Levi's plans supermarket sales

After A lengthy legal battle to keep its designer goods off the supermarket shelves, the jeans maker Levi Strauss has announced plans to break into the mass market.

In an apparent volte face, the company said yesterday it was talking to outlets about selling a new Signature range of adult clothing, including jeans for about £25 a pair, at least £20 cheaper than its 501 range. Levi Strauss will extend the range to France, Germany and Britain from early next year to tap into the growing demand for good-quality discount clothing that has been led by supermarkets. Potential partners include Asda and Tesco, which in November 2001 lost a battle against the jeans manufacturer.

The European Court of Justice ordered Tesco to stop selling 501s, which were retailing for about £30. The judges said the EU Trademark Directive gave the brand owner the power of veto over sales of goods sourced outside Europe.

Several British supermarkets, including Asda and Safeway, defied brand owners by stocking designer goods.

Tesco said it had had preliminary talks with its former adversary on stocking the range. Asda, whose parent company Wal-Mart will sell Signature clothes in its US stores from this summer, is also understood to have held early talks. A Levi Strauss spokesman said: "We are talking to high-volume, low-price outlets, including supermarkets."