By Donna Moulton

About Levis Strauss & Co

• When news of the California Gold Rush made its way east, Levi journeyed to San Francisco in 1853 to make his fortune, though he wouldn’t make it panning gold. He established a wholesale dry goods business under his own name and served as the West Coast representative of the family’s New York firm. Levi eventually renamed his company “Levi Strauss & Co.”

• Around 1872, Levi received a letter from one of his customers, Jacob Davis, a Reno, Nevada tailor. In his letter, Davis disclosed the unique way he made pants for his customers, through the use of rivets at points of strain to make them last longer. Davis wanted to patent this new idea, but needed a business partner to get the idea off the ground. The patent was granted to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss & Company on May 20, 1873; and blue jeans were born.

• Levi Strauss & Co. has been innovating since the birth of the first pair of jeans in 1873.

• Levi Strauss, the inventor of the quintessential American garment, was born in Buttenheim, Bavaria on February 26, 1829 to Hirsch Strauss and his second wife, Rebecca Haas Strauss; Levi had three older brothers and three older sisters.

• Two years after his father succumbed to tuberculosis in 1846, Levi and his sisters emigrated to New York, where they were met by his two older brothers who owned a NYC-based wholesale dry goods business called “J. Strauss Brother & Co.” Levi soon began to learn the trade himself.

• Levi carried on other business pursuits during his career, as well. He became a charter member and treasurer of the San Francisco Board of Trade in 1877. He was a director of the Nevada Bank, the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company and the San Francisco Gas and Electric Company. In 1875, Levi and two associates purchased the Mission and Pacific Woolen Mills.

• He was also one of the city’s greatest philanthropists. Levi was a contributor to the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and Home, the Eureka Benevolent Society and the Hebrew Board of Relief. In 1897 Levi provided the funds for twenty-eight scholarships at the University of California, Berkeley, all of which are still in place today.

• At the end of the 19th century, Levi was still involved in the day-to-day workings of the company. In 1890 — the year that the XX waist overall was given the lot number “501®” — Levi and his nephews officially incorporated the company.

• Levi Strauss passed away on Friday, September 26th 1902. His estate amounted to nearly $6 million, the bulk of which was left to his four nephews and other family members, while donations were made to local funds and associations.

History & Brands• Levis Strauss & Co (LS&CO.), is one of the worlds largest appeared

manufacturer brand.

• Levi Strauss & Co products are sold in over 110 countries,through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 2,700 retail stores and shop-in-shops.

• Levis Strauss & Co manufactures jeans in approximately 108 sizes and 20 finish fabrics.

• Levis Strauss & Co have 3 brands in their portfolio: levi’s, Dockers, and Levi’s Strauss.

“The Mission of Levi Strauss & Co. is to sustain responsible commercial success as a global marketing company of branded apparel.”

We must balance goals of superior profitability and return on investment, leadership market positions, and superior products and

service. We will conduct our business ethically and demonstrate leadership in satisfying our responsibilities to our communities and to

society. Our work environment will be safe and productive and characterized by fair treatment, teamwork, open communications,

personal accountability and opportunities for growth and development.”

Levis Strauss & Co Mission Statement

Levis Strauss & Co: Leadership

Levis Strauss & Co Leadership

Levis Strauss & CoTarget Market

LEVI’s targets customers falling under:• Upper Class• Middle Class

Levis main emphasis is on consumer demographic age groups of 13-24 (youngsters), although their product range has products for consumers above 30 yrs of age.

Levis strategy is to continue maintaining long-term relationships with their consumers by designing denim styles, shapes, and varying color shades and cloths to create mix and match items and accessories to fit the current fashion styles.

In the 1930’s denim jeans were positioned as being worn by thee “American Cowboy”

later on in culture denim jeans shifted from being marketed for their durability of the fabric but to then become marketed as a fashion item.

Culturally in the 1950’s denim jeans became a symbol of youth and rebellion.

Levi Strauss & Co DisplaysMichael Williams (Director Store Design + Americas) and his design team have pushed themselves even further, recently conceiving a more premium outlet experience called Outlet 2.0. “This concept takes the outlet format as far as it can go before becoming a full-price environment, with the best lighting and finishes we could design with the limited budget,” Williams says.” We currently have two concept stores up and running, and consumer reaction has exceeded our expectations.” Crafting such solutions is Williams’s primary duty, and he and his team have learned how to do it not just for Levi’s outlet stores, but brand-wide. For example, in 2012 JCPenney reached

out to the company for help rethinking its shop-in-shops, and the end result was the Levi’s Denim Bar concept, a stylishly utilitarian wood-and-metal display (see photo, opposite page top) that hearkens back to the jean maker’s roots. “Our other wholesale accounts took notice, which, in turn, has pushed us to create new cutting-edge concepts for them,” Williams says.

