Ralph Lauren Corporation Provides Update on Impact of Coronavirus
NEW YORK— February 13, 2020 — In response to continuing developments related to the coronavirus outbreak in China, Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is following the
guidance of local authorities and global health organizations as it prioritizes the health and safety of its employees, consumers and partners. As part of this, approximately two thirds of the Company’s stores in the Chinese mainland have been
temporarily closed over the past week. The Company also expects broader impact across its businesses in China and parts of Asia due to significantly reduced travel and retail traffic.
The Company’s fourth quarter Fiscal 2020 guidance is now estimated to be negatively impacted by $55 million to $70 million in sales and $35 million to $45 million in
operating income in Asia, driven by current trends in China, Japan, and Korea. These estimates could materially change if there is meaningful deterioration from current trends. Supply chain disruptions in China could also impact a small portion of
the Company’s fourth quarter orders globally.
“Our hearts are with the many impacted by this virus. Our number one priority is keeping our teams, partners and consumers safe,” said Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and
Chief Creative Officer.
“Our dedicated teams are operating with agility in a highly dynamic situation, and we will continue to assess the implications for our business across retail, corporate and
our supply base,” said Patrice Louvet, President and Chief Executive Officer. “While the health crisis creates near-term uncertainties, the fundamentals of our business are strong, and we continue to see significant long-term opportunities for
growth in China and across Asia.”
As the situation continues to unfold, the Company plans to provide an update on the operational and financial impact along with its Fiscal 2021 and first quarter guidance
on its fourth quarter Fiscal 2020 earnings call.
ABOUT RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, footwear &
accessories, home, fragrances and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand
names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps and Club Monaco, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely
recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to https://corporate.ralphlauren.com.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include the statements regarding, among other things, our current expectations about the Company's future results and financial condition, revenues, store openings and
closings, employee reductions, margins, expenses, earnings, and citizenship and sustainability goals and are indicated by words or phrases such as "anticipate," "outlook," "estimate," "expect," "project," "we believe," "can," "will," and similar
words or phrases. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance or
achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and judgments and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are
unforeseeable and beyond our control. The factors that could cause actual results to materially differ include, among others: the loss of key personnel, including Mr. Ralph Lauren, or other changes in our executive and senior management team or to
our operating structure, and our ability to effectively transfer knowledge during periods of transition; our ability to successfully implement our long-term growth strategy; our ability to continue to expand and grow our business internationally
and the impact of related changes in our customer, channel, and geographic sales mix as a result, as well as our ability to accelerate growth in certain product categories; our ability to open new retail stores and concession shops, as well as
enhance and expand our digital footprint and capabilities, all in an effort to expand our direct-to-consumer presence; our ability to respond to constantly changing fashion and retail trends and consumer demands in a timely manner, develop products
that resonate with our existing customers and attract new customers, and execute marketing and advertising programs that appeal to consumers; our ability to effectively manage inventory levels and the increasing pressure on our margins in a highly
promotional retail environment; our ability to continue to maintain our brand image and
reputation and protect our trademarks; our ability to competitively price our products and create an acceptable value proposition for consumers; the
impact to our business resulting from changes in consumers' ability, willingness, or preferences to purchase discretionary items and luxury retail products, which tends to decline during recessionary periods, and our ability to accurately forecast
consumer demand, the failure of which could result in either a build-up or shortage of inventory; our ability to achieve anticipated operating enhancements and cost reductions from our restructuring plans, as well as the impact to our business
resulting from restructuring-related charges, which may be dilutive to our earnings in the short term; the impact to our business resulting from potential costs and obligations related to the early closure of our stores or termination of our
long-term, non-cancellable leases; a variety of legal, regulatory, tax, political, and economic risks, including risks related to the importation and exportation of products which our operations are currently subject to, or may become subject to as
a result of potential changes in legislation, and other risks associated with our international operations, such as compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or violations of other anti-bribery and corruption laws prohibiting improper
payments, and the burdens of complying with a variety of foreign laws and regulations, including tax laws, trade and labor restrictions, and related laws that may reduce the flexibility of our business; the potential impact to our business
resulting from the imposition of additional duties, tariffs, taxes, and other charges or barriers to trade, including those resulting from current trade developments with China and the related impact to global stock markets, as well as our ability
to implement mitigating sourcing strategies; the impact to our business resulting from the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union and the uncertainty surrounding its future relationship with the European Union, including trade agreements, as
well as the related impact to global stock markets and currency exchange rates; the impact to our business resulting from increases in the costs of raw materials, transportation, and labor, including wages, healthcare, and other benefit-related
costs; our ability to secure our facilities and systems and those of our third-party service providers from, among other things, cybersecurity breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, or similar Internet or email events; our efforts to
successfully enhance, upgrade, and/or transition our global information technology systems and digital commerce platforms; changes in our tax obligations and effective tax rate due to a variety of other factors, including potential changes in U.S.
or foreign tax laws and regulations, accounting rules, or the mix and level of earnings by jurisdiction in future periods that are not currently known or anticipated; our exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations from both a transactional and
translational perspective; the potential impact to our business resulting from the financial difficulties of certain of our large wholesale customers, which may result in consolidations, liquidations, restructurings, and other ownership changes in
the retail industry, as well as other changes in the competitive marketplace, including the introduction of new products or pricing changes by our competitors; the impact of economic, political, and other conditions on us, our customers, suppliers,
vendors, and lenders, including business disruptions in Hong Kong resulting from ongoing protests and political unrest; the potential impact to our business if any of our distribution centers were to become inoperable or inaccessible; the potential
impact on our operations and on our suppliers and customers resulting from man-made or natural disasters, such as severe weather, geological events, and epidemic diseases such as the coronavirus outbreak, and other catastrophic events; the impact
to our business of events of unrest and instability that are currently taking place in certain parts of the world, as well as from any terrorist action, retaliation, and the threat of further action or retaliation; our ability to access sources of
liquidity to provide for our cash needs, including our debt obligations, tax obligations, payment of dividends, capital expenditures, and potential repurchases of our Class A common stock, as well as the ability of our customers, suppliers,
vendors, and lenders to access sources of liquidity to provide for their own cash needs; the potential impact to the trading prices of our securities if our Class A common stock share repurchase activity and/or cash dividend payments differ from
investors' expectations; our ability to maintain our credit profile and ratings within the financial community; our intention to introduce new products or brands, or enter into or renew alliances; changes in the business of, and our relationships
with, major department store customers and licensing partners; our ability to achieve our goals regarding environmental, social, and governance practices; our ability to make certain strategic acquisitions and successfully integrate the acquired
businesses into our existing operations; and other risk factors identified in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.