3.4 revise the report

The global fashion industry is currently a multi-billion dollar industry that comprises activities related to designing, producing, marketing and selling fashion products such as clothing, footwear and accessories. Additionally, the global fashion industry is one of the largest industries in the modern era from the perspective of revenue, reach, functionalities and scope (Okonkwo, 2016). In this regard, this report will evaluate the design, production and distribution process of denim jeans of Levi's. The organisation was founded in the year 1853 in California by Levi Strauss. Levi's is accredited with the invention of jeans in the 1870s that are worn today and inspired many other organisations to produce this clothing product (Purnell, 2022). Levi's jeans are durable, stylish and comfortable. Levi's offers a wide variety of styles, fits and colours in its jeans. Additionally, the organisation recently introduced its Water<Less® jeans that, use lesser Water in the manufacturing process; thus, they are environmentally friendly (Samanta, Basak and Chattopadhyay, 2017). Overall, it can be stated that jeans of Levi's have not only inspired the development of other jeans in the past, but they are holding the market due to their attractive features. Concerning this context, this report has evaluated the buying cycle for denim jeans of Levi's in detail and with the subject matter. To attain this aim, the report has described the denim jeans of Levi's individually using varied stages of the buying cycle.

Figure 1 reflects the buying cycle that will be used as the tool for evaluating denim jeans of Levi's in this report.

Product: What is the product and what is its sales

Launch

Strategy: Current Trends and Future directions

Design Development

Range Build: Selection of suppliers

Selection

Order Placement

Critical Path Management

Production

Delivery

(Source: Self-Made)

One of the key trends noted in the relationship with denim jeans is the inclination of customers and organisations towards sustainable denim. In alignment with his trend, organisations are using organic denim fabrics and recyclable products to develop their jeans. Additionally, organisations like Levi's have invested efforts in reducing the volume of Water and chemicals used for the production of denim jeans. Denim jeans of Levi's are developed with responsible manufacturing practices such as using renewable energy, reducing waste and use of recyclable materials (De Lucia et al., 2022). These sustainable practices helped Levi's in becoming more popular in the present era and in gaining competitive advantages over other organisations. Moreover, these practices reflected that the organisation is working in alignment with current trends. Furthermore, Figure 2 reflects that the value of denim jeans markets is expected to increase between the years 2022 and 2030. This increasing value reflects that the market of denim jeans will continue to grow, and this trend of growth will benefit Levi's with regard to selling its denim jeans.

(Source: Smith, 2023)

In the modern era, customers prefer more sustainable products; denim jeans markets are also influenced by these preferences. In other words, customers prefer to purchase sustainably and ethically produced denim jeans. In alignment with these preferences, multiple organisations have adopted environment-friendly production processes and started the use of recyclable materials (Annapoorani, 2017). Concerning this context, Levi's has introduced a wide variety of sustainable jeans in multiple collections, such as Levi's Water<Less® collection and Levi's Cottonized Hemp collection (Samanta, Basak and Chattopadhyay, 2017) (Figure 3). These collections are examples of the sustainable practices of Levi's related to the denim jeans production process. Additionally, Levi's has launched Levi's SecondHand, which offers gently worn and pre-owned denim jeans through its website.

(Source: Samanta, Basak and Chattopadhyay, 2017)

Strong players such as Prada, Gucci, Wrangler and Lee are close competitors for Levi's, as their denim jeans are also of high quality and are preferred by their loyal customers. Wrangler and Lee are affordable brands that offer denim jeans, whereas Prada and Gucci offer premium quality products at high-end prices (Brooks, 2019). Concerning the competition between Levi's and its close competitors, Figure 4 presents a perceptual map. This map reflects that Wrangler, Lee cooper, and Levi's are providing high-quality products at relatively lower prices than that Prada and Gucci for denim jeans.

