Item 1. Business.

General

Founded in 1967 by Mr. Ralph Lauren, we are a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of premium lifestyle products, including apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, fragrances and hospitality. Our long-standing reputation and distinctive image have been developed across an expanding number of products, brands, sales channels, and international markets. We believe that our global reach, breadth of product offerings, and multi-channel distribution are unique among luxury and apparel companies.

We diversify our business by geography (North America, Europe, and Asia, among other regions) and channel of distribution (retail, wholesale, and licensing). This allows us to maintain a dynamic balance as our operating results do not depend solely on the performance of any single geographic area or channel of distribution. We sell directly to consumers through our integrated retail channel, which includes our retail stores, concession-based shop-within-shops, and digital commerce operations around the world. Our wholesale sales are made principally to major department stores, specialty stores, and third-party digital partners around the world, as well as to certain third-party-owned stores to which we have licensed the right to operate in defined geographic territories using our trademarks. In addition, we license to third parties for specified periods the right to access our various trademarks in connection with the licensees' manufacture and sale of designated products, such as certain apparel, eyewear, fragrances, and home furnishings.

We organize our business into the following three reportable segments: North America, Europe, and Asia. In addition to these reportable segments, we also have other non-reportable segments. See "Our Segments" for further discussion of our segment reporting structure.

Our global reach is extensive, as we sell directly to customers throughout the world via our 548 retail stores and 650 concession-based shop-within-shops, as well as through our own digital commerce sites and those of various third-party digital partners. Merchandise is also available through our wholesale distribution channels at approximately 9,000 doors worldwide, the majority in specialty stores, as well as through the digital commerce sites of many of our wholesale customers. In addition to our directly-operated stores and shops, our international licensing partners operate 139 Ralph Lauren stores and shops, and 143 Club Monaco stores and shops. As discussed in "Recent Developments," on May 13, 2021, we announced the anticipated sale of our Club Monaco business, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

We have been controlled by the Lauren family since the founding of our Company. As of March 27, 2021, Mr. R. Lauren, or entities controlled by the Lauren family, held approximately 84% of the voting power of the Company's outstanding common stock.

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Objectives and Opportunities

We believe that our size and the global scope of our operations provide us with design, sourcing, and distribution synergies across our different businesses. Our core strengths include a portfolio of global premium lifestyle brands, a well-diversified global multi-channel distribution network, an investment philosophy supported by a strong balance sheet, and an experienced management team. Despite the various risks and uncertainties associated with the current global economic environment, as discussed further in Item 7 — "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Global Economic Conditions and Industry Trends," we believe our core strengths will allow us to execute our long-term growth strategy.

An overview of our long-term growth strategy is presented below:

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Global Citizenship and Sustainability

Global citizenship and sustainability at Ralph Lauren Corporation is rooted in the heritage of our brand and our purpose to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. We believe that delivering the next 50 years for Ralph Lauren means rethinking our impact on the environment and society and utilizing creativity, the power of design, and innovative technologies to drive meaningful change. We call our citizenship and sustainability plan "Design the Change," and through this strategy, we’re creating a more sustainable future in three key areas:

**1.**Create Timeless Style

• Responsible Design — We commit to embedding sustainability, inclusivity, intention, and celebration into the products and services we design.

• Circularity — We are committed to a comprehensive circular strategy, whereby we will inform our product development and support more circular systems in our industry by designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

• Sustainable Materials — We commit to using more materials in a way that results in positive social and environmental outcomes, protects biodiversity, advances animal welfare, and continuously improves traceability of our raw materials.

• Sustainable Spaces — We are committed to designing and building Ralph Lauren stores with materials that minimize environmental impact and maximize occupant health.

• Chemical Management — We commit to monitor and reduce hazardous chemical use and discharge and we are working to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from our product manufacturing.

**2.**Protect the Environment

• Carbon and Energy — We are committed to playing our part to address the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain and investing in credible emission removals.

• Water Stewardship — We commit to reducing water consumption across our value chain and to safeguarding and preserving water resources in our communities.

• Waste Management — We commit to integrating zero-waste principles across our business, focusing on reducing waste at its source and diverting waste from landfill through increased recycling and upcycling.

• Sustainable Packaging — We commit to our packaging material being recyclable, reusable, or sustainably sourced.

**3.**Champion Better Lives

• Diversity and Inclusion — We unite and inspire the communities within our Company, as well as those we serve, by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, equality, inclusion, and fairness for all.

• Community Engagement and Philanthropy — We commit to making a meaningful difference in our communities through our global employee volunteerism and our dedication to social and environmental causes.

• Worker Empowerment and Well-being — We are committed to conducting our global operations ethically and with respect for the dignity of all people who make our products. We aim to enrich the quality of work and life for everyone in our supply chain, ensuring they all have the opportunity to reach their full potential in a safe and inclusive environment.

Additional information relating to Design the Change can be found in our annual sustainability reports, which is available at our website at http://investor.ralphlauren.com under the caption "Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report." Our 2021 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report is expected to be published in June 2021. The content of our sustainability reports is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC.

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Recent Developments

COVID-19 Pandemic

Beginning in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020, a novel strain of coronavirus commonly referred to as COVID-19 emerged and spread rapidly across the globe, including throughout all major geographies in which we operate (North America, Europe, and Asia), resulting in adverse economic conditions and business disruptions, as well as significant volatility in global financial markets. Governments worldwide have imposed varying degrees of preventative and protective actions, such as temporary travel bans, forced business closures, and stay-at-home orders, all in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. Such factors, among others, have resulted in a significant decline in retail traffic, tourism, and consumer spending on discretionary items. Additionally, during this period of uncertainty, companies across a wide array of industries have implemented various initiatives to reduce operating expenses and preserve cash balances, including work furloughs, reduced pay, and severance actions, which could lower consumers' disposable income levels or willingness to purchase discretionary items. Further, even after such government restrictions and company initiatives are lifted, consumer behavior, spending levels, and/or shopping preferences, such as willingness to congregate in indoor shopping centers or other populated locations, could be adversely affected.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced varying degrees of business disruptions and periods of closure of our stores, distribution centers, and corporate facilities, as have our wholesale customers, licensing partners, suppliers, and vendors. During the first quarter of Fiscal 2021, the majority of our stores in key markets were closed for an average of 8 to 10 weeks due to government-mandated lockdowns and other restrictions, resulting in significant adverse impacts to our operating results. Resurgences in certain parts of the world resulted in further business disruptions periodically throughout Fiscal 2021, most notably in Europe where a significant number of our stores were closed for approximately two to three months during the second half of Fiscal 2021, including during the holiday period, due to government-mandated lockdowns and other restrictions. Such disruptions have continued into the first quarter of Fiscal 2022, impacting not only our businesses in Europe but also in other regions of the world (notably our retail operations in Japan and our sourcing operations in India). Further, the majority of our stores that are able to remain open have periodically been subject to limited operating hours and/or customer capacity levels in accordance with local health guidelines, with traffic remaining challenged. Our wholesale and licensing businesses have also been adversely affected, particularly in North America and Europe, as a result of store closures and lower traffic and consumer demand.

Throughout the pandemic, our priority has been to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, and the communities in which we operate around the world. We continue to consider the guidance of local governments and global health organizations and have implemented new health and safety protocols in our stores, distribution centers, and corporate facilities. We have also taken various preemptive actions to preserve cash and strengthen our liquidity position, including:

• amending our Global Credit Facility in May 2020 to temporarily waive our leverage ratio requirement (see Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements);

• issuing $1.250 billion of unsecured senior notes in June 2020, the proceeds of which are being used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of certain of our previously outstanding borrowings (see Note 11 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements);

• temporarily suspending our quarterly cash dividend and common stock repurchase program, effective beginning in the first quarter of Fiscal 2021 (see Note 16 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements);

• temporarily reducing the base compensation of our executives and senior management team, as well as our Board of Directors, for the first quarter of Fiscal 2021;

• furloughing or reducing work hours for a significant portion of our employees during the first half of Fiscal 2021;

• carefully managing our expense structure across all key areas of spend, including aligning inventory levels with anticipated demand, negotiating rent abatements with certain of our landlords, and postponing non-critical capital build-out and other investments and activities;

• pursuing relevant government subsidy programs related to COVID-19 business disruptions; and

• improving upon our cash conversion cycle largely driven by our accounts receivable collection efforts and extended vendor payment terms.

