I haven't bought a pair of Levi's in more than a decade. I know they got more expensive and I wonder these company changes mean they are now ridiculously expensive.
It's a NYT article. It's in the business section but I thought c/fashion might like it. And if you don't want to read the whole thing - here's a summary...
[Levi's CEO] Ms. Gass, 55, wants to make Levi’s not only a brand you think of when you want jeans, but also a place you go to first when shopping for shirts, jumpsuits and puffer jackets. Her goal is to get customers back more often — since people usually buy tops more frequently than bottoms — and to bring them to Levi’s stores, its website and its mobile app.
[...]
Within six years, [Levi's] wants 55 percent of its revenue to come from its direct-to-consumer business, up from the current 42 percent. “It really is moving this company to be, I’ll call it, a denim lifestyle retailer,” Ms. Gass said. “That’s the big pivot.”
[...]
Levi’s now has nearly 2,300 stores across the world, including 244 in the United States. Last year, it had a record number of store openings: 105.
[...]
Levi’s is trying to save costs where it can. During its quarterly earnings call in late January, the company said it would slash 10 percent to 15 percent of its work force, a move that would save $100 million this year.
The top comments have shown me I'll never be buying Levi's again!
You wanna know what else the new CEO did? She cancelled funding for waste reduction, pollution prevention and worker health and safety initiatives at dozens of denim plants they run or contract around the world. She told the IMF that she is cutting off the funding incentivizing these manufacturers to make her suppliers cleaner and safer.
What do you think of her now?
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Wore Levi's for 40 years. In 2003 they overhauled their production and shifted to factories in places where labor was cheaper. Profit superseded integrity as the fabric became half as thick and strong, 100% cotton largely disappeared- replaced by stretchy "denim", cuts changed drastically, and the price of basic pairs went from $25-$35 to over $100. Bought up whatever I could that was left in my size from ebay after picking up a new revised pair in a store and being appalled at what they were passing off as quality jeans. Just another great American brand that was brought down by corporate greed to become yet another soulless byproduct of committee thinking.
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I'll try on 5 pairs of the same size, same style 501s, and maybe one will fit, if I'm lucky. Terrible quality control at the factory level. Just adding more tops is not going to solve their problems. Fix what you're currently doing first.
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I bought 501 Levi jeans for most of my life. The last two pair both suffered the same failures within a year. The rear belt loops on either side of center tore loose. Levi should start improving things by restoring the once famous quality of their main products.