Item 1. Business.

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Item 1. Business.

General

Founded in 1967 by Mr. Ralph Lauren, we are a global leader in the design, marketing, and distribution of luxury lifestyle products, including apparel, footwear & accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren has sought to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. Our long-standing reputation and distinctive image have been developed across a wide range of products, brands, distribution channels, and international markets. We believe that our global reach, breadth of lifestyle product offerings, and multi-channel distribution network 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.

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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 553 retail stores and 722 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 over 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 182 stores and shops.

We have been controlled by the Lauren family since the founding of our Company. As of April 1, 2023, Mr. R. Lauren, or entities controlled by the Lauren family, held approximately 86% of the voting power of the Company's outstanding common stock.

Objectives and Opportunities

Our purpose is to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style. We believe that our size and the global scope of our operations provide us with design, sourcing, and distribution synergies across our business. Our core strengths include a portfolio of luxury lifestyle products spanning five categories: apparel, footwear & accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality; 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 effectively execute our long-term growth strategy.

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

Objectives & Opportunities FY23.jpg

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Global Citizenship and Sustainability

Since our founding, we have believed in creating things that are timeless — that last and never go out of style. Our iconic products are created to be worn, loved and passed on through generations. This ethos of timelessness extends beyond our products to the lives, communities and material resources our business intersects. "Timeless by Design" is how we apply our Company's Purpose, to inspire the dream of a better life through authenticity and timeless style, to our approach to citizenship and sustainability. We live this commitment through three key pillars:

**1.**Create with Intent

  • Integrated Circularity — We are committed to designing products with circularity in mind, connecting consumers to opportunities for rental, repair and recirculation in select top cities and investing in scalable innovation.

  • Sustainable Materials — We are committed to using materials in ways that reduce environmental impact, protect biodiversity and animal welfare, support livelihoods, and improve the traceability of raw materials.

  • Responsible Design — We commit to embedding environmental and cultural sustainability, inclusivity, and celebration into the products we design and stories we tell.

*•*Responsible Sourcing — We seek to work with partners who share our values and our commitment to conduct business with social and environmental integrity at heart.

**2.**Protect the Environment

*•*Climate — We commit to playing our part to address the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our supply chain to a level consistent with reaching global net zero emissions.

*•*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, reuse, and other methods.

  • Chemical Management — As we monitor and reduce hazardous chemical use and discharge, our ultimate goal is to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from our product manufacturing.

*•*Biodiversity — We are committed to leveraging science to build an in-depth understanding of our current impacts on biodiversity; identifying ways to avoid new negative impacts and reduce existing ones where possible; developing strategies to restore and regenerate ecosystems; and identifying opportunities to engage in transformative, systems-level efforts to address drivers of nature loss.

**3.**Champion Better Lives

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — Our purpose to inspire the dream of a better life drives us to create a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging inside our Company and throughout our communities.

  • Employee Well-being — We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social, and financial needs of our employees and their families to help them thrive. We focus on employee wellness, engagement, learning and development, and compensation and benefits.

  • Community Engagement and Philanthropy — We seek to make the dream of a better life a reality in communities across the globe through contributions and actions that create positive social and environmental impact.

*•*Rights and Empowerment in the Supply Chain — We are committed to conducting our global operations ethically with respect for the dignity of all people who make our products. Our approach aims to create a positive impact in the lives of factory workers and their families.

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Additional information relating to Timeless by Design can be found in our annual sustainability report, which is available at our website at http://investor.ralphlauren.com under the caption "Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report." Our 2023 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report is expected to be published in June 2023. 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. See Item 1A — "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues."

Recent Developments

COVID-19 Pandemic

Beginning in the fourth quarter of our fiscal year ended March 28, 2020 ("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, resulting in widespread adverse economic conditions and business disruptions. Since then, governments worldwide have periodically imposed 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 actions have negatively impacted retail traffic, tourism, and consumer spending on discretionary items to varying degrees over the course of the pandemic.

