Aiming to expand business, Levi Strauss & Co. rolled out a new brand Wednesday to win over a broader range of China's consumers.

The new Levi's brand, called Denizen (a play on the words 'denim' and 'zen'), was--prior to the launch--reported by trade publications to be specifically designed for Chinese body types, typically narrower and shorter than their Western counterparts. Not just made in China, they said, but made for China. It turns out, however, that's not the case. Denizen is a global brand for men and women, and its tailoring--still equipped for all those global curves and tall statures--remains unchanged.

What's different is the price. A new pair of Denizen jeans sells for $40 to $60 in China, well below the more than $100 the San Francisco-based company charges for its high-end denim lines, which have stone-washed or color finishes that warrant the higher prices. The cheaper price tag on the no-frills Denizen shirts, jeans and accessories is an attempt to make Levi's more affordable for China's budget-conscious consumers, namely the 18- to 28-year-old target audience. It is also the iconic denim company's tactic to expand its clothing beyond China's biggest and most affluent cities.

Shoppers in Shanghai and its neighboring provinces, where college students and recent graduates are abundant, will get the first introduction to Denizen. Then, depending on the demand for the new brand, Levi's will deploy the line into northern cities, including Beijing, and inland. The company, which operates more than 500 retail stores in China, declined to disclosespecific details of its expansion plans.

The brand's lower cost is designed to lure new shoppers into Levi's stores, offering clothes they can afford and introducing them to products they may aspire to buy when their wallets are fuller. 'It's a hugely significant market opportunity,' says Terence Tsang, senior vice president of the Denizen brand for Levi Strauss. 'We're right between the premium and the masses.'

Although Levi's isn't offering Chinese consumers clothing that is made just for them, it did debut Denizen in Shanghai. This was a first-ever product launch outside the U.S. for the 137-year-old clothing maker and one that Levi's hopes will earn street credibility with Chinese consumers, signaling to them their importance to the company.

Amid all the competition to win the pocketbooks of China's middle class, shoppers here just want to feel special, said Yuval Atsmon, an associateprincipal at consultancy McKinsey & Co. in Shanghai. To do that, Atsom said, some companies, such as Levi's, are giving China the first look at their new products.

Asked why Levi's didn't design its new clothing line for Chinese bodies, Tsang said: 'Levi's is the biggest jeans company in the world and is designed for the world.'

Laurie Burkitt

• wednesday [´wenzdi] n.星期三 (初中英语单词)
• western [´westən] a.西的；西方的 (初中英语单词)
• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)
• neighboring [´neibəriŋ] a.邻近的；接壤的 (初中英语单词)
• abundant [ə´bʌndənt] a.丰富的；充分的 (初中英语单词)
• introduction [,intrə´dʌkʃən] n.介绍；引言；引导 (初中英语单词)
• competition [,kɔmpi´tiʃən] n.比赛；竞争 (初中英语单词)
• associate [ə´səuʃieit] v.联合a.同伴的n.伙伴 (初中英语单词)
• principal [´prinsəpəl] a.主要的 n.负责人 (初中英语单词)
• expand [ik´spænd] vt.张开；膨胀；扩大 (高中英语单词)
• namely [´neimli] ad.即，也就是 (高中英语单词)
• inland [´inlənd, in´lænd] a.&n.内地的 ad.在内地 (高中英语单词)
• disclose [dis´kləuz] vt.揭露；透露；泄露 (高中英语单词)
• specific [spi´sifik] a.具体的；特有的 (高中英语单词)
• expansion [ik´spænʃən] n.扩大；膨胀；发展 (高中英语单词)
• offering [´ɔfəriŋ] n.提供；礼物；捐献 (高中英语单词)
• significant [sig´nifikənt] a.重要的；意义重大的 (高中英语单词)
• senior [´si:niə] a.年长的 n.前辈 (高中英语单词)
• launch [lɔ:ntʃ] vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇 (高中英语单词)
• warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (英语四级单词)
• retail [´ri:teil, ri´teil] n.&a.&v.零售(商品的) (英语四级单词)
• aspire [ə´spaiə] vi.立志要；升高；热望 (英语四级单词)
• premium [´pri:miəm] n.奖励；奖金；保险费 (英语四级单词)