Levi Strauss & Co., which operates a chain of 3,000 stores and locations worldwide, opened 100 new physical stores last year despite the pandemic and customer exodus to online stores and marketplaces.
By the end of 2021, more than 100 more stores will open, including a new experimental concept. Levi’s earlier unveiled a new model that allows shoppers to use an app to shop and do both self-checkout and contactless returns.
Though nearly a quarter of Levi’s sales in 2020 came from online channels (in 2015, the figure was less than 10%), the company is not only investing in digital experiences. Still, it is also keeping its focus on retail sales and providing a distinctive shopping experience.
In its NextGen format stores, the company is introducing new digitally driven features – mobile app integration, self-checkout, touchless returns, and an assortment shaped by the information it receives about customer requests.
“We’ve increased our investment in developing digital experiences. We’ve been able to test and scale various services at speed we couldn’t even dream of before the pandemic, and I think … it’s helped us become much more agile and deliver on the promises we made to our consumers.”
