Target, Levi’s Expand Partnership as Big-box Retailer Further Cements Status as Fashion Destination
Target and Levi’s partnership is getting more serious.
The big-box retailer and the San Francisco-based denim company are expanding the distribution of Red Tab products from roughly 500 Target stores to about 800 this spring.
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“Strategic partnerships like Levi’s continue to drive preference for Target,” said Jill Sando, the retailer’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, adding that the company has “established Target as a go-to place for denim.”
“With more must-have, quality styles available in more stores across the country in 2022, we’re thrilled to offer a dose of inspiration and joy through our growing Levi’s assortment at an incredible value,” she said.
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Target has a history of distributing Levi’s products, one that dates back more than a decade. But the retailer first began selling Levi’s Red Tab products — some of the brand’s most premium products — in 2019 in just 50 stores. The number grew to roughly 500 one year later. Since then, Target has sold millions of pairs of Levi’s jeans across all price points.
The strategy included the Levi x Target limited-edition collection of home goods in early 2021, part of Target’s annual design program, which celebrated its 20-year run last year.
This spring, in addition to adding more points of distribution, Target will increase the breadth of its assortment, now offering more than 180 pieces, spanning both men’s and women’s denim styles. Product offerings will vary by store, but the entire collection (which is available at target.com) includes tops, dresses, jeans and jackets.
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“Levi’s remains a leader in denim and casual lifestyle apparel because of our ability to create deep connections with consumers and a frictionless shopping experience that fits with their everyday lives,” said Seth Ellison, executive vice president, chief commercial officer and interim Levi’s brand president. “Through our evolving partnership with Target, we’re bringing more consumers closer to the Levi’s brand they love.”
But the union is benefiting both parties. It allows Levi’s to expand its distribution, reaching more shoppers in the process, while Target further stakes its claim in the fashion world.
Target has been making significant strides in recent years, going head-to-head with other mass retailers — such as Walmart and Amazon — in an attempt to elevate its style status and become more of a fashion destination. Brands that once competed for shelf space in department stores to help them scale are now vying for a spot in Target’s ecosystem.
Target’s current assortment of private-label brands includes travel accessories brand Stoney Clover Lane, lingerie label Journelle, period-panties brand Thinx, Priyanka Chopra’s hair care brand Anomaly and home goods brand Opalhouse, which was codesigned with Jungalow brand founder and designer Justina Blakeney. That’s in addition to a number of Target-owned apparel brands, roughly a dozen of which are billion-dollar brands, including activewear brand All In Motion.
There are also Ulta Beauty, Disney and Apple shops-in-shop in select Target locations.
Last spring, Target tapped Christopher John Rogers, Alexis and Rixo for its 2021 Designer Dress Collection. The retailer’s past designer partnerships have included Zac Posen, Anna Sui, Rodarte, Missoni, Phillip Lim, Jason Wu and Lilly Pulitzer, among others.
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