As Levi Strauss & Co. continues to prioritize being a direct-to-consumer (DTC)-first retailer, our teams are focused on creating best-in-class experiences for all our consumers, wherever they like to shop. This includes doubling down on e-commerce and creating seamless digital experiences for our fans around the globe.
These efforts are paying off, and the channel has seen strong growth in recent years — 12 consecutive quarters of global double-digit growth, in fact. And over the last five years, our e-commerce business has doubled, growing from 5% of our total net revenue in 2019 to 10% in 2024, with momentum continuing into 2025.
Spearheaded by LS&Co. Chief Digital and Technology Officer Jason Gowans, the e-commerce team has a clear, three-pronged strategy to continue to achieve our broader ambitions of growing the channel: fix the fundamentals, evolve the assortment and elevate the experience. And as proven in our Q1’25 financial results, our efforts are gaining traction, with improvements in both the top- and bottom-line of the e-commerce business.
“Our global e-commerce strategy is working, and day-by-day, we’re turning our strategies into reality,” Jason said. “We’re creating a global digital flagship experience that not only is expanding our loyal fan base but also is giving them a reason to return. Our exceptional team’s dedication is generating impressive momentum that is steadily improving the overall health of our e-commerce business with global net revenues and EBIT margins improving double-digits on a compound annual growth rate over the last three years.”
Fixing the Fundamentals
When it comes to online shopping, the basics need to work: The site needs to be reliable, and most importantly, it needs to be a consistent, trusted experience. And in a world where 32% of consumers will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience, every detail matters. From site speed and simple navigation to enhanced imagery and increased reviews, every nuanced aspect of shopping online must be seamless, accurate and easy.
Our teams are constantly working on solutions to help fans find their perfect fit online. With the help of our digital product team, we’ve improved our content with high-quality images, and we’ve added more videos on product pages to create a dynamic online shopping experience and showcase our fits as they look in real life. “As of today, 80% of our products on the U.S. site have new, elevated imagery, and more than 700 product pages feature videos showing the product in motion,” said Priya Buening, VP of E-commerce in the U.S.
The improvements don’t stop there. Over the last year, the Levi’s® e-commerce team has made products even easier to find through a new search solution, and the overall visual appeal of the site has improved with enhanced product descriptions and visuals, along with an added “shop the look” feature to present a full denim lifestyle look. Additionally, we’ve increased our review coverage, helping our search engine optimization and increased purchase intent. Visitors to the site can also try out the new fit quiz tool, which gives fans the opportunity to answer a series of questions on fit preferences, returning a number of personalized recommendations.
“Everything we do starts with our fans in mind and is focused on creating a memorable experience,” said Priya.
Evolving the Assortment
Our legacy is rooted in denim, but as we become a true lifestyle retailer, our future will be much more. From the perfect tee and blouse to everything else, the Levi’s® assortment includes everything for your complete head-to-toe look — and the e-commerce team is focused on bringing that same assortment online.
The same holds true for increasing our women’s to men’s ratio. Previously, women’s used to represent less than 40% of our online assortment in the U.S. Today, that number has increased to about 55%. As the company focuses on growing its women’s business, the e-commerce team is ensuring that we’re delivering the right product mix online with a healthy mix of fashion to keep women returning and buying. And to support the assortment and bring the expression to life, the team has leaned into our new elevated imagery, navigation and broader array of fixed fundamentals to help deliver an exceptional experience.
An example of this elevated imagery can be seen in the recent launch of Blue Tab, our recent collection that pairs our iconic Levi’s® aesthetic with the quality and sensibility of Japanese craftsmanship. The collection launched in Asia earlier this year, and last month, we debuted the collection in the U.S. and Canada as an online exclusive before hitting stores.
Elevating the Consumer Experience
Our DTC channels allow us to deliver the fullest expression of the Levi’s® brand, meeting our fans wherever they are. From enhanced storytelling and unique perks such as our Red Tab® loyalty program, to our connected omnichannel experience and full, robust denim lifestyle product assortment, it’s our responsibility to provide our fans with the complete Levi’s® experience — and our teams continue to innovate and deliver against that promise.
One way the team has improved the digital experience is through more tailored, personalized storytelling to local markets. “When I joined Levi’s® in 2021, we had a one-size-fits-all approach across our European websites,” said Leona De Graft, VP of E-commerce in Europe. “In recent years, we’ve localized our approach, focusing on a market-specific strategy, tailoring assortment, site content and storytelling for individual country needs. For example, we recently launched a ‘Kings Day Edit’ on our Netherlands site, tapping into the holiday spirit where everyone wears orange during parade-filled celebrations. This is just one example of how we’re delivering for our fans.”
Our Red Tab® loyalty program is another key connection to our fans and is pivotal to our DTC-first strategy. With over 38 million members worldwide, the program allows brand fans to enjoy premium benefits that prioritize quality and style, such as extended product guarantees and tailor services. This year, we expanded the program to four new markets — Poland, Ireland, Denmark and Switzerland — enabling us to expand our reach and connect directly with passionate fans. In addition, by extending our email lifecycle communications and targeting consumers with the right message at the right time, the team is making strides toward our goal of increasing shopping frequency.
Finally, we also know that fans shopping on the Levi’s® app tend to be among our most loyal consumers, which is why our teams have worked to make significant progress toward elevating and expanding the app experience. This, in combination with efforts to increase traffic and app downloads through initiatives like marketing deep linking, offers fans yet another opportunity to have the full Levi’s® experience. This has enabled us to double our app business in Europe and improve consumer lifetime value.
Visit Levi.com to see our latest product drops and experience the full expression of the Levi’s® brand — from wherever you are.