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Despite the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic remains highly volatile and continues to evolve. Accordingly, we cannot predict for how long and to what extent the pandemic will impact our business operations or the global economy as a whole. We will continue to assess our operations location-by-location, considering the guidance of local governments and global health organizations to determine when our operations can begin returning to normal levels of business. See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Macroeconomic Conditions — Infectious disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could have a material adverse effect on our business" for additional discussion regarding risks to our business associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiscal 2021 Strategic Realignment Plan

We have begun efforts to realign our resources to support future growth and profitability, and to create a sustainable cost structure. The key areas of our evaluation include our: (i) team organizational structures and ways of working; (ii) real estate footprint and related costs across corporate offices, distribution centers, and direct-to-consumer retail and wholesale doors; and (iii) brand portfolio.

In connection with the first initiative, on September 17, 2020, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring plan (the "Fiscal 2021 Strategic Realignment Plan") to reduce our global workforce by the end of Fiscal 2021. Additionally, during our preliminary review of our store portfolio during the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, we made the decision to close our Polo store on Regent Street in London.

On October 29, 2020, we announced the planned transition of our Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model, consistent with our long-term brand elevation strategy in connection with our third initiative (see "Transition of Chaps Brand to a Licensing Model" further below for additional discussion).

Additionally, on February 3, 2021, our Board of Directors approved additional realignment actions related to our real estate initiative. Specifically, we plan to further rightsize and consolidate our global corporate offices to better align with our current organizational profile and new ways of working. We also expect to close certain of our stores to improve overall profitability. Additionally, we plan to complete the consolidation of our existing North America distribution centers in order to drive greater efficiencies, improve sustainability, and deliver a better consumer experience.

Finally, on May 13, 2021, in connection with our brand portfolio initiative, we announced that we have entered into an agreement to sell our Club Monaco business to Regent, L.P., a global private equity firm. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

In connection with these collective realignment initiatives, we expect to incur total estimated pre-tax charges of approximately $300 million to $350 million, of which $236.8 million was recorded during Fiscal 2021. Once substantially completed by the end of Fiscal 2022, these actions are expected to result in gross annualized pre-tax expense savings of approximately $200 million to $240 million, a portion of which will be reinvested back into the business. These estimated charges and expense savings are subject to change based upon the completion of the sale of our Club Monaco business.

See Note 9 to our accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional discussion regarding charges recorded in connection with the Fiscal 2021 Strategic Restructuring Plan.

Transition of Chaps Brand to a Fully Licensed Business Model

On October 29, 2020, we announced the planned transition of our Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model, consistent with our long-term brand elevation strategy. Specifically, we have entered into a multi-year licensing partnership, taking effect on August 1, 2021 after a transition period, with an affiliate of 5 Star Apparel LLC, a division of the OVED Group, to manufacture, market, and distribute Chaps menswear and womenswear. The products will be sold at existing channels of distribution with opportunities for expansion into additional channels and markets globally.

This agreement is expected to create incremental value for the Company by enabling an even greater focus on elevating our core brands in the marketplace, reducing our direct exposure to the North America department store channel, and setting up Chaps to deliver on its potential with an experienced partner that is focused on nurturing the brand.

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Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan

On June 4, 2018, our Board of Directors approved a restructuring plan associated with our strategic objective of operating with discipline to drive sustainable growth (the "Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan"). The Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan included the following activities: (i) rightsizing and consolidation of our global distribution network and corporate offices; (ii) targeted severance-related actions; and (iii) closure of certain of our stores and shop-within-shops. Actions associated with the Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan resulted in gross annualized expense savings of approximately $80 million.

In connection with the Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan, we have recorded cumulative charges of $145.8 million since its inception, of which $48.5 million and $97.3 million were recorded during Fiscal 2020 and Fiscal 2019, respectively. Actions associated with the Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan are complete and no additional charges are expected to be incurred in connection with this plan.

See Note 9 to our accompanying consolidated financial statements for additional discussion regarding charges recorded in connection with the Fiscal 2019 Restructuring Plan.

Our Brands and Products

Our products, which include apparel, footwear, accessories, and fragrance collections for men and women, as well as childrenswear and home furnishings, together with our hospitality portfolio, comprise one of the most widely recognized families of consumer brands. Reflecting a distinctive American perspective, we have been an innovator in aspirational lifestyle branding and believe that, under the direction of internationally renowned designer Mr. Ralph Lauren, we have had a considerable influence on the way people dress and the way that fashion is advertised throughout the world.

We combine consumer insight with our design, marketing, and imaging skills to offer, along with our licensing alliances, broad lifestyle product collections with a unified vision:

• Apparel — Our apparel products include extensive collections of men's, women's, and children's clothing, which are sold under various brand names, including Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Golf Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Golf, RLX Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, and Club Monaco, among others.

• Footwear and Accessories — Our range of footwear and accessories encompasses men's, women's, and children's, including casual shoes, dress shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals, eyewear, watches, fashion and fine jewelry, scarves, hats, gloves, umbrellas, and leather goods, including handbags, luggage, small leather goods, and belts, which are sold under our Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Double RL, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, and Club Monaco brands.

• Fragrance — Our fragrance offerings capture the essence of Ralph Lauren's men's and women's brands with numerous labels, designed to appeal to a variety of audiences. Women's fragrance products are sold under our Ralph Lauren Collection, Woman by Ralph Lauren, Romance Collection, Ralph Collection, and Big Pony Women's brands. Men's fragrance products are sold under our Polo Blue, Safari, Purple Label, Polo Red, Polo Green, Polo Black, Polo Supreme, Polo Sport, and Big Pony Men's brands.

• Home — Our home collections, which are sold under our Ralph Lauren, Polo, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, and Chaps brands, reflect the spirit of the Ralph Lauren lifestyle. Our range of home products includes bed and bath lines, furniture, fabric and wallcoverings, lighting, tabletop, floor coverings, and giftware.

• Hospitality — Continuing to engage our consumers with experiential and unique expressions of the brand, our hospitality portfolio is a natural extension of the World of Ralph Lauren as expressed through the culinary arts. Ralph Lauren's global hospitality collection is comprised of our restaurants including The Polo Bar in New York City, RL Restaurant located in Chicago, Ralph's located in Paris, and our Ralph's Coffee concept in various cities around the world.

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Our lifestyle brand image is reinforced by our distribution through our stores and concession-based shop-within-shops, our wholesale channels of distribution, our global digital commerce sites, and our Ralph Lauren restaurants. We sell our products under the following key brand platforms:

**1.**Ralph Lauren Luxury — Our Luxury group includes:

Ralph Lauren Collection and Ralph Lauren Purple Label. Ralph Lauren Collection embodies the highest expression of chic, feminine glamour. Each piece is inspired by a vision of timeless luxury and modern elegance, and is crafted with unparalleled passion and artistry. For men, Ralph Lauren Purple Label is the ultimate expression of luxury for the modern gentleman. Refined suitings are hand-tailored, including custom made-to-measure suits crafted in the time-honored traditions of Savile Row. Purple Label's sophisticated sportswear is designed with a meticulous attention to detail, capturing the elegance and ease of Ralph Lauren's signature, timeless style. Ralph Lauren Collection and Ralph Lauren Purple Label are available in Ralph Lauren stores around the world, an exclusive selection of the finest specialty stores, and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com.

Double RL. Founded in 1993 and named after Ralph Lauren's working cattle ranch in Colorado, Double RL is a tribute to America's pioneering spirit and tradition of rugged independence. The foundation of Double RL lies in timeless wardrobe staples for men and women, including authentic American made selvedge denim, military-grade chinos, tube-knit t-shirts, thermals, and flannels. Beyond these iconic styles are added seasonal vintage-inspired collections, along with a full collection of footwear and accessories, including quality belts, bags, and leather goods. Double RL is available at Double RL stores, at select Ralph Lauren stores, and an exclusive selection of the finest specialty stores around the world, as well as online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com.

