By Kelly Cloonan
Levi Strauss & Co. wants to be known for more than just denim, and customers seem to be open to the idea.
The brand has been offering more tops, skirts and dresses and is selling more winter outwear, compared to just the trucker jackets it had in the past. It also has a wider assortment of sweaters, which have performed particularly well, the company said.
"We're really focused on growing the head-to-toe look," Chief Finance Officer Harmit Singh said.
The strategy is working, Singh said. Sales ticked up in Levi's latest quarter, helping the metric finish the fiscal year up 4%.
"We are growing faster than the denim category, largely because we're expanding into an addressable market that's beyond denim," he said, noting the broadened focus is bringing in both new and existing customers.
Non-core categories haven't always proven successful for Levi's, but the company has a better shot this time around, Singh said, given its growing direct-to-consumer business and e-commerce channel.
The company has been working to highlight the new and expanded offerings in its stores, featuring more of a head-to-toe look in merchandising and improving its inventory planning so customers can get the products they're looking for in the sizes they're looking for, he said.
"We can actually offer these products, and if they resonate, we can then take it to wholesale," he said.
Levi's has also worked to cut down its go-to-market timeline to capitalize on trends, and brought in new talent, to support the expanded offerings.
As the company continues to hone the strategy this year, its zeroing in on driving higher unit per transaction, Singh said.
"We don't report these numbers, but we have an opportunity to increase that," he said.
To be sure, Levi's is not giving up the denim that has been the source of its success. The company sees an opportunity to grow Blue Tab, a premium line of denim it launched last year, with plans for a bigger and deeper assortment this year that it will scale in 2027, Singh said.
The company's loose, baggy jeans have also remained popular, and are gaining traction with young male consumers, he said.
"In terms of trend, the looser baggy fit is here to stay for a little longer," Singh said.
This year, the company is also looking to expand its marketing to appeal to sports fans, including its first Super Bowl ad in about two decades. The ad will fittingly kickoff at Levi's Stadium, starting a global marketing campaign that will also span the World Cup. The sports focus follows partnerships with musicians like Beyoncé and Shaboozey last year.
"Last year was about music," Singh said. "This year it is music and sports."
Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 29, 2026 11:30 ET (16:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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