For Kelly Perl, everything comes down to one simple ethos: lead with empathy. It’s this mindset that’s driven her throughout her career, and it still holds true today as manager of our Levi’s® store in West Edmonton, Canada.
“I’m always thinking to myself: How do I make my team safe while running a strong business?” said Kelly. “It’s really important to remember that most of our team members are coming from school all day or coming from another job. I’m open with them, so they can be open with me.”
Kelly’s Story
Kelly’s interest in retail started when she was a young girl flipping through fashion magazines in a rural town outside of Edmonton. After high school, she studied fashion in Vancouver, where she started her early career in retail and held many entry-level positions as she worked her way up to store management.
Kelly spent over a decade working at large, fast-paced apparel retailers before eventually making her way to Levi’s®. Today she credits that experience with helping her be the best leader she can be.
“In everything I do as a manager, I try to remember my experience of when I was just getting started,” Kelly shared. “How did it feel when a manager asked me to do something? I take those learnings whenever I’m delegating or putting out a new initiative.”
Kelly was drawn to Levi’s® both because of its long history as a global fashion brand as well as Levi Strauss & Co.’s values around work-life balance and giving back to local communities. She aims to embody those values every day, creating an environment of community both inside and outside her store. Last year, for example, Kelly and her team — with the help of their Community Ambassador, Sabrinna — collaborated with the broader Levi’s® Canada team and corporate colleagues to collect and donate over 800 pairs of socks to local organizations in need during harsh winter conditions.
Leading with empathy has literally paid off for Kelly and the Edmonton store. As stores were reopening after months of COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Kelly quickly became the de facto reopening expert across Canada Levi’s® stores, advising fellow store managers on contact tracing, cleaning and other best practices to keep employees and consumers safe. That year, sales at her store topped 2019 levels, despite pandemic-related interruptions to in-store shopping.
By keeping the well-being of both Levi’s® consumers and team members top of mind, Kelly provides a safe space for transparency, fosters camaraderie and creates a best-in-class Levi’s® experience for everyone in her store.
“I always tell my team, this could be somebody’s literal first-ever experience with the Levi’s® brand,” Kelly said. “We need to give them that proper Levi’s® Canada welcome every time.”
Want to see this best-in-class experience for yourself? Pop over to Levi’s® West Edmonton and say hello to Kelly and her team!