Ralph Lauren Home. Ralph Lauren Home represents a full expression of modern luxury — style is a life well-lived. Based on an immersive design ethos, the collection includes furniture, lighting, bed and bath linens, tabletop, decorative accessories and gifts, as well as fabric, wallcoverings, and floorcoverings. Each piece is crafted with the greatest attention to detail. Ralph Lauren Home offers exclusive luxury goods at select Ralph Lauren stores, home specialty stores, trade showrooms, and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com. The complete world of Ralph Lauren Home can be explored online at RalphLaurenHome.com.

Ralph Lauren Watches and Fine Jewelry. We offer a premier collection of timepieces, which embody Ralph Lauren's passion for impeccable quality and exquisite design. We also offer premium collections of fine jewelry, which capture the glamour and craftsmanship of Ralph Lauren's most luxurious designs. Ralph Lauren watches and fine jewelry are available at select Ralph Lauren stores and flagship locations around the world. A selection of watches is also available online at RalphLauren.com and the finest watch retailers.

**2.**Polo Ralph Lauren — The Polo Ralph Lauren group includes:

Polo Ralph Lauren. Men's Polo combines Ivy League classics and time-honored English haberdashery with downtown styles and all-American sporting looks in sportswear and tailored clothing. Women's Polo represents the epitome of classic and iconic American style with a modern and cool twist. Polo's signature aesthetic includes our renowned polo player logo. Polo Sport reflects the active lifestyle and youthful energy of Polo’s sporting roots through Men’s and Women’s activewear. Men's and Women's Polo apparel, footwear, and accessories are available in Polo and Ralph Lauren stores around the world, better department and specialty stores, and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com.

Polo Ralph Lauren Children. Polo Ralph Lauren Children is designed to reflect the timeless heritage and modern spirit of Ralph Lauren's collections for men and women. Signature classics include iconic polo knit shirts and luxurious cashmere cable-knit sweaters. Polo Ralph Lauren Children is available in a full range of sizes, from baby to girls 2-16 and boys 2-20. Polo Ralph Lauren Children can be found in select Polo and Ralph Lauren stores around the world, better department stores, and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com, as well as certain of our retailer partner digital commerce sites.

RLX Ralph Lauren. RLX is the leading edge of Ralph Lauren’s performance and activewear. Comprised of functional apparel that address the performance needs of a modern active lifestyle, RLX includes men's and women's apparel and accessories that represent Ralph Lauren's belief that things that are purposefully designed and made of the highest quality achieve a timeless elegance.

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Polo Golf Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Golf, and RLX Ralph Lauren Golf. Tested and worn by top-ranked professional golfers, Polo Golf Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Golf, and RLX Ralph Lauren for men and women define excellence in the world of golf. With a sharpened focus on the needs of the modern player but rooted in the rich design tradition of Ralph Lauren, the Golf collections combine state-of-the-art performance wear with luxurious finishing touches. Our Golf collections are available in select Polo stores, exclusive private clubs and resorts, and online at RalphLauren.com.

Pink Pony. Established in 2000, the Pink Pony campaign is our worldwide initiative in the fight against cancer. In the U.S., a percentage of sales from Pink Pony products benefit the Pink Pony Fund of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation (formerly known as the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation), which supports programs for early diagnosis, education, treatment, and research, and is dedicated to bringing patient navigation and quality cancer care to medically underserved communities. Internationally, a network of local cancer charities around the world benefit from the sale of Pink Pony products. Pink Pony consists of dual gender sportswear and accessories. Pink Pony items feature our iconic pink polo player – a symbol of our commitment to the fight against cancer. Pink Pony is available at select Polo and Ralph Lauren stores and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com. Pink Pony is also available at select Macy's stores and online at Macys.com.

**3.**Lauren Ralph Lauren — Our Lauren group includes:

Lauren Ralph Lauren. Lauren for women combines aspirational timeless style with modern femininity in a lifestyle collection of sportswear, denim, and dresses, as well as footwear and accessories. Lauren for women is available in select department stores around the world and online at select digital commerce sites, including RalphLauren.com. Lauren for men offers a complete collection of men's tailored clothing, including suits, sport coats, dress shirts, dress pants, tuxedos, topcoats, and ties at a more accessible price point. Lauren for men is available at select department stores in North America and Europe.

Lauren Home. Launched in 2017, the Lauren Home collection includes accessibly-priced, timeless bath and bedding designs, updated with a fresh, modern spirit. The collection is built upon an assortment of essentials that is designed to be periodically augmented with trend-relevant colors and patterns.

**4.**Chaps — Launched in 1978, Chaps celebrates real American style, delivering classic collections updated for modern lifestyles for men, women, children and home. The modern lifestyle collection offers versatile sportswear, workday essentials, tailored clothing, and occasion dresses that are wearable from season to season. Chaps is available in select department stores and retail partner digital commerce sites across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and China. Refer to "Recent Developments" for discussion regarding the planned transition of our Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model.

**5.**Club Monaco — Founded in 1985, Club Monaco is a modern, urban-minded brand with an element of ease and a spark of entrepreneurship. The brand prides itself on creating elevated essentials recognized for their style, design, fit, and functionality with a relaxed, of-the-moment sensibility. Club Monaco apparel, footwear, and accessories are available at Club Monaco stores and select department stores in North America and around the world, as well as online at ClubMonaco.com and ClubMonaco.ca. Refer to "Recent Developments" for discussion regarding the anticipated sale of our Club Monaco business, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

Our Segments

We organize our business into the following three reportable segments:

• North America — Our North America segment, representing approximately 45% of our Fiscal 2021 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through our retail and wholesale businesses in the U.S. and Canada, excluding Club Monaco. In North America, our retail business is primarily comprised of our Ralph Lauren stores, our factory stores, and our digital commerce site, www.RalphLauren.com. Our wholesale business in North America is comprised primarily of sales to department stores, and to a lesser extent, specialty stores.

*•*Europe — Our Europe segment, representing approximately 27% of our Fiscal 2021 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through our retail and wholesale businesses in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, excluding Club Monaco. In Europe, our retail business is primarily comprised of our Ralph Lauren stores, our factory stores, our concession-based shop-within-shops, and our various digital commerce sites. Our wholesale

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business in Europe is comprised of a varying mix of sales to both department stores and specialty stores, depending on the country, as well as to various third-party digital partners.

• Asia — Our Asia segment, representing approximately 23% of our Fiscal 2021 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear, accessories, home furnishings, and related products made through our retail and wholesale businesses in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Our retail business in Asia is primarily comprised of our Ralph Lauren stores, our factory stores, our concession-based shop-within-shops, and our various digital commerce sites. In addition, we sell our products online through various third-party digital partner commerce sites. In Asia, our wholesale business is comprised primarily of sales to department stores, with related products distributed through shop-within-shops.

No operating segments were aggregated to form our reportable segments. In addition to these reportable segments, we also have other non-reportable segments, representing approximately 5% of our Fiscal 2021 net revenues, which primarily consist of (i) sales of Club Monaco branded products made through our retail and wholesale businesses in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and our licensing alliances in Europe and Asia, and (ii) royalty revenues earned through our global licensing alliances, excluding Club Monaco. As discussed in "Recent Developments," on May 13, 2021, we announced the anticipated sale of our Club Monaco business, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

This segment structure is consistent with how we establish our overall business strategy, allocate resources, and assess performance of our Company.

Approximately 52% of our Fiscal 2021 net revenues were earned outside of the U.S. See Note 20 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a summary of net revenues and operating income by segment, as well as net revenues and long-lived assets by geographic location.

Our Retail Business

Our retail business sells directly to customers throughout the world via our 548 retail stores and 650 concession-based shop-within-shops, totaling approximately 4.2 million and 0.7 million square feet, respectively, as well as through our own digital commerce sites and those of various third-party digital partners. We operate our business using a global omni-channel retailing strategy that seeks to deliver an integrated shopping experience with a consistent message of our brands and products to our customers, regardless of whether they are shopping for our products in physical stores or online. We also continue to introduce new Connected Retail capabilities, such as virtual clienteling, Buy Online-Ship to Store, Buy Online-Pick Up in Store, curbside pickup, appointment scheduling, and mobile checkout, to further enhance our customers' shopping experience.