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 at the peak of the pandemic, 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 and outbreaks 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 2 to 3 months during the second half of Fiscal 2021, including during the holiday period, due to government-mandated lockdowns and other restrictions. Such disruptions continued throughout Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2023 in certain regions, although to a lesser extent than Fiscal 2021. Further, throughout the course of the pandemic, the majority of our stores that were 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. However, our digital commerce operations have grown significantly from pre-pandemic levels, due in part to our investments and enhanced capabilities, as well as changes in consumer shopping preferences.

The COVID-19 pandemic also adversely impacted our distribution, logistic, and sourcing partners, including temporary factory closures, labor shortages, vessel, container and other transportation shortages, and port congestion. Such disruptions resulted in periods of reduced availability of inventory, delayed timing of inventory receipts, and increased costs for both the purchase and transportation of such inventory, most notably during Fiscal 2022 and the first half of Fiscal 2023.

The pandemic continues to evolve, with resurgences and outbreaks occurring in certain parts of the world during Fiscal 2023, including those resulting from variants of the virus. While the impact of these disruptions has generally been less significant than those experienced in Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2022, we cannot predict for how long and to what extent the pandemic may continue to impact our business operations, the global supply chain, or the overall global economy.

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 undertaken efforts to realign our resources to support future growth and profitability, and to create a sustainable, enhanced cost structure. The key initiatives underlying these efforts involved evaluation of our: (i) team organizational structures and ways of working; (ii) real estate footprint and related costs across our 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. Additionally, during a preliminary review of our store portfolio during the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, we decided to close our Polo store on Regent Street in London.

Shortly thereafter, 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 and in connection with our third initiative. Specifically, we entered into a multi-year licensing partnership, which took effect on August 1, 2021 following a transition period, with an

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affiliate of 5 Star Apparel LLC, a division of the OVED Group, to manufacture, market, and distribute Chaps menswear and womenswear. The products are being sold at existing channels of distribution with opportunities for expansion into additional channels and markets globally. This agreement created 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.

Later, on February 3, 2021, our Board of Directors approved additional actions related to our real estate initiative. Specifically, we further rightsized and consolidated our global corporate offices to better align with our organizational profile and new ways of working. We also closed certain of our stores to improve overall profitability. Additionally, we further consolidated our North America distribution centers in order to drive greater efficiencies, improve sustainability, and deliver a better consumer experience.

Finally, on June 26, 2021, in connection with our brand portfolio initiative, we sold our former Club Monaco business to Regent, L.P. ("Regent"), a global private equity firm, with no resulting gain or loss on sale realized during the first quarter of Fiscal 2022. Regent acquired Club Monaco's assets and liabilities in exchange for potential future cash consideration payable to us, including earn-out payments based on Club Monaco meeting certain defined revenue thresholds over a five-year period. Accordingly, we have realized amounts related to the receipt of such contingent consideration and additional amounts may be realized in the future. Additionally, in connection with this divestiture, we provided Regent with certain operational support for a transitional period of approximately one year, varying by functional area.

In connection with the Fiscal 2021 Strategic Realignment Plan, we have recorded cumulative pre-tax charges of $281.8 million since its inception, of which $19.7 million, $25.3 million, and $236.8 million were recorded during Fiscal 2023, Fiscal 2022, and Fiscal 2021, respectively. Actions associated with the Fiscal 2021 Strategic Realignment Plan are now complete and are expected to result in gross annualized pre-tax expense savings of approximately $200 million, a portion of which is being reinvested into the 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.

Our Brands and Products

Our products, which include apparel, footwear & accessories, and fragrance collections for men and women, as well as childrenswear and home, 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, and Chaps, among others.

  • Footwear & Accessories — Our range of footwear & 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, and Chaps 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, and Ralph Collection. Men's fragrance products are sold under our Polo Blue, Ralph's Club, Purple Label, Polo Red, Polo Green, Polo Black, Safari, Polo Sport, and Big Pony Men's brands. During Fiscal 2023, we introduced Polo Earth, a gender-neutral fragrance designed with sustainability in mind, made of 97% natural-origin ingredients.

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  • 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, kitchen linens, 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, The Bar at Ralph Lauren located in Milan, and our Ralph's Coffee concept in various cities around the world. During Fiscal 2023, we opened our first restaurant in the Asia Pacific region, Ralph's Bar in Chengdu, China.