(Source: Self-Made)

Comparatively analysis between the denim jeans of Levi's, Prada, Gucci, Wrangler and Lee is presented in the following table: [table should be on 1 page, not split over 2 pages]

Table 1: Comparative Analysis between Denim Jeans of International Brands

(Source: Self-Illustration)

As it is depicted in the table above, different brands tend to have different prices for similar products. For instance, it has been noted that the jeans of Levi's Wrangler and Lee are comparatively similar; however, the cost for denim jeans by Prada and Gucci is more than 10 times that of the other three brands. This reflects that, on the one hand, Levi's, Wrangler and Lee cater for the needs of middle-income customers, whereas denim jeans of Prada and Gucci have premium prices that would cater for the needs of high-end customers. However, it is to be noted that all the evaluated organisations use cotton for developing their denim jeans. Nevertheless, it is the only commonality between the organisations as three of them focus on middle-income customer groups, while two focus on high-end customers, which is evident from the prices of organisational products depicted in the table.

Denim jeans from Levi's has high value for the organisation as it has a loyal customer base that appreciates the quality of the product and heritage of the brand by purchasing denim jeans from Levi's at all time. Additionally, being fashionable and durable are the two key traits of denim jeans of Levi's that have helped the product to create optimum value for the brand (Radhakrishnan, 2017). It is to be noted that denim jeans Levi's are not particularly rare, as denim jeans are widely available around the world by organisations of different sizes and from different regions. However, Levi's is renowned for the quality, style quotient and durability of its jeans, which can be replicated easily. Similarly, it has been noted that the basic design of denim jeans Levi's is easy to imitate. Nevertheless, there are design elements that make denim jeans of Levi's unique and set them apart from other denim jeans available in the market (Costello and Reddy, 2020). For example, Levi's has trademarked its red tab and arcuate stitching designs. These two trademarked designs not only make it difficult to imitate denim jeans of Levi's but also ensure organisational denim jeans are high quality and stylish. In other words, Levi's has few trademark designs that provide it will a competitive advantage over its competitors. Furthermore, it has been noted that Levi's has a well-established organisational structure and adequate supply chain that allows the organisation to efficiently produce and distribute its denim jeans. Due to being organised in an efficient manner, the denim jeans of Levi's have not only contributed to the development of a strong brand identity by also helped it maintain its market leader position for denim jeans.

The following table has presented the VRIO analysis of the features of denim jeans of Levi's discussed above: [table should be on 1 page, not split over 2 pages]

Table 2: VRIO analysis

(Source: Self-Illustrated)

This table reflects that Levi's has a competitive advantage over its competitors due to the features of its denim jeans.

The website of Levi's directs customers and audiences to product-specific web pages so that they can find what they are looking for in an easy manner. Distribution and direction in accordance with the product category help individuals in finding and purchasing specific products rather than getting confused and disoriented by the inefficient presentation of information. Appendix 1 reflects the product distribution on the official website of Levi's. Additionally, the checkout page of Levi's website is informative as it is easy to use regarding the checkout process and eases the processes of entering necessary information about the customers so that the product can be delivered to them in an efficient and timely manner.

Levi's is a highly active brand on social media platforms as the organisation uses social media platforms for interacting and engaging with its existing and potential. Additionally, the content posted by Levi's on its social media pages seems to be directed towards attracting customers, specifically from the young generation, to be educated by the designers and product posts posted on the social media platforms. Concerning this context, Appendix 2 reflects the Instagram page of the Levi's and Appendix 3 reflects the Facebook page of Levi. As evident from the first look at these pages, it is evident that the organisation has a notable following on social media platforms and is highly active in enhancing engagement with its desired customer segments.

The key features of the customer profile for denim jeans of Levi's are as follows:

· Levi's targets mid-income families and individuals that desire to wear denim jeans that are cost-effective, durable, comfortable and stylish (Moraes and Strehlau, 2020).

· Levi's evaluates the latest market trend and changes brought by the same needs and expectations of its targeted customer base

· Levi's provides durable and sustainable products; thus, the organisation with targeted individuals seeking these features in denim jeans they are going to buy (De Lucia et al., 2022).

· Being a global organisation, customers of Levi's are present around the world.