Ralph Lauren Stores

Our Ralph Lauren stores feature a broad range of apparel, footwear, accessories, watch and jewelry, fragrance, and home product assortments in an atmosphere reflecting the distinctive attitude and image of the Ralph Lauren, Polo, and Double RL brands, including exclusive merchandise that is not sold in department stores. During Fiscal 2021, we opened 24 new Ralph Lauren stores and closed 11 stores. Our Ralph Lauren stores are primarily situated in major upscale street locations and upscale regional malls, generally in large urban markets.

The following table presents the number of Ralph Lauren stores by segment as of March 27, 2021:

						Ralph Lauren Stores
North America						40
Europe						32
Asia						79
Total						151

Our eight flagship Ralph Lauren regional store locations showcase our iconic styles and products and demonstrate our most refined merchandising techniques. In addition to generating sales of our products, our worldwide Ralph Lauren stores establish, reinforce, and capitalize on the image of our brands. Our Ralph Lauren stores range in size from approximately 500 to 37,900 square feet.

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Factory Stores

We extend our reach to additional consumer groups through our 325 factory stores worldwide, which are principally located in major outlet centers. Our worldwide factory stores offer selections of our apparel, footwear, accessories, and fragrances. In addition to these product offerings, certain of our factory stores in North America and Europe offer home furnishings. During Fiscal 2021, we opened 16 new factory stores and closed nine factory stores.

The following table presents the number of factory stores by segment as of March 27, 2021:

						Factory Stores
North America						193
Europe						60
Asia						72
Total						325

Our factory stores range in size from approximately 1,100 to 28,300 square feet. Factory stores obtain products from our suppliers, our product licensing partners, and our other retail stores and digital commerce operations, and also serve as a secondary distribution channel for our excess and out-of-season products.

Concession-based Shop-within-Shops

The terms of trade for shop-within-shops are largely conducted on a concession basis, whereby inventory continues to be owned by us (not the department store) until ultimate sale to the end consumer. The salespeople involved in the sales transactions are generally our employees and not those of the department store.

The following table presents the number of concession-based shop-within-shops by segment as of March 27, 2021:

						Concession-based Shop-within-Shops
North America						1
Europe						29
Asia						616
Other non-reportable segments						4
Total**(a)**						650

(a) Our concession-based shop-within-shops were located at approximately 300 retail locations.

The size of our concession-based shop-within-shops ranges from approximately 100 to 3,500 square feet. We may share in the cost of building out certain of these shop-within-shops with our department store partners.

Club Monaco Stores

Our Club Monaco stores feature fashion apparel, footwear, and accessories for both men and women with clean and contemporary signature styles. During Fiscal 2021, we opened three new Club Monaco store and closed five stores. Our Club Monaco stores range in size from approximately 1,200 to 17,200 square feet.

The following table presents the number of Club Monaco stores by geographic location as of March 27, 2021:

						Club Monaco Stores
North America						67
Europe						5
Total**(a)**						72

(a) Our Club Monaco business has been aggregated with other non-reportable segments.

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As discussed in "Recent Developments," on May 13, 2021, we announced the anticipated sale of our Club Monaco business, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

Directly-Operated Digital Commerce Websites

In addition to our stores, our retail business sells products online in North America, Europe, and Asia through our various directly-operated digital commerce sites, which include www.RalphLauren.com, among others. Most recently, we added two new sites in Asia, www.RalphLauren.jp (launched in June 2020) and www.RalphLauren.hk (launched in October 2020), servicing Japan and Hong Kong, respectively. We also sell our products online through various third-party digital partner commerce sites in Asia, as well as through our Polo mobile app in North America and the United Kingdom.

Our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites offer our customers access to a broad array of Ralph Lauren, Polo, and Double RL apparel, footwear, accessories, watch and jewelry, fragrance, and home product assortments, and reinforce the luxury image of our brands. While investing in digital commerce operations remains a primary focus, it is an extension of our investment in the integrated omni-channel strategy used to operate our overall retail business, in which our digital commerce operations are interdependent with our physical stores.

Our Club Monaco digital commerce sites offer our domestic and Canadian customers access to our global assortment of Club Monaco apparel, footwear, and accessories product lines, as well as select online exclusives.

Our Wholesale Business

Our wholesale business sells our products globally to leading upscale and certain mid-tier department stores, specialty stores, and golf and pro shops, as well as to various third-party digital partners. We have continued to focus on elevating our brand by improving in-store product assortment and presentation, as well as full-price sell-throughs to consumers. As of the end of Fiscal 2021, our wholesale products were sold through approximately 9,000 doors worldwide, with the majority in specialty stores. Our products are also increasingly being sold through the digital commerce sites of many of our traditional wholesale customers and our third-party digital partners.

The primary product offerings sold through our wholesale channels of distribution include apparel, footwear, accessories, and home furnishings. Our luxury brands, including Ralph Lauren Collection and Ralph Lauren Purple Label, are distributed worldwide through a limited number of premier fashion retailers. In North America, our wholesale business is comprised primarily of sales to department stores, and to a lesser extent, specialty stores. In Europe, our wholesale business is comprised of a varying mix of sales to both department stores and specialty stores, depending on the country, as well as to various third-party digital partners. In Asia, our wholesale business is comprised primarily of sales to department stores, with related products distributed through shop-within-shops. We also distribute our wholesale products to certain licensed stores operated by our partners in Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

We sell the majority of our excess and out-of-season products through secondary distribution channels worldwide, including our retail factory stores.

Worldwide Wholesale Distribution Channels

The following table presents by segment the number of wholesale doors in our primary channels of distribution as of March 27, 2021:

						Doors
North America						4,404
Europe						3,920
Asia						500
Total						8,824

In addition to our conventional wholesale doors, our products are increasingly being sold through the websites of many of our traditional wholesale customers, as well as those of our third-party digital partners. As of March 27, 2021, our wholesale business served approximately 100 third-party digital partners, primarily in Europe.

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We have three key wholesale customers that generate significant sales volume. During Fiscal 2021, sales to our three largest wholesale customers accounted for approximately 14% of our total net revenues. Substantially all sales to our three largest wholesale customers related to our North America segment.

Our products are sold primarily by our own sales forces. Our wholesale business maintains its primary showrooms in New York City, as well as regional showrooms in London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, and Stockholm. In addition, we recently introduced virtual showrooms, allowing our customers to experience and discover our product assortments in a retail setting remotely.

Shop-within-Shops. As a critical element of our distribution to department stores, we and our licensing partners utilize shop-within-shops to enhance brand recognition, to permit more complete merchandising of our lines by the department stores, and to differentiate the presentation of our products.

The following table presents by segment the number of shop-within-shops in our primary channels of distribution as of March 27, 2021:

						Shop-within-Shops
North America						9,552
Europe						6,016
Asia						682
Total						16,250

The size of our shop-within-shops ranges from approximately 85 to 9,200 square feet. Shop-within-shop fixed assets primarily include items such as customized freestanding fixtures, wall cases and components, decorative items, and flooring. We normally share in the cost of building out these shop-within-shops with our wholesale customers.

Replenishment Program. Core products such as knit shirts, chino pants, oxford cloth shirts, select footwear and accessories, and home products can be ordered by our wholesale customers at any time through our replenishment program. We generally ship these products within two to five days of order receipt.

Backlog. We generally receive wholesale orders approximately three to five months prior to the time the products are delivered to customers, with the exception of orders received through our replenishment program, which ship within two to five days of order receipt. Our wholesale orders are generally subject to broad cancellation rights. Further, the size of our order backlog depends upon a number of factors, including the timing of the market weeks for our particular lines during which a significant percentage of our orders are received and the timing of shipments, which varies from year-to-year with consideration for holidays, consumer trends, concept plans, and the replenishment program's usage. Consequently, the dollar amount of our backlog as of any date may not be indicative of actual future shipments and therefore is not meaningful in understanding our business taken as a whole.

Our Licensing Business

Through licensing alliances, we combine our consumer insight, design, and marketing skills with the specific product or geographic competencies of our licensing partners to create and build new businesses. We generally seek out licensing partners who are leaders in their respective markets, contribute the majority of product development costs, provide the operational infrastructure required to support the business, and own the inventory. Our licensing business has been aggregated with other non-reportable segments.