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 and cafés. 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 made in Italy with the utmost attention to detail and quality and are available in select 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. 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 & 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 and select wholesale partners, home specialty stores, trade showrooms, and online at our Ralph Lauren digital commerce site, RalphLauren.com.

Ralph Lauren Watches and Jewelry. We offer a premier collection of Swiss-made timepieces, which embody Ralph Lauren's passion for impeccable quality and exquisite design. We also offer premium collections of jewelry, which capture the glamour and craftsmanship of Ralph Lauren's most luxurious designs, from everyday collections to the most refined and precious materials. Ralph Lauren watches and jewelry are available online at RalphLauren.com, at select Ralph Lauren stores, and a few of the finest watch and jewelry retailers around the world.

**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 and footwear & 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.

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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.

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 Golf 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. 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, which supports cancer-related 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 & 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. Lauren Home collection includes accessibly-priced, timeless bath and bedding collections, as well as kitchen linens, floorcoverings, and lighting. The collection is built upon an assortment of essentials that is designed to be mixed with seasonal updates, all rooted in the brand's classic style.

**4.**Chaps — 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, and Mexico. Refer to "Recent Developments" for discussion regarding the recent transition of our Chaps brand to a fully licensed business model.

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Our Segments

We organize our business into the following three reportable segments:

  • North America — Our North America segment, representing approximately 47% of our Fiscal 2023 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear & accessories, home, and related products made through our retail and wholesale businesses primarily in the U.S. and Canada. In North America, our retail business is primarily comprised of our Ralph Lauren stores, our outlet 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 29% of our Fiscal 2023 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear & accessories, home, and related products made through our retail and wholesale businesses in Europe and emerging markets. In Europe, our retail business is primarily comprised of our Ralph Lauren stores, our outlet stores, our concession-based shop-within-shops, and our various digital commerce sites. Our wholesale business in Europe is comprised primarily 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 22% of our Fiscal 2023 net revenues, primarily consists of sales of our Ralph Lauren branded apparel, footwear & accessories, home, 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 outlet 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. Our wholesale business in Asia 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 2% of our Fiscal 2023 net revenues, which primarily consist of Ralph Lauren and Chaps branded royalty revenues earned through our global licensing alliances. In addition, prior to its disposition at the end of our first quarter of Fiscal 2022, our other non-reportable segments also included 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 Asia. Refer to "Recent Developments" for additional discussion regarding the disposition of our former Club Monaco business, as well as the transition of our Chaps business to a fully licensed business model.

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

Approximately 53% of our Fiscal 2023 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 553 retail stores and 722 concession-based shop-within-shops, totaling approximately 4.1 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 scale and expand our Connected Retail capabilities to enhance the consumer experience, which now include virtual selling appointments, Buy Online-Ship from Store, Buy Online-Pick Up in Store, and mobile checkout and contactless payments, among other capabilities.

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 2023, we opened 44 new Ralph

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Lauren stores and closed 10 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 April 1, 2023:

Ralph Lauren Stores
North America48
Europe43
Asia118
Total209

Our 9 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.

Outlet Stores

We extend our reach to additional consumer groups through our outlet stores worldwide, which are principally located in major outlet centers. Our worldwide outlet stores offer selections of our apparel, footwear & accessories, and fragrances. In addition to these product offerings, certain of our worldwide outlet stores offer watches and home product assortments. During Fiscal 2023, we opened 28 new outlet stores and closed 13 stores.

The following table presents the number of outlet stores by segment as of April 1, 2023:

Outlet Stores
North America189
Europe61
Asia94
Total344

Our outlet stores range in size from approximately 1,000 to 28,300 square feet. Outlet 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 April 1, 2023:

Concession-based Shop-within-Shops
North America1
Europe29
Asia692
Total**(a)**722

(a) Our concession-based shop-within-shops were located at approximately 315 retail locations.

The size of our concession-based shop-within-shops ranges from approximately 100 to 4,700 square feet. We may share in the cost of building out certain of these shop-within-shops with our department store partners.

