Do you believe that the Levi’s brand is as “elastic”

as Levi’s executives believe it is? Or, have they

“overstretched” the name with the Signature line?

Levi’s US sales in 1996 were $7.1 billion. In 2001, sales had declined dramatically to $4.25 billion. Many teenagers and tweens view Levi’s jeans as being for middleaged consumers. And while the major slide appears to have halted, with annual sales in the $4 billion range, Levi’s is still vulnerable. The most recent quarterly data show Levi’s sales down by 6 percent. How did this happen?
Super success in the 1980s led to complacency and a lack of focus on evolving customer needs. Levi’s created women’s jeans from men’s patterns, resulting in a poor fi t. It treated teenage girls and women as one segment, producing jeans too tight for many moms and too high-waisted for the teens.
It also ignored emerging style competitors such as Calvin Klein, Seven, and Blue Asphalt. Trendy and stylish competitors continue to emerge in increasing numbers at various price points, and this has not helped. As one 19-year-old consumer noted of Levi’s, “They’re too plain. There’s just not enough style to them.” Various efforts have been made by Levi’s to stave off the decline and launch a comeback, including new advertising and new product designs to bolster its image and relevance, particularly among younger buyers. Their “Dangerously Low” campaign is one example.