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| David Bergen. Photo credit: Deviceone.eu |
Without a doubt, this was a sign that times have changed and that the clothing company had failed to adapt to answer to the demands of the new era. It might have been the first to offer blue jeans but it also failed to cater to the style of choice of the new generation in the ’90s. The clothing brand lost its customer base to either boutique brands or more affordable ones.
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| David Bergen. Photo credit: Collegefashion.net |
According to David Bergen, Levi Strauss in that time was already caught in “the jaws of death.” However, it was not going to go down without putting up a good fight. There was still something that the company could do as it eyed a potential ally that could give its brands the boost in market attention that they needed.
What Levi Strauss was looking into at the time was selling its products through the world’s largest retailer: Wal-Mart. To succeed in this, Levi Strauss & Co. had to come up with a less expensive signature line that would still attract more affluent shoppers to Wal-Mart.
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| David Bergen. Photo credit: Styleandflair.com |
Meanwhile, David Bergen, as Levi Strauss’ CIO at the time had to lead the redesigning of the company’s supply chain to allow it to handle the demands of mass merchandising customers. This move undoubtedly paid off as it helped enhance the company’s business revenue growth and reduced its costs structure.
For more information on his career highlights, follow David Bergen on Twitter.