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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. We continue to expand accessibility to our digital flagships globally while localizing language, currencies, payment methods, product assortments, and content. We also sell our products online through various third-party digital partner commerce sites, primarily in Asia, as well as through our mobile app in North America.

Our Ralph Lauren digital commerce sites offer our customers access to a broad array of Ralph Lauren, Polo, Lauren, 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 Wholesale Business

Our wholesale business sells our products globally primarily to major 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 2023, our wholesale products were sold through over 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 product assortments. 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 primarily 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 most of our excess and out-of-season products through secondary distribution channels worldwide, including our retail outlet stores.

Worldwide Wholesale Distribution Channels

The following table presents by segment the number of wholesale doors in our primary channels of distribution as of April 1, 2023:

Doors
North America3,324
Europe5,339
Asia612
Total9,275

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 April 1, 2023, our wholesale business served approximately 100 third-party digital partners, primarily in Europe.

We have three key wholesale customers that generate significant sales volume. During Fiscal 2023, sales to our three largest wholesale customers accounted for approximately 16% 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 utilize virtual showrooms, allowing our customers to experience and discover our product assortments in a retail setting remotely.

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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 April 1, 2023:

Shop-within-Shops
North America7,060
Europe6,739
Asia893
Total14,692

The size of our shop-within-shops ranges from approximately 80 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 & 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, except for 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 on several 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 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 three to five-year terms and may grant the licensees conditional renewal options.

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.

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The following table lists our largest licensing agreements as of April 1, 2023 for the product categories presented. Except as noted in the table, these product licenses cover North America only.

CategoryLicensed ProductsLicensing Partners
Men's ApparelUnderwear and SleepwearHanesbrands, Inc. (includes Japan)
Lauren, Ralph, and Chaps Tailored ClothingPeerless Clothing International, Inc.
Chaps5 Star Apparel LLC (includes South America and South Korea)
Women's ApparelOuterwearS. Rothschild & Co., Inc.
SleepwearCharles Komar and Sons, Inc. (includes Europe and the Middle East)
Intimates and SleepwearDelta Galil (global)
Chaps5 Star Apparel LLC (includes South America and South Korea)
Beauty ProductsFragrances, Cosmetics, and Skin CareL'Oreal S.A. (global)
FootwearMen's and Women's Slippers and Children's FootwearBBC International LLC (global)
AccessoriesEyewearLuxottica Group S.p.A. (global)
Socks and HosieryRenfro Corporation
HomeUtility and BlanketsHollander Sleep & Decor
LightingVisual Comfort of America LLC (global)

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/or independent sources. International licensees' rights may include the right to own and operate retail stores. As of April 1, 2023, our international licensing partners operated 182 stores and shops.

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, social commerce, and virtual economy platforms.

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. We have launched RalphLauren.com flagships across many new markets and introduced additional languages and payment methods globally. We continue to enhance consumer experiences and engagement with greater personalization, enhanced content, and augmented and virtual reality on our digital flagships and Ralph Lauren app. In connection with our long-term growth strategy, we also continue to scale and expand our Connected Retail capabilities to enhance the consumer experience and leverage inventory across direct-to-consumer channels with abilities such as same-day delivery which was launched in Fiscal 2023.

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 a broader audience of consumers, including 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.

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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. Ralph Lauren brands are also represented in several virtual economy platforms, providing digital apparel offerings and virtual brand experiences in the metaverse that attract younger consumers.

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 (loss), 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 teams. 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 are 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.

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, home, fragrances, and hospitality 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

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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. Additionally, in October 2022, we held our first-ever West Coast fashion show, featuring our multi-brand, multi-gender ode to California Dreaming. Such fashion events, in addition to celebrity dressing occasions, including those related to red carpet events, weddings, and major sporting events, 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 are the official outfitter for all on-court officials at the Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australian Open tennis tournaments. These 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. Most recently, we dressed Team U.S.A. for the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China in 2022, and we will be dressing the team for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France in 2024, Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy in 2026, and Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, U.S. in 2028. 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, Andrea Lee, Doc Redman, Lilia Vu, Trevor Werbylo, Devon Bling, Nick Watney, Smylie Kaufman, Tom Watson, Davis Love III, and Jonathan Byrd.