The following matrix reflects a self-illustrated SWOT analysis of denim jeans of Levi's on the basis of the evaluation presented in the preceding sections:

Table 3: SWOT Analysis

(Source: Self-Illustrated)

Boston Matrix, also known as Growth-Share Matrix, is a strategic management tool which is used for analysing the organisational portfolio of products on the basis of their market shares and growth potentials. This matrix divides the organisational products into four categories, which are stars, cash cows, question marks and dogs (Udo-Imeh, Edet and Anani, 2012). Concerning the denim jeans of Levi's following Figure 5 which products are considered under which categories.

(Source: Self-Illustrated)

· Stars are the products that have the highest market share and high growth potential due to their popularity among customers (Knopf, 2017). The star for Levi's is 501 jeans.

· Cash cows are the ones that tend to have a high market share but low growth potential (Knopf, 2017). For Levi's, its classic 505 denim jeans can be considered the cash cow. The core reason for the same is that 505 jeans are sold due to their similarity with 501 jeans; however, with the introduction of sustainable materials and increasing popularity of 501 jeans and their sustainable design.

· Question marks are the products that have low market share and high growth potential (Torquanti et al., 2018). Levi's 701 super skinny denim jeans are the question markets for the organisation. These jeans tend to have only some loyal customers. However, there is ample scope for growth in this product category due to its loyal customer base.

· Lastly, dogs are the product units that tend to have a low market share and low growth potential (Torquanti et al., 2018). Wedgie Straight Jeans are the dogs for Levi's as the product as they are similar to 501 in looks but not in performance and materials. Due to this reason, this product neither has a sustainable market share nor there is any scope for growth in future.

The design team of Levi's consistently researches for latest trends in fashion so that they can modify organisational denim jeans in accordance with them. This research is concerned with the evaluation of vintage denim garments and customer feedback on sold products. Additionally, on the basis of the outcomes of the research, the design team creates sketches and concepts for styling denim jeans. These sketches and concepts are reviewed and refined with the help of other designers, product developers and merchandisers (Surchi, 2011). The design development process of denim jeans Levi's also comprises fabric selection from traditional indigo denim, raw denim and stretch denim. Along with fabric selection, the team also creates patterns that would fit different sorts of body types of the targeted. After all these processes are completed, prototype jeans are developed and tested before getting to the production process. These prototypes are tested for fit, comfort and durability so that desired, and necessary revisions can be made before they are mass-produced (Annapoorani, 2017). Overall, it can be stated that denim jeans of Levi's go through an efficient design development process to ensure it is fit, durable and of high quality.

Concept Development is the first step of the range-building process for Levi's denim jeans. In this step, concerning team brainstorm ideas with consideration of current trends, market research outcomes, consumer preferences and existing product features. These ideas help the organisation identify the range of prices that can be set for denim jeans by Levi's (Slade-Brooking, 2016). On the basis of this information range framework is created that has information about different denim jeans of Levi's. An example of details of the range planning document (which is self-illustrated) on the basis of an organisational e-commerce page for denim jeans has been presented below.

Table 4: Range Building for Denim Jeans of Levi's

(Source: Self-Illustrated)

Additionally, Levi's employs a robust and efficient pricing architecture strategy for its denim jeans that is considerate of varied price-based factors such as style, material and target market. Levi's offers different denim jeans collections with different price points, including premium-priced products, mainstream products and value lines-based products. The premium line comprises high-end denim products with expensive materials and unique designs. Additionally, it has been noted that the mainstream line includes classic and basic styles with a mid-range price point. It is worth noting that mainstream products are the ones on the basis of which Levi's brand value was created, and it became one of the pioneers in denim jeans production. Lastly, the value line products of Levi's comprises affordable denim options (Jegethesan, Sneddon and Soutar, 2012). Moreover, it has been noted that Levi's psychological pricing tactics, such as setting the prices ending with cents at the end instead of rounding up to the nearest dollar amount. This strategy is used to create the perception of the lower price of offered products (Armstrong, 2010). Overall, it can be stated pricing architecture practices of Levi's for range building is focused on catering for the needs of the wide range of customers' varying budgets and preferences, along with psychological tactics to optimise revenue and sales of its denim jeans.

