As Kontoor Brands sheds its Lee business, the Greensboro, N.C.-based company is sharpening its focus on Wrangler. Wrangler's global revenue increased approximately 3 percent on a reported basis during the first half of 2026. Growth was largely driven by new opportunities in the women's category, direct-to-consumer, and non-denim categories.
However, the heritage denim brand is not losing sight of its cowboy identity. Shuffle Board: Target Taps First AI Chief, Kontoor Elevates CFO Wrangler Combines Grit and Glam in New Lainey Wilson Collection Kontoor Brands Boosts 2026 Outlook on Wrangler, Helly Hansen Strength In Q2 2026, as measured by Circana, Wrangler drove over 100 basis points of share gains in the core bottoms business. Its Western business posted low-double-digit revenue growth in the first half and product highlights from the quarter included the launch of Toughlite Cowboy Cut jeans engineered to weigh 20 percent lighter than the traditional heavyweight denim used by the brand.
During the company' Q2 earnings call last week, Scott Baxter, Kontoor Brands chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors, described Wrangler as its "balance grower," adding that while it's crucial to accelerate growth in women's, direct-to-consumer and adjacent non-denim categories, it's imperative to "protect and drive our core male bottoms business, which is foundational to the brand and our economic engine." Going forward, he said, the company will operate its women's and men's businesses separately—not only to give the men's business the autonomy it needs, but also to sharpen its focus, investment and growth strategy for the women's category. He noted that women's accounts for 10 percent of Wrangler's revenue despite women comprising over half of the U.S. denim market. To help seize a greater share, Wrangler recently appointed a dedicated general manager for the women's business (Jamie Fason VP, general manager of Wrangler Female) and is investing in areas of product development, design, merchandising and marketing.
While Wrangler continues to gain wholesale partners—including Lowe's Home Improvement—translating the brand's heritage to company-owned physical stores is another priority. Building on the success of Wrangler's full-price store in the Stockyards of Fort Worth, Texas, Baxter said the brand is beginning to develop a focused "retail fleet in the heartland of Wrangler country." This includes two locations in Texas that Wrangler secured during the quarter. Both are slated to open in early 2027.
"We will test, learn and scale our full-price DTC opportunity as we establish a true omnichannel brand experience for the Wrangler consumer while also investing to supercharge our digital business through improved capabilities in AI, site experience and an expanded loyalty program," he said. How to Care for Your Jeans, According to Cleaning Experts Iconic 90's Denim Moments That Still Influence the Fashion World Today 5 Festival Fashion Trends That Never Go Out of Style
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