Levi Strauss & Co. is accelerating a push to sell more directly to consumers as the coronavirus pandemic ravages retail markets. The apparel seller is focusing on boosting its digital sales while using its growing network of Levi’s-branded physical stores to handle the online orders, the WSJ’s Nina Trentmann reports. The strategy is the latest sign of how the pandemic is upending business models and shifting relationships between retailers and suppliers as companies reset their positions in consumer markets. As traditional wholesale customers founder, Chief Financial Officer Harmit Singh says the company’s network of some 200 stores is an advantage, particularly for logistics. He says 30% of the company’s online orders were fulfilled from stores, a trend Levi’s is looking to expand as it sidesteps distribution centers to deliver goods more quickly. The apparel icon is building distribution with some retailers, but Mr. Singh says its days as only a “wholesale-driven” business are gone.
– Bob
Operations and Supply Chain Management 