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 4% of our total production during Fiscal 2023. 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 2023, approximately 96% of our products (by dollar value) were produced outside of the U.S., primarily in Asia, Europe, and Latin America, with approximately 19% of our products sourced from China and 18% 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 outlet stores or through other secondary distribution channels.

Suppliers operate under the close supervision of our global manufacturing division. 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 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 in a timely fashion to changing consumer demands and shopping preferences, including the ever-increasing shift to digital brand engagement, social media communications, and online and cross-channel shopping;

  • create and maintain favorable brand recognition, loyalty, and a reputation for quality, including through digital brand engagement and online and social media presence;

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

  • competitively price our products and create an acceptable value proposition for consumers, including price increases to mitigate inflationary pressures while simultaneously balancing the risk of lower consumer demand in response to any such price increases;

  • provide strong and effective marketing support in several diverse demographic markets, including through digital and social media platforms in order to stay better connected to consumers;

  • establish relationships with athletes, musicians, influencers, and other celebrities to promote our brands and products;

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

  • adapt to changes in technology, including the successful utilization of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning;

  • 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 sustainable and traceable 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 employees to operate our retail stores, distribution centers, and various corporate functions;

  • 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."

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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 LocationGeographic Region ServicedFacility Ownership
N. Pendleton Street, High Point, North CarolinaU.S.Owned
NC Highway 66, High Point, North CarolinaU.S.Leased
Greensboro, North CarolinaU.S.Leased
Whitsett, North CarolinaU.S.Leased
Toronto, OntarioCanadaThird-party
Parma, ItalyEurope and Latin AmericaThird-party
Yokohama, JapanJapanThird-party
Bugok, South KoreaSouth KoreaLeased
Tuen Mun, Hong KongChina and Southeast Asia**(a)**Third-party

**(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, services, and software. For example, during Fiscal 2023, we expanded our integration of the supply network with demand management processes, created new business-to-business capabilities for wholesale sales management, and completed the upgrade of our global human resource systems. In addition, we continued to enhance our solutions for advanced analytics, furthering use of artificial intelligence ("AI") and machine learning ("ML") for areas such as forecasting, inventory management, marketing, and consumer-facing capabilities such as personalization. We implemented an internal AI/ML platform that enables use of data and machine learning for insights and operations broadly across the organization. Generative AI is being introduced to augment creative and content creation processes. We are also continually enhancing consumer experiences including the continued expansion of new Connected Retail Capabilities such as the digitization in our retail stores and optimization of inventory across direct-to-consumer channels.

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We have a longstanding information security risk program structured according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, industry best practices, privacy legislation, and other global and local standards and regulations. This program includes a defense-in-depth approach with multiple layers of security controls, including network segmentation, security monitoring, endpoint protection, and identity and access management, as well as data protection best practices and data loss prevention controls. Our Audit Committee is updated on the overall performance of our information security risk program on a quarterly basis by our Chief Information Security Officer.

Our cybersecurity awareness program includes regular phishing simulations, annual general cybersecurity awareness, and data protection modules, as well as more contextual and personalized modules for targeted users and roles. We incorporate external expertise and guidance in all aspects of our cybersecurity program. We complete annual internal security audits and vulnerability assessments of the Company's information systems and related controls, including systems affecting personal data. In addition, we leverage cybersecurity specialists to complete annual external audits and objective assessments of our cybersecurity program and practices, including our data protection practices, as well as to conduct targeted attack simulations. We continually enhance our information security capabilities in order to protect against emerging threats, while also increasing our ability to detect and respond to cyber incidents and maximize our resilience to recover from potential cyber-attacks. We have a robust incident response plan in place that provides a documented runbook for handling high severity cybersecurity incidents and facilitates coordination across multiple parts of our Company. We also perform simulations and drills at both a technical and leadership level at least annually. 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 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;

  • RL;

  • LAUREN RALPH LAUREN;

  • PINK PONY;

  • LAUREN;

  • RALPH;

  • POLO BEAR;

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  • CHAPS; 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 direct 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.

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 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."

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We are also subject to other international trade agreements, such 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, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, 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. 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."