Product Licensing

We grant our product licensees the right to access our various trademarks in connection with the licensees' manufacture and sale of designated products, such as certain apparel, eyewear, fragrances, and home furnishings. Each product licensing partner pays us royalties based upon its sales of our products, generally subject to a minimum royalty requirement for the right to use our trademarks and design services. In addition, our licensing partners may be required to allocate a portion of their revenues to advertising our products and sharing in the creative costs associated with these products. Larger allocations typically are required in connection with launches of new products or in new territories. Our license agreements generally have two to five-year terms and may grant the licensees conditional renewal options.

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We work closely with all of our licensing partners to ensure that their products are developed, marketed, and distributed to reach the intended consumer and are presented consistently across product categories to convey the distinctive identity and lifestyle associated with our brands. Virtually all aspects of the design, production quality, packaging, merchandising, distribution, advertising, and promotion of Ralph Lauren products are subject to our prior approval and continuing oversight. We perform a broader range of services for most of our Ralph Lauren Home licensing partners than we do for our other licensing partners, including design, operating showrooms, marketing, and advertising.

The following table lists our largest licensing agreements as of March 27, 2021 for the product categories presented. Except as noted in the table, these product licenses cover North America only.

Category						Licensed Products						Licensing Partners
Men's Apparel						Underwear and Sleepwear						Hanesbrands, Inc. (includes Japan)
						Chaps, Lauren, and Ralph Tailored Clothing						Peerless Clothing International, Inc.
Women's Apparel						Outerwear						S. Rothschild & Co., Inc.
Beauty Products						Fragrances, Cosmetics, and Skin Care						L'Oreal S.A. (global)
Footwear						Men's and women's slippers and children's footwear						BBC International LLC (global)
Accessories						Eyewear						Luxottica Group S.p.A. (global)
						Socks and hosiery						Renfro Corporation
Home						Bedding and Bath						Ichida Co., Ltd. (Japan only)
						Utility and Blankets						Ichida Co., Ltd. (Japan only) and Hollander Sleep Products LLC

Additionally, on October 29, 2020, we announced the planned transition of our Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model, consistent with our long-term brand elevation strategy. Specifically, we have entered into a multi-year licensing partnership, taking effect on August 1, 2021 after a transition period, with an affiliate of 5 Star Apparel LLC, a division of the OVED Group, to manufacture, market, and distribute Chaps menswear and womenswear. See "Recent Developments" for additional discussion.

International Licensing

Our international licensing partners acquire the right to sell, promote, market, and/or distribute various categories of our products in a given geographic area and source products from us, our product licensing partners, and independent sources. International licensees' rights may include the right to own and operate retail stores. As of March 27, 2021, our international licensing partners operated 139 Ralph Lauren stores and shops, and 143 Club Monaco stores and shops. As discussed in "Recent Developments," on May 13, 2021, we announced the anticipated sale of our Club Monaco business, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2022.

Digital Ecosystem

Investing in our digital ecosystem remains a primary focus and is a key component of our integrated global omni-channel strategy that spans across owned and partnered channels, both physical and digital. Our digital ecosystem is comprised of directly-operated platforms, wholesale partner websites, third-party digital pure players, and social commerce.

Our directly-operated digital commerce sites represent our digital flagships, featuring the most elevated expression of our brands. The strategy for our digital flagships is to deliver distinct and immersive brand experiences, continuously enhance consumer experience, and develop digital content that drives deeper consumer engagement and conversion. With the ongoing launch of our localized sites, including in Japan and Hong Kong this year, we continue to expand the reach of our digital flagship experience. We also brought our physical flagships to life in a digital format this year with the launch of our virtual store experience, allowing consumers to experience our brands and product assortments in a way that was previously only possible by walking into our stores. In connection with our long-term growth strategy, we are also working to broaden our omni-channel service offerings, such as Buy Online-Ship to Store and Buy Online-Pick Up in Store.

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Our products are also sold through the digital commerce sites of many of our wholesale customers across the globe. With all partners in our ecosystem, we seek to showcase the brand consistently with our values. We collaborate with our key wholesale customers to deliver the right content to the right audience, and leverage consumer insights to develop a holistic, channel-agnostic view of our consumer.

We also sell our products online through various third-party digital pure-play sites to reach younger consumers and amplify our brand messages. On many of these sites, we have created digital shop-in-shop environments with a consistent brand experience, tailored product stories, and an assortment that is carefully curated by our merchants. We also partner closely with our pure-play customers on marketing content and events, as well as optimizing search and other data analyses to drive higher traffic and conversion for our brands. We also continue to tap into the social commerce opportunity, such as our launch of Instagram Checkout this year.

In connection with our digital commerce operations, we engage consumers through various digital and social media platforms, which are supported through our collaboration with influencers who have an authentic connection to our brand.

Seasonality of Business

Our business is typically affected by seasonal trends, with higher levels of retail sales in our second and third fiscal quarters and higher wholesale sales in our second and fourth fiscal quarters. These trends result primarily from the timing of key vacation travel, back-to-school, and holiday shopping periods impacting our retail business and timing of seasonal wholesale shipments. As a result of changes in our business, consumer spending patterns, and the macroeconomic environment, including those resulting from pandemic diseases and other catastrophic events, historical quarterly operating trends and working capital requirements may not be indicative of our future performance. In addition, fluctuations in sales, operating income, and cash flows in any fiscal quarter may be affected by other events affecting retail sales, such as changes in weather patterns.

Working capital requirements vary throughout the year. Working capital requirements typically increase during the first half of the fiscal year as inventory builds to support peak shipping/selling periods and, accordingly, typically decrease during the second half of the fiscal year as inventory is shipped/sold. Cash provided by operating activities is typically higher in the second half of the fiscal year due to reduced working capital requirements during that period.

Product Design

Our products reflect a timeless and innovative interpretation of American style with a strong international appeal. Our consistent emphasis on new and distinctive design has been an important contributor to the prominence, strength, and reputation of the Ralph Lauren brands.

Our Ralph Lauren products are designed by, and under the direction of, Mr. Ralph Lauren and our design staff. We form design teams around our brands and product categories to develop concepts, themes, and products for each brand and category. Through close collaboration with merchandising, sales, and product management staff, these teams support all of our businesses in order to gain market information and other valuable input.

Marketing and Advertising

Our marketing and advertising programs communicate the themes and images of our brands and are integral to the success of our product offerings. The majority of our advertising programs are created and executed by our in-house creative and advertising agency to ensure consistency of presentation, which is complemented by our marketing experts in each region who help to execute our international strategies.

We create distinctive image advertising for our brands, conveying the particular message of each one within the context of the overall Ralph Lauren aesthetic. Advertisements generally portray a lifestyle rather than a specific item and include a variety of products offered by us and, in some cases, our licensing partners. Our communication campaigns are increasingly being executed through digital and social media platforms to drive further engagement with the younger consumer. With regard to influencers, we believe in fostering long-term relationships with those who have an authentic connection to our brand and influence the areas of culture that matter most to our audiences. We also continue to advertise through print and outdoor media, and, to a lesser extent, through television and cinema.

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Our digital advertising programs focus on high impact and innovative digital media outlets, which allow us to convey our key brand messages and lifestyle positioning. We also develop digital editorial initiatives that allow for deeper education and engagement around the Ralph Lauren lifestyle. We deploy these marketing and advertising initiatives through online, mobile, video, email, and social media. Our digital commerce sites present the Ralph Lauren lifestyle online, while offering a broad array of our apparel, footwear, accessories, and home product lines.

Additionally, we advertise in consumer and trade publications, and participate in cooperative advertising on a shared cost basis with some of our retail and licensing partners. We have outdoor advertising placements in key cities as well, focusing on impact and reach. We also provide point-of-sale fixtures and signage to our wholesale customers to enhance the presentation of our products at their retail locations. In addition, when our licensing partners are required to spend an amount equal to a percentage of their licensed product sales on advertising, in certain cases we coordinate the advertising placement on their behalf. We believe our investments in shop-within-shop environments and retail stores, including our global flagship locations, contribute to and enhance the themes of our brands to consumers.

