of comments, plus, since you are a book writer, I invite you to join the club, and third, I would like to ask some questions about publishing and such, but I am sure the other writers would like to hear the answers too! Thanks!
@Riley
Yeah, oh course!! I'm not at all professional, just a young author who loves to use words to shine light in a dark world. There are so many novels that glorify the wrong kind of thing, especially fir kid's books and we need to reverse that.
This is Mylee
@scarlet agreed :). your book looked amazing !. @Riley no we don't do etsy ...
This is London
@jonathan I fail for nothing lol, I have seen so many of those .
@Riley D
Oh... that's too bad about Target... (*sob* their clothes are so cute tho... )
@London S
If you were replying to Jonathan M's "I can predict what you are doing" post, looks like they've been taking those down on several articles. :)
This is London
@scarlett I wonder why??
@Twins
Probably because he keeps doing it and people are getting tired and annoyed of it. Well, I am at least. I can't speak for others. I can understand doing it on one article, but on all of them for multiple days in a row? Well, I just got a bit annoyed.
This is London
Yah lol.
this is mylee
@Belwyn I know yall said this awhile ago but the mystery box thing yall do sounded really cool :) ! Could you explan how yall do it ? Lodon and I always are looking for money making ideas !
Interjection
I think this is the 20th comment
This is Morgan
I get all my clothes from a thrift store called Savers and a thrift store where everything is $1.25 I love how original thrift store clothing is. I can find a whole season worth of clothes for less than a couple outfits from most stores cost!
Cary Grant (say this out loud)
PERSON1 "You remind me of a man"
PERSON2 "what man?"
PERSON1 "the man with the power"
PERSON2 "what power?"
PERSON1 "the power of hoodoo"
PERSON2 "hoodoo?"
PERSON1 "you do"
PERSON2 "you do what?"
PERSON1 "remind me of a man"
PERSON2 "what man?"
PERSON1 'the man with the power'
PERSON2 "what power?"
PERSON1 "the power of hoodoo'
PERSON2 "hoodoo?"
PERSON1 "you do"
PERSON2 'you do what?"...
:)
@Morgan, yeah! I love thrift/used clothes stores! Actually, currently I'm wearing all used or borrowed clothes, some stuff from my sisters and from Goodwill. :)
This is Mylee
yes I love how i can find origanal clothes at thrift stores. at walmart if i get i shirt there i see like 10 ppl wearing it. NO ! Haha
@Scarlett R
What’s your favorite book series?? I love The Unwanteds! i definitely recommend it. Your a author? What type of book are you working on? P.s. The Unwanteds book series is written by Lisa Mcmann, you should check out her work, she has a book series for young adults I am dying to read!!! Good luck on your author adventure!
@Everyone
I am a thrifter, is anyone else??
@Marvin S
Aw, thanks!! You too! I haven't heard of Unwanted but it sounds cool. There's so much I want to read. I can start with finishing my writer cousin's new book (it's the sixth in the Explorer Academy Book.) Then I want to re-read or re-listen to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It's a good one!! Then I have to start Amos Fortune Free Man for my homeschool.
One of my favorite books is the Explorer Academy series. It's really good, seven books are planned and the sixth was released a few weeks ago. I had been reading the books for two years when one day my Grandma sent out an e-mail to the family. The parents had been asking for good books for their kids, and Grandma said, "Yeah, Grandpa's cousin Trudi Trueit writes books and I hear they're really good." I was so shocked. How could I be related to my favorite author?! But anyway I sent her a letter and she's been sending me her books. We're close now and it was just incredible.