How Levi Strauss & Co. is using lasers to make jeans

Automation touches many consumer products — the cars we drive, the sneakers we put on and now the jeans we wear. 

Levi Strauss & Co. is planning to swap out garment workers for laser machines that could create the worn look on a pair of jeans in less than two minutes.

Suzanne Kapner, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal, wrote about Levi’s latest innovation.

In an interview with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal, Kapner explained why Levi’s wants to reduce its production time: “A lot of companies are working on improving its supply chains with the end result being — they don’t want markdowns at the end of the season.”

Click the audio player above to hear the full interview.