-American Builders Quarterly (2013)

Levi Strauss & Co. Expands Clothing Recycling Initiative to All U.S. Stores

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) today announced the expansion of its clothing recycling initiative to all Levi’s® mainline and outlet stores in the United States. The company is making it easier for consumers to recycle clothing and shoes, underscoring its commitment to sustainability by reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills and creating an infrastructure that supports a circular economy by 2020.

“This in-store take back program not only makes it easy for consumers to recycle their unwanted items, but also helps create much-needed awareness about the challenge of textile waste and the aim to keep these items in an everlasting cycle.”

Consumers may drop off any brand of clean, dry clothing or shoes in the collection boxes at their local Levi’s® store. Any consumer who brings an item of clothing or shoes to recycle will receive a voucher for 20 percent off a single, regular-priced Levi’s® item in-store.

While many consumers are familiar with recycling bottles, cans and paper, most still throw away clothing. Annually, Americans discard more than 28 billion pounds of unwanted clothing, shoes and other textiles. Charitable organizations and others collect roughly 15 percent of these items, while the remaining 85 percent — 24 billion pounds — end up in landfills.

“We’re thinking about sustainability across all facets of our business and how to shift consumer behavior to make recycling clothing the norm,” said Michael Kobori, vice president of sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co. “As an industry leader, we consider all phases of our product lifecycle, including stages beyond our direct control like the product’s end point. Collecting used clothing at our stores makes it simple and easy for consumers to do their part and builds upon our commitment to do the right thing for the environment.”

Global Denim Leader to Help Reduce Textiles Americans Send to Landfills Each Year Through Easy-Access Recycling (July 21st, 2015)

Levis Strauss & Co: Articles

“This in-store take back program not

only makes it easy for consumers to recycle their unwanted items, but also helps create

much-needed awareness about the challenge of textile

waste and the aim to keep these items in

an everlasting cycle.”

For Earth Day, Levi Strauss & Co. wants consumers to pledge to wash less

By Brian Mastroianni Published April 21, 2015, FoxNews.com“An American denim pioneer is working to scrub consumers’ perceptions about their clothes, in an attempt to shed light on the impact that washing just one pair of jeans has on the environment.

A recent study by Levi Strauss & Co. found that 1,000 gallons (3,800 liters) of water are used over the lifetime of a pair of jeans, with regular care contributing 37 percent of the roughly 74 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted during the jeans’ use.

The company has launched a month-long campaign -- World Water Day through Earth Day -- to promote its campaign Water<Less™ , a process to reduce the water used in “garment finishing” by up to 96 percent. The move has helped the company save millions of gallons (1 billion liters) of water since 2011.

In celebration of international Earth Day on April 22, the company is urging consumers to come clean and confront their impact on world water consumption. The company wants consumers to take an online quiz to determine their water use and then pledge through social media to wash their jeans less often.”

Levis Strauss & Co Top Competitors

Comparison of Both Companies

Levis Strauss & Co Competitors ratios

Levis Strauss & Co:Stocks

ConclusionWith a market that is so saturated Levi Strauss really has to distinguish

themselves from the rest, with so many middle class consumers looking for less expensive trendy brands over the upper class who are looking for the same

products but purchasing the Levi’s competitor brands they really need to continue to appeal to their now niche market of global eco aware consumers by continuing to emphases on their recycling program and expand their marketing to more television stations, magazines and then build the brand through more social media representation. They should also keep the denim bar concept but

revamp the design so it is more eco friendly with a modern looking, updating it to match their target market and current season.

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Mastroianni, Brian. "For Earth Day, Levi Strauss & Co. Wants Consumers to Pledge to Wash Less." Fox News. FOX News Network, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. <http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/04/21/in-honor-earth-day-levi-want-consumers-to-pledge-to-wash-less/>

"Levi Strauss & Co. Expands Clothing Recycling Initiative to All U.S. Stores." Levi Strauss & Co. Expands Clothing Recycling Initiative to All U.S. Stores. Buisness Wire, 21 July 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. <http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150721005564/en/Levi-Strauss-Expands-Clothing-Recycling-Initiative-U.S.#.VgtC-53BzGc>.