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, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Our Employees

As of April 1, 2023, we had approximately 23,300 employees, comprised of approximately 14,900 full-time and 8,400 part-time employees. Approximately 10,400 of our employees are located in the U.S. and 12,900 are located in foreign countries. Three 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 April 1, 2023, approximately 64% and 35% of our global workforce self-identified as female and male, respectively, with the remaining 1% electing not to disclose such information. In the U.S., approximately 61% of our workforce self-identified as an underrepresented race and ethnic group and 33% self-identified as White, with the remaining 6% electing not to disclose such information.

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Diversity, Equity, 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, equity, and inclusion ("DE&I") strategy is guided by the following five pillars:

1.Talent — Ensure that fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging is a priority company-wide, resulting in the cultivation of diverse teams and elevation of underrepresented talent to leadership ranks. Throughout Fiscal 2023, we continued to achieve our goal of maintaining gender parity in our leadership ranks for Vice President and above. Additionally, we reached our goal of having at least 20% of our global leadership team being comprised of leaders from diverse racial and ethnic groups by the end of Fiscal 2023. We plan to continue driving progress toward other key representation targets, including ensuring that at least 10% of our global leadership team is Black, African, or African American.

2.Collaboration and Belonging — Enable open dialogue and create safe spaces for the amplification of diverse voices and perspectives. During Fiscal 2023, we launched a new framework, shifting to a more customized approach to ensure accessibility for employees worldwide. Formerly called Employee Resource Groups, our newly renamed Employee Impact Groups ("EIGs") harness the talent and passion of our employees from around the world to help create an inclusive and diverse company culture, as well as learning and engagement opportunities. Our mission is to create EIGs that enable the organization to (i) deliver results that tie directly to our Next Great Chapter: Accelerate growth strategy by fostering a culture where all employees can thrive; (ii) advance a trustful and engaged work environment; (iii) boost inclusive leadership capabilities to promote a sense of belonging for all employees; and (iv) empower our employees to positively impact our workplace and the communities in which we live and serve.

3.Learning — We remain dedicated to the growth and advancement of our talent and offer a wide range of development programs for all levels, including on-the-job training and coaching and skill-building through our various customized learning and training programs. All of our employee learning and development programs aim to promote our Ralph Lauren Success Drivers — the key attributes, skills, ways of thinking, and behaviors that ultimately create conditions that better enable individuals and teams to succeed. Specific to DE&I education, we continued to focus on inclusive leadership by rolling out a new "includership" program globally during Fiscal 2023. We are also continuing to evolve our cultural awareness training.

4.Communication and Messaging — Maximize our inclusive message and increase the transparency of our DE&I initiatives. We gather direct feedback from our employees and measure their engagement to better understand how we can improve.

5.Celebration and Recognition — Appreciate our unique differences and increase educational events for all employees with a focus on diverse experiences. During Fiscal 2023, we increased educational and celebratory events focused on diverse experiences with over 70 virtual and in-person DE&I events with 7,000 participants globally. Our DE&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 for three consecutive years, as well as being named Best Place to Advance for Women by Parity.org, also for three consecutive years.

Additional information relating to our DE&I initiatives and goals can be found in our annual sustainability report, which is available at our website at http://investor.ralphlauren.com under the caption "Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report." Our 2023 Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report is expected to be published in June 2023. 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.

Talent Development

We continue our commitment to the growth and development of our employees and offer a wide range of development 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 learning platform, Ralph Lauren Learning. During Fiscal 2023, we amplified the education for our RL Success Drivers by creating development guides for all of our employees on how to unlock and apply the RL Success Drivers to their role.

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Our RL Learning Academy, representing a collection of customized collaborative and experiential learning programs rooted in the RL Success Drivers, continues to grow. During Fiscal 2023, all managers were trained on situational leadership and "includership" to support and foster our inclusive culture. Employee career progression at our distribution centers and stores was also a focus area this year, with programs launched to support career growth and management development. We also added new courses this year focused on responsive flexibility, inclusivity, and a range of learning on demand. In addition, we upgraded our Product Knowledge Learning, offering a range of in depth virtual and self-directed learning with a focus on high potential categories. These collective learning and development programs help foster career mobility for our employees, while simultaneously allowing us to fill a portion of our 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 and related application tool, provides access to volunteer events and physical and mental wellness support. The THRIVE application also provides a daily pulse question through Microsoft Teams, which links to additional wellness articles based on an employee's response. In addition, these pulse responses are tracked so that employees can view their well-being progress. Further, our Europe business hosted workshops to educate all managers on mental health and how to support employees dealing with personal difficulties, with additional trainings planned in Fiscal 2024 for all of our employees worldwide.

