Google and Levi's Collaborate on AI-Powered Retail Assistant
In a significant move to enhance in-store customer experiences, Google has reportedly assisted Levi Strauss & Co. in developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool specifically designed for store associates. This innovative initiative, known as STITCH, originated from an employee's proposal during an internal hackathon at the denim company, highlighting a grassroots approach to technological adoption.
How STITCH Transforms Retail Operations
The AI system, built with support from Google Cloud and leveraging Gemini's large language models, enables retail staff to ask natural-language questions about Levi's products, store procedures, and order processing. According to a Fortune report, store associates can use STITCH to quickly retrieve information, such as:
- Differences between popular denim styles like the 501 and 505 jeans.
- Guidance on processing returns without a receipt.
- Instructions for completing online orders that are fulfilled in stores.
This tool consolidates data from multiple company resources, allowing employees to access it via tablets or smartphones, thereby improving efficiency and knowledge during customer interactions.
Pilot Success and Expansion Plans
The project transitioned from concept to a limited pilot in late 2025, initially launched in 10 stores under the leadership of Levi's Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Jason Gowans. Following positive feedback, STITCH has been expanded to over 70 Levi's stores across the United States. Stores utilizing the AI tool have reported an eight-point improvement in customer satisfaction compared to non-using locations.
Gowans emphasized the value of this initiative, stating, "That gives us some intuition that there’s real value here, and the stylists do seem to be showing up as more knowledgeable and more confident." Levi's plans to further expand STITCH to additional stores, introduce more features, and add language support beyond English.
Broader AI Integration at Levi's
Beyond STITCH, Levi's is implementing AI tools across various business segments to drive innovation and efficiency. The company is utilizing AI in:
- Product design to create more appealing and functional denim items.
- Demand forecasting to optimize inventory management and reduce waste.
- Price optimisation to determine strategic pricing for merchandise.
Additionally, Levi's has made Microsoft Copilot widely available internally, with employees already developing over 800 AI agents for diverse use cases. Gowans noted that the company fosters a culture of technological exploration from within, rather than imposing top-down mandates, as exemplified by the STITCH project developed in partnership with Google Cloud.
This collaboration underscores a growing trend in the retail sector, where AI is being harnessed to empower employees and enhance customer engagement, setting a precedent for future innovations in the industry.