The selection process in the buying cycle for denim jeans Levi's is influenced by a wide variety of aspects that vary in alignment with the needs, preferences and expectations of their targeted customer segments. The key steps of the concerning selection process are as follows:

· Identifying the needs of the customers: The selection process of buying denim jeans concerns the emergence of a need to wear jeans. The need is driven by body' type, clothing preferences and the latest designs (Rahman, Jiang and Liu, 2010).

· Conducting in-depth research for influencing customer buying behaviour: The organisation should be focused on conducting in-depth market research so that they can modify and alter the denim jeans in accordance with the need and expectations of the customers.

· Consider all the internal and external factors: Levi's evaluates multiple internal and external factors with regard to designing and producing denim jeans so that the end product is aligned with the latest trends and customer preferences.

[the author could have related catwalk trend to Levi’s strategy - informing us of how influential catwalks are to Levi and why they have come to this conclusion]

Overall, it can be stated that the selection process for buying Levi's denim jeans concerns with varied processes listed above that directly or indirectly influences customers to make a purchase of the stated product. The following table reflects the denim products that can be chosen by customers on the basis of information provided on the e-commerce platform Levi's.

Table 5: Options to Select

(Source: Self-illustrated)

When placing an order for denim jeans from Levi's, there are several aspects to consider to ensure a smooth and successful transaction. Details of these aspects are as follows:

· Before placing any order, customers are required to select the desired product, style, size and colour of denim jeans from the wide variety offered by Levi's. The customers should also select the order quantity that they desire to order.

· Customers need to provide accurate shipping information, including the address to which the product should be sent and provide if any special instructions for delivery are to be provided. After entering addresses, the customers are required to select a payment mode and facilitate necessary information about the same.

· Once an order is confirmed, the customer would get a mail from Levi's about confirming their order and detailing other aspects such as product details, quantity, price and estimated delivery date. In this mail, the customer would also receive tracking information that will provide the customer with assurance about timely delivery.

· If the customer desire to return the delivered practice, they need to abide by the returning policy of Levi's.

The depiction of the invoice that the customers receive about ordering online is as follows:

Table 6: Order placement

(Source: Self Illustrated)

In the views of Hwang and Ng (2013), critical path management can be described as the project management technique that concerns the identification of the sequence of tasks that are critical for the competition of a placed order. Concerning the denim jeans of Levi's, critical path management can be used to ensure that production and delivery of the jeans are completed in a specific timeframe. The key steps of critical path management step for Levi's denim jeans are as follows:

· Designing and development stage of the jeans from which the concept and design of denim jeans are created. This stage concerns creating sketches, choosing materials and deciding on the manufacturing process. Once the design is finalised, the sample is created of denim jeans, as detailed above, will be for review and approval (Gwilt, 2020).

· The production planning stage involves determining the number of denim jeans to be produced, selecting suppliers for materials and developing the production schedule. After this manufacturing stage comes, which is concerned with the actual production of the denim jeans, with cutting clothing materials, cut-off sewing clothes, washing and finishing the end products (Gwilt, 2020).

· Once the denim jeans are produced, they are shipped and delivered to the retail stores or the end customers. This requires coordinating with the shipping organisation so that it can be ensured that denim jeans are delivered on time and in good condition.

The table for the critical path for order placement example provided above is presented in the following table:

[the author could have given examples of what could happen in CP process which would need risk management]

1 | Page

Table 7: Critical Path for Levi's Denim

(Source: Self-illustrated)

The production process of Levi's jeans comprises several stages that are detailed as follows:

· The designing stage concerns the process through which the design team of Levi's comes up with new designs and styles for denim jeans.

· The fabric sourcing stage concerns the sourcing of materials around the world. Almost 91 per cent of Levi's products are cotton-based; thus, the organisation focuses on sourcing cotton in a sustainable manner. Levi's does not grow cotton, but the organisation is highly concerned with the way in which cotton is grown because of the high dependence of Levi's on cotton (Levi Strauss & Co., 2023). [what could they do in their strategy towards sustainable cotton sourcing?]