Our priority continues to be 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, for North America, in situations that make one feel unsafe, but do not warrant a call to 911, we launched a new program — Bond — making available the services of a security professional by an employee's side through an application, monitoring them and standing by to respond within seconds using voice, video, and chat.

During Fiscal 2023, we also expanded employee well-being services in the U.S. to include Gympass, a platform that offers resources to support one's body, mind, and mood, providing access to 12,000 fitness facilities nationwide at discounted prices, livestreamed group fitness classes, virtual personal training, and on-demand wellness partners providing fitness, meditations and mindfulness, mental health, and nutrition. In Asia, we launched Wellspace, a mobile app that helps employees improve mental and physical well-being. In Europe, we piloted mental health pop-ups for a period of two months in partnership with an Employee Assistance Program provider, enabling employees to participate in free 30-minute sessions with a trained therapist. In addition to these regional programs, we continue to host monthly wellness webinars globally and provide weekly meditation classes.

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 annual assessments in partnership with an independent firm who is a leader in workplace equity and creators of a comprehensive analytics software platform used 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. During Fiscal 2023, we further expanded our medical benefits in the U.S. to include a new lower-cost medical option, previously only available to our part-time employees. We also provide our employees with a merchandise discount on most of our products.

As we continue to ensure employees can access benefits information easily and in real-time, as well as finding new ways to communicate with our retail population, we have recently launched a flexible benefits platform in the United Kingdom, Benify, and plan to extend the program to more countries in the future. This platform enables employees to select relevant benefits that fit their needs and lifestyle, access benefits information directly from their mobile or laptop, and submit their benefits selections on the platform. The platform also offers a communications module to send push notifications via the mobile app when an action is required from an employee.

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Information About Our Executive Officers

As of the filing date of this Form 10-K, the following are our current executive officers and their principal recent business experience:

Ralph LaurenAge 83Mr. 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 LouvetAge 58Mr. 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 the National Retail Federation since January 2020. Mr. Louvet also serves on the board of trustees of the Hospital of Special Surgery and recently joined the board of directors of Danone in April 2022. He is also on the CEO Advisory Council of the Fashion Pact, a coalition committed to advancing environmental sustainability in the fashion and textile industries.
Jane Hamilton NielsenAge 59Ms. 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.
David LaurenAge 51Mr. David Lauren has been our Chief Branding and Innovation Officer, Strategic Advisor to the CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board since April 2022. He served as our Chief Innovation Officer, Strategic Advisor to the CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board from October 2016 to March 2022. Prior to that, he served in numerous leadership roles at the Company with responsibility for advertising, marketing, communications, and philanthropy. He has been a director of the Company since August 2013. Mr. D. Lauren oversees the Company's innovation strategy, 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. 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.
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Halide AlagözAge 51Ms. Alagöz joined the Company as the Corporate Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Sourcing in 2016. She has been our Chief Product Officer since March 2021. Ms. Alagöz is responsible for our end-to-end product life cycle, bringing the magic of our design and product vision to life for our consumers around the world. She leads our Polo, RRL, and Lauren brand teams and additionally drives innovation and the seamless execution – from development through sourcing – of all products across the Ralph Lauren portfolio. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Alagöz was with H&M Corporation for 18 years, most recently in Hong Kong as the Head of Purchasing. During her tenure with H&M, Ms. Alagöz was responsible for various regional and global supply chain operations in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, and Turkey. She also serves on the board of directors of the American Apparel & Footwear Association since April 2018 and was confirmed as its Secretary for its 2023-2024 term in March 2023. Ms. Alagöz earned both her bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and her master's degree in Engineering Management from Istanbul Technical University.

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