What happened
Levi Strauss & Co. launched STITCH, an AI tool for store associates, developed with Google Cloud and based on Gemini's large language models. The system, originating from an employee hackathon, helps retail staff answer customer questions and access product or operational information via tablets or smartphones. After a late 2025 pilot in 10 stores, STITCH expanded to over 70 US locations. Levi's also applies AI in product design, demand forecasting, and price optimisation, alongside deploying Microsoft Copilot for over 800 internal AI agents.
Why it matters
The STITCH deployment demonstrates how AI can directly enhance front-line retail operations, improving customer experience and employee confidence. Stores utilising STITCH reported an eight-point increase in customer satisfaction, driven by associates' immediate access to comprehensive product and procedural knowledge. This mechanism reduces reliance on memorisation, allowing staff to focus on customer interaction. For retail operations teams and customer experience leads, this signals a clear metric for AI's impact on service quality.
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