We also conduct a variety of public relations activities. For example, we typically introduce each of our spring and fall menswear and womenswear collections at press presentations in major cities such as New York City and Milan. Such fashion events, in addition to celebrity red carpet dressing moments and events hosted in our stores and restaurants, including The Polo Bar in New York City, generate extensive domestic and international media and social coverage.

We continue to be the official outfitter for all on-court officials at both the Wimbledon and the U.S. Open tennis tournaments. Both tournaments provide worldwide exposure for our brand in a relevant lifestyle environment. We also continue to be the exclusive Official Parade Outfitter for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, with the right to manufacture, distribute, advertise, promote, and sell products in the U.S. which replicate the Parade Outfits and associated leisure wear. We will be dressing the team for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in July and August 2021. As part of our involvement with Team U.S.A., we have established a partnership with athletes serving as brand ambassadors and as the faces of our advertising, marketing, and public relations campaigns. We are also the official apparel outfitter for the Professional Golfers' Association ("PGA") of America, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Golf Association, and the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, as well as a partner of the American Junior Golf Association. We sponsor a roster of professional golfers, including Billy Horschel, Davis Love III, Doc Redman, Nick Watney, and Tom Watson.

We believe our partnerships with such prestigious global athletic events reinforce our brand's sporting heritage in a truly authentic way and serve to connect our Company and brands to our consumers through their individual areas of passion.

Sourcing, Production and Quality

We contract for the manufacture of our products and do not own or operate any production facilities. Over 300 different manufacturers worldwide produce our apparel, footwear, accessories, and home products, with no one manufacturer providing more than 6% of our total production during Fiscal 2021. We source both finished products and raw materials. Raw materials include fabric, buttons, and other trim. Finished products consist of manufactured and fully assembled products ready for shipment to our customers. In Fiscal 2021, approximately 97% of our products (by dollar value) were produced outside of the U.S., primarily in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, with approximately 20% of our products sourced from China and another 20% from Vietnam. See "Import Restrictions and Other Government Regulations," Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Macroeconomic Conditions — Economic conditions could have a negative impact on our major customers, suppliers, vendors, and lenders, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business," and Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — Our business is subject to risks associated with importing products and the ability of our manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications."

Most of our businesses must commit to the manufacturing of our garments before we sell finished goods, whether to wholly-owned retail stores or to wholesale customers. We also must commit to the purchase of fabric from mills well in advance of our sales. If we overestimate our primary customers' demand for a particular product or the need for a particular fabric or yarn, we primarily sell the excess products or garments made from such fabric or yarn in our factory stores or through other secondary distribution channels.

Suppliers operate under the close supervision of our global manufacturing division and buying agents headquartered in Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe. All products are produced according to our specifications and standards. Production and quality control staff in Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Europe monitor manufacturing at supplier facilities in order to correct problems prior to shipment of the final product. Procedures have been implemented under our vendor certification and compliance programs so that quality assurance is reviewed early in the production process, allowing merchandise to be received at the distribution facilities and shipped to customers with minimal interruption.

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Competition

Competition is very strong in the segments of the fashion and consumer product industries in which we operate. We compete with numerous designers and manufacturers of apparel, footwear, accessories, fragrances, and home furnishing products, both domestic and international. We also face increasing competition from companies selling our product categories through the Internet. Some of our competitors may be significantly larger and have substantially greater resources than us. We compete primarily on the basis of fashion, quality, value, and service, which depend on our ability to:

• anticipate and respond to changing consumer demands and shopping preferences, including the ever-increasing shift to digital brand engagement, social media communications, and online shopping;

• create and maintain favorable brand recognition, loyalty, and reputation for quality;

• develop and produce innovative, high-quality products that appeal to consumers of varying age groups;

• competitively price our products and create an acceptable value proposition for consumers;

• provide strong and effective marketing support;

• provide attractive, reliable, secure, and user-friendly digital commerce sites;

• obtain sufficient retail floor space, and effectively present our products to consumers;

• attract consumer traffic to stores, shop-within-shops, and digital commerce sites;

• source raw materials at cost-effective prices;

• anticipate and maintain proper inventory levels;

• ensure product availability and optimize supply chain and distribution efficiencies;

• maintain and grow market share;

• recruit and retain key employees;

• protect our intellectual property; and

• withstand prolonged periods of adverse economic conditions or business disruptions.

See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — We face intense competition worldwide in the markets in which we operate."

Distribution

To facilitate global distribution, our products are shipped from manufacturers to a network of distribution centers around the world for inspection, sorting, packing, and delivery to our retail locations and digital commerce and wholesale customers. This network includes the following primary distribution facilities:

Facility Location						Geographic Region Serviced						Facility Ownership
N. Pendleton Street, High Point, North Carolina						U.S.						Owned
NC Highway 66, High Point, North Carolina						U.S.						Leased
Greensboro, North Carolina						U.S.						Leased
Chino Hills, California						U.S.						Third-party
Miami, Florida						U.S.						Third-party
Toronto, Ontario						Canada						Third-party
Parma, Italy						Europe and Latin America						Third-party
Yokohama, Japan						Japan						Third-party
Bugok, South Korea						South Korea						Leased
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong						China and Southeast Asia**(a)**						Third-party

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**(a)**Includes Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

All facilities are designed to allow for high-density cube storage and value-added services, and utilize unit and carton tracking technology to facilitate process control and inventory management. The distribution network is managed through globally integrated information technology systems.

Information Systems

Our information systems facilitate business processes, consumer experiences, and decision-making support across the Company and our extended ecosystem of manufacturers, vendors, business partners, and customers. Our system applications are connected to support the flow of information across functions, including:

• product design, sourcing, and production;

• comprehensive order processing, fulfillment, and distribution;

• retail store and digital commerce operations;

• marketing and advertising;

• financial accounting and management reporting; and

• human resources.

Our retail operation systems, including point-of-sale registers and merchandising, planning, and inventory management systems, support operational processes within our store network and link with our digital commerce processes to support omni-channel capabilities.

We are continually improving and upgrading our computer systems and software. For example, during Fiscal 2021, we began upgrading our value chain processes and technology to support advanced global capabilities for our supply and demand management solutions. In Fiscal 2021, we also migrated our analytics platform to the cloud to accelerate our advanced analytics capabilities across functions. We are also continually enhancing the consumer experience by adding new functionality to our direct-to-consumer channels.

We have a longstanding information security risk program committed to regular risk management practices surrounding the protection of confidential data. This program includes various technical controls, including security monitoring, data leakage protection, network segmentation and access controls around the computer resources that house confidential or sensitive data. We have also implemented employee awareness training programs around phishing, malware, and other cyber risks. We continually evaluate the security environment surrounding the handling and control of our critical data, especially the private data we receive from our customers, employees and partners, and have instituted additional measures to help protect us from system intrusion or data breaches. Additionally, we have purchased network security and cyber liability insurance in order to provide a level of financial protection, should a data breach occur.

See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Information Systems and Data Security — A data security or privacy breach could damage our reputation and our relationships with our customers or employees, expose us to litigation risk, and adversely affect our business" and "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Information Systems and Data Security — Our business could suffer if our computer systems and websites are disrupted or cease to operate effectively."

Wholesale Credit Control

We manage our own credit function. We sell our merchandise principally to major department stores, specialty stores, and third-party digital partners, and extend credit based on an evaluation of the wholesale customer's financial capacity and condition, usually without requiring collateral. We monitor credit levels and the financial condition of our wholesale customers on a continuing basis to minimize credit risk. We do not factor or underwrite our accounts receivables, nor do we maintain credit insurance to manage the risk of bad debts. In North America, collection and deduction transactional activities are provided through a third-party service provider. See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — A substantial portion of our revenue is derived from a limited number of large wholesale customers. Our business could be

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adversely affected as a result of consolidations, liquidations, restructurings, other ownership changes in the retail industry, and/or any financial instability of our large wholesale customers."

Trademarks

We own the RALPH LAUREN, POLO, POLO RALPH LAUREN, and the famous Polo Player Design trademarks in the U.S. and over 120 countries worldwide. Other trademarks that we own include:

• PURPLE LABEL;

• DOUBLE RL;

• RRL & DESIGN;

• RLX;

• LAUREN RALPH LAUREN;

• PINK PONY;

• LAUREN;

• RALPH;

• POLO BEAR;

• CHAPS;

• CLUB MONACO; and

• Various other trademarks.

