Levi's 7th year of declining sales

[mbperrin]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/02/BUG275BONJ1.DTL#sections

Levi Strauss & Co. on Monday reported its seventh straight annual sales decline and a fourth-quarter net loss of $245 million, reflecting struggles by the San Francisco jeansmaker with basic tasks ranging from fashion choices to tax accounting.

Levi's also restated its income from the first quarter of 2001 through the second quarter of 2003, reducing previously reported profit by $137 million as a result of tax errors announced in October.

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Man, this recovery is great!

[Mountainman]

1. Well from where I come from cowboys wear Wranglers

I've even seen some horse riding books that tell folks that most riders wear Wranglers.

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. I Hate New Levi's

Ever since they offshored their production and cut traditions such as metal rivets out of their jeans, I've stopped buying them. They seem to be floundering without direction. The clothes/pants are butt ugly and their commercials are moronic. The only Levi's I buy these days are vintage pairs, made in the USA and with metal rivets. Screw their new clothes - they suck ass.

[lovedems]

3. Levi's is a classic example of what happens

when profit means more than the quality of the product produced. Years ago I used to buy my boys levi's because they would last. I have 4 boys so I could count on the jeans lasting and they could be handed down to their younger brothers. Not anymore. They are junk. They are quick to get holes in the knees and they get holes around the back pockets quickly too. We haven't bought a pair of levi's for a couple of years now because they are crappy jeans.

[proud patriot]

4. I'm glad Levi's moving all their jobs overseas didn't help them

as I refuse to buy Levi's made outside the U.S.

Come on home Levi's , make a big deal out of
moving all your jobs back home . Patriots everywhere
will flock to buy your Jeans ...I promise .

I know I will , I love your jeans and have been
bummed that I can't have them anymore .

[NashVegas]

5. Dupe

Original thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=394184

[Another Bill C.]

6. Levi's courted a fickle customer base

when they became fashionable. I wore Levi's back in the '50s and early '60s. Then they came into style and their prices started taking off. I switched to Wranglers then and still buy them or Route 66 on sale at K-mart.

I stay away from those Junior high-school types who are concerned about what I wear.

[ScotTissue]

7. Levis has faced tough competition

I remember wearing Levis in the 80s when I was living overseas. Back then, you couldn't get a pair of denim jeans made overseas that was decent. Very poor quality, very unfashionable. That's all changed now: Levi's for years has faced high competition from both domestic and foreign challengers. It is no wonder their sales have declined. it's also no wonder that they have made tortuously bad business decisions (dropping the original look, moving plants) in order to chase an elusive and vanishing market share. You would do the same.