Later developments (2000–present)
In 2002, Levi Strauss began a close business collaboration with Walmart, producing a line of "Signature" jeans and other clothes for sale only in Walmart stores until 2006.[31]
In 2002, the company closed its Valencia Street plant in San Francisco, which opened in 1906.[32][33] By the end of 2003, the closure of Levi's last U.S. factory in San Antonio ended 150 years of jeans made in the United States.[34] Production of a few higher-end, more expensive styles of jeans resumed in the U.S. several years later.[33] Levi Strauss closed several factories worldwide and took control of GWG's operations.[35] Attempts to make the GWG brand profitable again were unsuccessful, and the Edmonton GWG factory, along with all remaining Levi Strauss factories in North America, closed in 2004.[36]
By 2007, Levi Strauss was again profitable after declining sales in nine of the previous ten years.[37] Its total annual sales of just over $4 billion were $3 billion less than during its peak performance[33] in the mid-1990s.[38] After more than two decades of family ownership, rumors of a possible public stock offering appeared in the media in July 2007.[39]
As of 2007, Levi Strauss leads the apparel industry in trademark infringement cases, filing nearly 100 lawsuits against competitors over six years from 2001.[40] Most cases center on the alleged imitation of Levi's back pocket double arc stitching pattern (U.S. trademark No. 1,139,254), which Levi's filed for a trademark in 1978.[41] Levi's has successfully sued Guess, Polo Ralph Lauren, Esprit Holdings, Zegna, Zumiez, and Lucky Brand Jeans, among other companies.[40]
In 2010, the company partnered with Filson, an outdoor goods manufacturer in Seattle, to produce a high-end line of jackets and workwear.[42]
In 2011, the firm hired Chip Bergh as the president and chief executive of the brand.[43] In that same year, it established more than 20 different waterless manufacturing techniques, reducing the exceptionally high amounts of water used to create denim. Levi's is now the world's most sustainable brand of jeans in terms of water usage.[44]
On May 8, 2013, the NFL's San Francisco 49ers announced that Levi Strauss & Co. had purchased the naming rights to its new stadium in Santa Clara, California. The naming rights deal called for Levi's to pay $220.3 million to the city of Santa Clara and the 49ers over 20 years, with an option to extend the agreement for another five years for around $75 million.[45]
As of 2016, Levi Strauss Signature jeans were sold in 110 countries.[43] In 2016, the company reported revenues of $4.6 billion.[43]
On July 13, 2017, Levi Strauss heir Bill Goldman died in a private plane crash near Sonoma, California.[46]
In 2017, Levi Strauss & Co. released a "smart jacket", an apparel it developed in partnership with Google. After two years of collaboration, the result was a denim jacket set at $350.[47]
In March 2019, Levi's debuted on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "LEVI".[48] Levi Strauss was valued at $6.6 billion as its IPO priced above the target.[49]
In September 2019, Levi's won a final judgment on a trademark infringement in Guangzhou, China. The case centered on the "arcuate design on two pockets at the back of jeans", which has been protected in China since its registration there in 2005. The company won damages and costs in addition to a ban on future infringements. The infringer's ignorance of the trademark was no bar to punishment.[50]
In 2019, Levi's became one of only two major clothing companies with commitments in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.[51]
In 2020, Levi Strauss & Co. was expected to have completely replaced chemical usage as well as using lasers to cut, and design ripped parts of jeans.[52] In December 2019, the Engage for Good (formerly Cause Marketing Forum) organization awarded the company the Golden Halo Award for 2020[53] for its advancements in corporate social impact.[54]
On August 5, 2021, Levi Strauss & Co. announced the acquisition of Beyond Yoga, entering the activewear market. They expect the acquisition will contribute more than $100 million in net revenue per year.[55] It was announced senior executives are to speak with AI expert Blake Van Leer at the LA eCommerce Summit about its digital strategies and AI in 2023.[56][57] It was announced in January 2023 that Levi would begin accepting old pairs of jeans to recycle into more denim in a campaign to go green.[58] Levi's Autumn/Winter 2023 WellThread capsule aimed to show the brand's engagement to sustainability as it included items made from 100% transitional cotton as well as plant-based natural dyes.[59]
During Super Bowl LX in 2026, Levi Strauss & Co. launched its "Behind Every Original" global campaign, a rear-view focused project directed by Kim Gehrig that featured global figures including musicians ROSÉ and Questlove.[60]