Mr. Ralph Lauren has the royalty-free right to use as trademarks RALPH LAUREN, DOUBLE RL, and RRL in perpetuity in connection with, among other things, beef and living animals. The trademarks DOUBLE RL and RRL are currently used by the Double RL Company, an entity wholly owned by Mr. R. Lauren. In addition, Mr. R. Lauren has the right to engage in personal projects involving film or theatrical productions (not including or relating to our business) through RRL Productions, Inc., a company wholly owned by Mr. R. Lauren. Any activity by these companies has no impact on us.

Our trademarks are the subject of registrations and pending applications throughout the world for use on a variety of items of apparel, apparel-related products and accessories, home furnishings, restaurant and café services, online services and online publications, and beauty products, as well as in connection with retail services, and we continue to expand our worldwide usage and registration of related trademarks. In general, trademarks remain valid and enforceable as long as the marks are used in connection with the related products and services and the required registration renewals are filed. We regard the license to use the trademarks and our other proprietary rights in and to the trademarks as extremely valuable assets in marketing our products and, on a worldwide basis, vigorously seek to protect them against infringement. As a result of the appeal of our trademarks, our products have been the object of counterfeiting. While we have a broad enforcement program which has been generally effective in protecting our intellectual property rights and limiting the sale of counterfeit products in the U.S. and in most major markets abroad, we face greater challenges with respect to enforcing our rights against trademark infringement in certain parts of Asia.

In markets outside of the U.S., our rights to some or all of our trademarks may not be clearly established. Over the course of our international expansion, we have experienced conflicts with various third parties who have acquired ownership rights in certain trademarks, including POLO and/or a representation of a Polo Player Design, which impede our use and registration of our principal trademarks. While such conflicts are common and may arise again from time to time as we continue our international expansion, we have, in general, successfully resolved such conflicts in the past through both legal action and negotiated settlements with third-party owners of the conflicting marks (see Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — Our trademarks and other intellectual property rights may not be adequately protected outside the U.S." and Item 3 — "Legal Proceedings" for further discussion). Although we have not suffered any material restraints or restrictions on doing business in desirable markets in the past, we cannot assure that significant impediments will not arise in the future as we expand product offerings and introduce trademarks to new markets.

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Import Restrictions and Other Government Regulations

Virtually all of our merchandise imported into the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand is subject to duties. In addition, most of the countries to which we ship could impose safeguard quotas and duties to protect their local industries from import surges that threaten to create market disruption. The U.S. and other countries may also unilaterally impose additional duties in response to a particular product being imported (from China or other countries) at unfairly traded prices in such increased quantities that would cause (or threaten) injury to the relevant domestic industry (generally known as "anti-dumping" actions). If dumping is suspected in the U.S., the U.S. government may self-initiate a dumping case on behalf of the U.S. textile industry which could significantly affect our costs. Furthermore, additional duties, generally known as countervailing duties, can also be imposed by the U.S. government to offset subsidies provided by a foreign government to foreign manufacturers if the importation of such subsidized merchandise injures or threatens to injure a U.S. industry.

In addition, each of the countries in which our products are sold has laws and regulations covering imports. Because the U.S. and the other countries in which our products are manufactured and sold may, from time to time, impose new duties, tariffs, surcharges, or other import controls or restrictions, or adjust presently prevailing duty or tariff rates or levels, we maintain a program of intensive monitoring of import restrictions and opportunities. We seek to minimize our potential exposure to import-related risks through, among other measures, adjustments in product design and fabrication, shifts of production among countries and manufacturers, and through geographical diversification of our sources of supply.

As almost all of our products are manufactured by foreign suppliers, the enactment of new legislation or the administration of current international trade regulations or executive action affecting textile agreements, or changes in sourcing patterns could adversely affect our operations. See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Regulatory, Legal, and Tax Matters — Our ability to conduct business globally may be affected by a variety of legal, regulatory, political, and economic risks" and "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — Our business is subject to risks associated with importing products and the ability of our manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications."

We are also subject to other international trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, now known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement and other special trade preference programs. A portion of our imported products are eligible for certain of these duty-advantaged programs.

Apparel and other products sold by us are under the jurisdiction of multiple governmental agencies, including, in the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Our products are also subject to regulation in the U.S. and other countries, including the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which relate principally to product labeling, licensing requirements, and consumer product safety requirements and regulatory testing, particularly with respect to products used by children. Any failure to comply with such requirements could result in significant penalties and require us to recall products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business or operating results. We believe that we are in substantial compliance with these regulations, as well as applicable federal, state, local, and foreign rules and regulations governing the discharge of materials hazardous to the environment. We do not anticipate making any significant capital expenditures for environmental control matters either in the next fiscal year or in the near future. Our licensed products, licensing partners, buying/sourcing agents, and the vendors and factories with which we contract for the manufacture and distribution of our products are also subject to regulation. Our agreements require our licensing partners, buying/sourcing agents, vendors, and factories to operate in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and we are not aware of any violations which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business or operating results.

We are also subject to disclosure and reporting requirements, established under existing or new federal or state laws, such as the requirements to identify the origin and existence of certain "conflict minerals" under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and disclosures of specific actions to eradicate abusive labor practices in our supply chain under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act. While we require our suppliers to operate in compliance with all applicable laws and our operating guidelines which promote ethical and socially responsible business practices, any violation of labor, environmental, health, and safety or other laws, or any divergence by an independent supplier's labor practices from generally accepted industry standards, could damage our reputation, disrupt our sourcing capabilities, and increase the cost of doing business, adversely affecting our results of operations. See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to our Business and Operations — Our business could suffer if we fail to comply with labor laws or if one of our manufacturers fails to use acceptable labor or environmental practices."

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Although we have not suffered any material restriction from doing business in desirable markets in the past, we cannot assure that significant impediments will not arise in the future as we expand product offerings and introduce additional trademarks to new markets.

Human Capital

Our purpose is to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. This purpose extends to how we provide resources to support our employees' health, well-being, work-life harmony, and quality of life. We believe that attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse work force that is both skilled and motivated is critical to the successful execution of our long-term growth strategy. To this end, we are committed to creating a culture and work environment in which all employees feel welcome and can thrive, both as individuals and as part of our team.

Our Board of Directors regularly reviews our people and development strategy, including our employee diversity, respect, and inclusion initiatives.

Our Employees

As of March 27, 2021, we had approximately 20,300 employees, comprised of approximately 12,100 full-time and 8,200 part-time employees. Approximately 10,400 of our employees are located in the U.S. and 9,900 are located in foreign countries. Approximately 5 of our U.S. production employees in the womenswear business are members of Workers United (which was previously known as UNITE HERE) under an industry association collective bargaining agreement, which our womenswear subsidiary has adopted. We consider our relations with both our union and non-union employees to be good.

As of March 27, 2021, approximately 64% and 36% of our global workforce self-identified as female and male, respectively, and in the U.S., approximately 39% of our workforce self-identified as white and 60% self-identified as an underrepresented race and ethnic group.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe the diversity of our employees and our culture of inclusivity drive innovation and creativity, and we are committed to further strengthening such diversity and inclusion across race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and mental health and wellness, among other demographics, ensuring fairness for all. Our diversity and inclusion ("D&I") strategy is guided by the following five pillars:

1.Talent — Cultivate diverse teams and elevate underrepresented talent to leadership ranks. In calendar 2019, we achieved our goal to have gender parity in our leadership ranks for Vice President and above. We are committed to have at least 20% of People of Color in our global leadership team by calendar 2023.

2.Collaboration and Belonging — Enable open dialogue and create safe spaces for the amplification of diverse voices and perspectives. During Fiscal 2021, we implemented six new internal advisory councils, as discussed below, and employee resource groups. We expanded our RL Community Groups to include a Working Parents Network, focusing on our employees who are parents and caregivers. We also established a company manifesto with specific and action-oriented commitments to elevate, amplify, and support the Black Community.

3.Learning — Build an inclusive culture through awareness, education, and deployment of mandatory D&I trainings globally. During Fiscal 2021, we expanded inclusive leadership learning with the rollout of an unconscious bias, allyship, and advocacy training, which is also now included in our new hire onboarding. In addition, we have mentoring and professional development programs offering internal and external development and career acceleration programs for underrepresented talent. We also provided scholarship funds to academic programs supporting underrepresented students.

