Levi Strauss & Co is redesigning its India playbook, placing greater emphasis on larger store formats, an expanded women’s wear assortment and categories beyond jeans as it seeks the next phase of growth in the country. The move signals a shift from counting outlets to increasing footprint and consumer engagement in key cities.
Strategic square footage, not just store count
Hiren Gor, Managing Director – SAMEA at Levi Strauss & Co, said the company’s expansion will prioritise increased square footage in major urban centres rather than merely adding more locations. The strategy targets metros such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, along with Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad and Chennai.
“Expansion for us goes beyond store count. We’re looking at how we can expand our square footage in key cities as part of our key city strategy,”
Levi’s recently crossed a milestone with the opening of its 500th store in India, and it is leaning on higher-capacity formats — described as ICON stores — to drive direct-to-consumer (DTC) growth. According to the company, around one-fifth of Levi’s India DTC revenue now comes from these ICON formats.
Product mix: tops, women’s wear and premiumisation
The company is responding to consumption patterns that differ from global norms. In India, tops account for over 50 per cent of Levi’s business, compared with about one-third contribution globally. Local buying tendencies show consumers purchase more tops relative to bottoms: in India shoppers buy more than one top for every bottom, while the global ratio is roughly one top for every three bottoms.
- Women’s wear is highlighted as a major growth corridor, described by the company as growing in the high double digits.
- Denim and non-denim categories are expanding in the mid-double digits.
- Red Loop, the premium casual lifestyle range, contributes about 15 per cent of Levi’s men’s business in India and is registering high double-digit growth.
The company said it views tops and non-denims as occasion-led buys that create more shopping triggers than denim alone. It is also increasing emphasis on premiumisation through its Red Loop label, which the firm plans to extend into elevated fabrics and new occasions.
Repositioning as a lifestyle brand
Crucially, Levi’s is working to broaden its identity from a jeans-first label to a denim lifestyle brand. The objective is to make apparel beyond jeans — including tops, premium casuals and women’s lines — core to its DTC expression in India.
Levi’s said its DTC-led approach allows it to bring the “best expression of the brand” directly to its channels and customers, aligning product assortments and store experiences with local tastes and urban shopping behaviour.
| Metric | India Detail |
|---|---|
| Store milestone | 500th store opened |
| ICON stores' DTC share | ~20% of DTC revenue |
| Red Loop share (men) | ~15% contribution |
The strategy underlines a broader retail trend in India where brands seek deeper engagement through larger, experiential stores and curated assortments rather than expansion by outlet count alone. For consumers, this could mean more destination stores with broader ranges and premium options; for competitors, it signals an intensifying battle for market share in women’s wear and lifestyle categories.
Levi’s emphasis on local shopping patterns — especially the higher propensity to buy tops — and on premiumisation demonstrates how global brands are tailoring offerings to India’s evolving wardrobe needs. As the company scales its ICON formats and enlarges footprint in priority cities, shoppers can expect a wider choice across denim and lifestyle categories in the coming months.
— Lifestyle Desk