· After sourcing the fabric, denim is cut into patterns determined by the design teams into different sizes and styles of jeans. Those pieces are sewn together by skilled workers using specialised sewing machines. Each pair of jeans is inspected for quality and Fit by a dedicated team, and if needed, necessary adjustments are made to the final products.

· The produced and altered denim jeans of Levi's are washed and finished to provide them with the desired look and feel. Levi's uses stone washing, sanding and distressing processes to attain desired results.

It is reflected that the production process for denim jeans Levi's is a simple process, starting from the procurement of cotton to complete production along with ensuring high quality. Additionally, it has been noted that Levi's started selling denim jeans in 1873 after getting the patent for the same. Originally, denim jeans were known as waist overall and were sold for 3 dollars, and it has increased to 58 dollars by 2018. Figure 6 reflects the first sketch design for the production of the very first denim jeans. Additionally, it was noted that original denim jeans had buttons for suspenders and button fly, which was not new 1870s; however, in the year 1954, they were introduced zipper in denim. Multiple modifications were made in this initial design, such as pocketing of the denim, the introduction of getting loopy, arcuate stitching, and making the design look more casual (Snibbe, 2018). Overall, it can be stated that the production process of denim jeans has changed with regard to design and incurred costs.

(Source: Snibbe, 2018)

This stage in the buying cycle is delivery, which concerns transferring stocks by air, Water or road. Even though the delivery process for Levi's jeans is subject to the specific retailing or shipping method chosen by specific entities; however, there are a few key steps in this stage. First of all, whenever a customer purchases Levi's denim jeans from online platforms or from retailing store, the order is processed so that the denim can be picked from inventory and packed in a suitable shipping bag. After this, a shipping label is created with the shipping address and other relative information about the customer. After this, a carrier picks up the product and indulges in the process of putting the product in transit. Then the package is sorted and processed at the local carrier's facility to determine the best delivery route and time. Finally, the product is delivered to the concerned customer at or before the determined due date. Figure 7 reflects the image of a warehouse for Levi's denim jeans warehouse, from where the products are picked up.

(Source: Hine, 2017)

The final step of the buying cycle is a launch that concerns the after-sales processes after the products are purchased by the final customers. For instance, the product denim jeans of Levi's are available in both offline and online stores; however, the way in which the final product is perceived by or delivered to the end customers is different. Nevertheless, the consumption patterns stay the same as customer purchase denim jeans to wear, irrespective of purchase from an online or offline store. Concerning this context, it can be stated that the way in which products are perceived by end-customers reflects the changes that Levi's is required to introduce in its denim jeans on the basis of the feedback provided by the customers on their last purchase along with the changes noted in the fashion industry and fashion trends. Gathering feedback from the customers is the main concern of this step of the buying cycle as it reinstates the cycle and influences the design development process by inducing changes in alignment with the dynamic needs and expectations of the organisational customers (Charter and Tischner, 2017). Net sales of Levi's at the global level have been presented in Figure 8. This figure reflects that the net sales decreased in 2020 but recovered in 2021 and increased in 2022 (Smith, 2023). Overall, it can be stated that the launch process for denim jeans Levi's will reinstate the buying cycle so that the products can be modified and altered as required to generate optimum results.

(Source: Smith, 2023)

On the basis of evaluated above, Levi's can adopt the following recommendations for selling more denim jeans:

· Denim jeans levi's have broad appeal; however, different styles and fits in alignment with the needs of different customers with different demographical traits. In this regard, it is important that the organisation conducts research about the needs and expectations of its customers so that the product design process and following steps in the buying cycle are carried out in an efficient manner (Periyasamy and Militky, 2017). Levi's can increase styles, washes and sizes of its denim jeans in alignment with the identified needs and expectations so that it can cater to the needs of a wider variety of customers. [like what? Give examples of what is right for their customer profile]

· As deduced above, the denim jeans of Levi's are known for their durability and authenticity. Concerning this context, Levi's can seek to make its denim jeans more sustainable and durable so that it can gain competitive advantages and become a primary preference for the targeted customers. In this regard, it is suggested that the organisation should source its raw materials from reputable and sustainable suppliers so that the denim jeans of Levi's can get higher quality and become more durable. [give examples of reputable source of sustainable fibres]

· It is also suggested that Levi's should enhance its customer service so that the organisation can enjoy the benefits of higher customer loyalty and generate repetitive business. In this regard, Turker and Altuntas (2014) recommended that organisations working in the fashion industry should respond promptly to all customer enquiries and concerns so that the organisation can gain the reputation of being customer-centric and focused on providing greater customer satisfaction.