4.Communication and Messaging — Maximize our inclusive message and increase the transparency of our D&I initiatives. We gather direct feedback from our employees and measure their engagement to better understand how we can improve. In Fiscal 2021, we expanded our approach to solicit employee feedback, shifting from an annual company-wide survey to more frequent pulse surveys on topical issues, specifically focusing on the experiences of our underrepresented employees. For Fiscal 2022, we plan to return to our global annual employee survey.

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5.Celebration and Recognition — Appreciate our unique differences and increase educational events for all employees with a focus on diverse experiences. In Fiscal 2021, we increased educational and celebratory events focused on diverse experiences with over 30 virtual D&I events with 10,000 participants globally. Our D&I efforts have been recognized in recent years, including being named a Best Place to Work for LGTBQIA+, receiving 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index in calendar 2021 for the second year in a row, as well as being named Best Place to Advance for Women by Parity.Org.

During Fiscal 2021, we expanded our Global D&I Steering Committee whose members are directly accountable for executing on our D&I strategies ensuring consistent support to achieve our goals. This committee leads our newly created D&I Black and African American Commitment Working Groups, which provide a robust structural framework to action on our racial equity commitments. We also introduced advisory councils, including the Black Advisory Council, Asian Pacific Islander Council, Native American Council, and Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx Council, who advise our executive leadership team, marketing campaigns, and long-term programs and initiatives to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups at Ralph Lauren.

In addition to our robust D&I governance structure, our employees play a key role in embedding a culture of inclusion at Ralph Lauren through our other employee resource groups, including our Gender Community Group, Pride Group, and Disability, Mental Health, and Wellness Group. These groups promote dialogue, define D&I focus areas, and help us properly prioritize action plans and necessary resources to develop solutions.

Additional information relating to our D&I initiatives and goals can be found in our annual sustainability reports, which is available at our website at http://investor.ralphlauren.com under the caption "Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report." Our 2021 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report is expected to be published in June 2021. The content of our sustainability reports is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC.

Learning and Development

We are committed to the growth and development of our employees and offer a wide range of training programs for all levels. In addition to receiving ongoing on-the-job training and coaching, our employees can build skills and prepare for the future through our Ralph Lauren Learning Portal. We added new courses this year, many of which focus on remote working skills, as well as D&I education. We also support learning beyond our walls through tuition assistance. These collective learning and development programs help foster career mobility for our employees, while simultaneously allowing us to fill open positions with existing employees who know our company best.

Employee Safety and Well-Being

We are committed to the safety, health, and overall well-being of each of our employees and their families, providing a wide array of physical, emotional, social, and financial support to meet this objective. THRIVE, our global wellness program, provides access to benefits such as flexible work arrangements, volunteer events, and physical and mental wellness support. We gather direct feedback from our workforce, including through regular employee surveys, which allows us to measure their engagement and understand how we can improve.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our priority has been to ensure the safety and well-being of all of our employees, customers, and the communities in which we operate in around the world. In this regard, we have implemented new health and safety protocols in our stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices. We have also expanded employee well-being services in the U.S. to include additional backup childcare, as well as MyStrength, an online wellness portal. Globally, we host monthly wellness webinars and provide weekly meditation classes through our RL Well-Being Exchange program. Financial grants have also been provided through the Ralph Lauren Employee Relief Fund for employees facing special circumstances.

Compensation and Benefits

We are committed to providing competitive compensation and benefits to attract and retain a diverse and talented workforce. We are also committed to achieving pay equity throughout our organization, conducting biennial assessments with the assistance of an independent human capital management firm to analyze our employee compensation based on gender, race, and ethnicity. We offer a wide array of both employer-paid and employee-paid benefits to support our employees' overall financial, physical, and mental well-being, including, but not limited to, healthcare and welfare benefits, retirement savings, paid time off, temporary leave, sabbaticals, and flexible work arrangements. We also provide our employees a merchandise

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discount on most of our products. During Fiscal 2021, we expanded our medical benefits in the U.S. to our part-time employees, ensuring equitable benefits for our front-line employees. As a token of gratitude for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also recently provided a one-time $1,000 bonus to each of our global frontline workers in May 2021. Additionally, we made COVID-19 vaccines available in our North Carolina Health Clinic with over 400 employees receiving their first dose from an onsite counselor.

Information About Our Executive Officers

The following are our current executive officers and their principal recent business experience:

Ralph Lauren						Age 81						Mr. Ralph Lauren founded our business in 1967 and, for five decades, has cultivated the iconography of America into a global lifestyle brand. He has been our Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer since November 2015, and a director of the Company since prior to our initial public offering in 1997. He had previously been our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since prior to our initial public offering in 1997 until November 2015. In addition, he was previously a member of our Advisory Board or the Board of Directors of our predecessors since their organization.
Patrice Louvet						Age 56						Mr. Louvet has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer, and a director of the Company since July 2017. Prior to joining the Company, he served as the Group President, Global Beauty, of Procter & Gamble Co. ("P&G") since February 2015. Prior to that role, Mr. Louvet held successively senior leadership positions at P&G, including the roles of Group President, Global Grooming (Gillette), and President of P&G's Global Prestige Business. Before he joined P&G, he served as a Naval Officer, Admiral Aide de Camp in the French Navy from 1987 to 1989. Mr. Louvet graduated from École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and received his M.B.A. from the University of Illinois. He has served as a member of the board of directors of Bacardi Limited since July 2012 and as a member of the board of directors of the National Retail Federation since January 2020.
Jane Hamilton Nielsen						Age 57						Ms. Nielsen has been our Chief Financial Officer since September 2016 and our Chief Operating Officer since March 2019. She served as Chief Financial Officer of Coach, Inc. from September 2011 to August 2016. From 2009 to 2011, she was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo Beverages Americas and the Global Nutrition Group, divisions of PepsiCo, Inc., with responsibility for all financial management including financial reporting, performance management, capital allocation, and strategic planning. Prior to that, Ms. Nielsen held various senior roles in finance at PepsiCo, Inc. and Pepsi Bottling Group starting in 1996. She also serves on the board of directors of Mondelez International since May 2021, and previously served on the board of directors of Pinnacle Foods Inc. Ms. Nielsen received her M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and B.A. from Smith College.
Andrew Howard Smith						Age 50						Mr. Smith has served as our Chief Commercial Officer since April 2019. He has been with our Company for over 17 years, having worked in various capacities based in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Prior to his current role, he was responsible for our International Division based in Geneva, Switzerland, with general management responsibility for all markets outside of North America. Prior to this, he led our businesses across Asia as Group President of Asia Pacific, and before that he was responsible for our Japan market as President & Representative Director of Japan. His roles before this include SVP Global Supply Chain, based in New York, where he worked around the world on operational acquisition integrations through our license buy-back phase, and various roles based in Europe in Supply Chain, Sales Order Management, and Merchandise Allocation. He has been instrumental in turning our Asia businesses to growth, and driving brand elevation and accelerating profitable growth across all of our International markets. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Smith served as Head of Supply Chain for Selfridges & Co., the UK based department store group. Mr. Smith is a graduate of City, University of London.

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David Lauren						Age 49						Mr. David Lauren is our Chief Innovation Officer, Strategic Advisor to the CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board. He has served as our Chief Innovation Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board since October 2016. From November 2010 to October 2016, he served as our Executive Vice President of Global Advertising, Marketing and Communications. Prior to that, he served in numerous leadership roles at the Company with responsibility for advertising, marketing, and communications. He has been a director of the Company since August 2013. Mr. D. Lauren oversees the Company's innovation processes and capabilities to drive its brand strength and financial performance across all channels. He has been instrumental in growing the Company's global digital commerce business and pioneering our technology initiatives. He serves on the board of trustees of the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention and the board of directors of The National Museum of American History. Mr. D. Lauren is also the President of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation (formerly known as the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation). Before joining the Company in 2000, he was Editor-In-Chief and President of Swing, a general interest publication for Generation X. Mr. D. Lauren is the son of Mr. R. Lauren.