Overall, it can be stated from the evaluation of the information presented above related to the buying cycle of denim jeans of Levi's that the production, distribution and modification concerning jeans is cyclic as by going through this process, denim jeans Levi's has been altered since its inception. With multiple alterations, denim jeans Levi's have become the key product of the organisation and contributed notably to its success of the organisation. Additionally, it has been identified above that Levi's invested ample efforts in ensuring its denim jeans are manufactured with high quality and durability, along with ensuring the use of sustainable material for production. Moreover, it has been deduced above that the denim jeans of Levi's had inspired others organisations to imitate the design; however, few aspects of the designs are trademarked by the organisation. These aspects provide the organisations with a competitive advantage over other organisations. [relate conclusion to the buying cycle]

The development of this report helped me a lot in understanding the buying process related to a specific product which was denim jeans of Levi's. For the purpose of developing this reporting, firstly, I gained an understanding of the concept of the buying cycle and then engaged in the process of sourcing information related to the individual aspects of the evaluated buying cycle. Developing this report helped me understand the reason why Levi's is considered one of the key pioneers of denim jeans and how it introduced denim in the markets. I also deduced that Levi's deals in multiple segments of jeans, which means it offers different denim jeans products to different customer segments. Moreover, it was noted that the organisations that compete with Levi's in medium-range products are Wrangler and Lee. On the other hand, Prada and Gucci are the organisations that are competing with Levi's in the high-end premium market of denim jeans. Overall, it can be stated that I deduced and detailed in this report that Levi's offers denim jeans in middle-income and premium price ranges. On the basis of this evaluation, I conducted a SWOT analysis. Furthermore, I gained an understanding of four different sorts of denim jeans offered by Levi's with the help of Boston Matrix.

Development of this report helped me in developing an informative understanding of the different steps of buying cycle with the help of examples of denim jeans offered by Levi's in every individual step. Additionally, I gained the understanding that the organisation invests efforts in designing and production of the denim jeans in such as way that every product is tested and repaired (if needed) before it is sent to the retail stores or the end customers. I also developed tables related to range building, selection, and order placement with the help of practical examples of denim jeans. For instance, I detailed the first sketch made by Levi's, along with the changes it introduced in the design over the years. Furthermore, it detailed the production, delivering and launching practices for Levi's for denim jeans with the help of information sourced from secondary sources. On the basis of the overall evaluation, I listed some recommendations that can be adopted by Levi's to further improve its production, design and marketing practices for denim jeans. Overall, it was a highly educational and informative experience for me, and this experience will be used by me in a futuristic professional context.

Annapoorani, S.G. (2017) Introduction to denim. In  sustainability in denim (pp. 1-26). London: Woodhead Publishing.

Armstrong, J. (2010)  Persuasive advertising: Evidence-based principles. Berlin: Springer.

Brooks, A. (2019)  Clothing poverty: The hidden world of fast fashion and second-hand clothes. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Charter, M. and Tischner, U. (2017)  Sustainable solutions: developing products and services for the future. Abington: Routledge.

Costello, M. and Reddy, S.L. (2020) 'Sustainability efforts of denim brands Mud Jeans and Levi Strauss & Co',  Sustainability in Fashion, 1(1), pp. 1-4.

De Lucia, R., Iavazzi, A., Combatti, I. and Quarcoo, B. (2022) Circular Economy at the Core of Levi's & Co.'s Success: The Circular Business of Denim. In  Cases on Circular Economy in Practice (pp. 95-115). London: IGI Global.

Gwilt, A. (2020)  A practical guide to sustainable fashion. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

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