RL: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

As of April 1, 2023, our consolidated indebtedness was approximately $1.1 billion, comprised of our outstanding unsecured senior notes. We also maintain several credit and overdraft facilities, including our Global Credit Facility, which collectively had a remaining availability of approximately $577 million as of April 1, 2023. Accordingly, the amount of our indebtedness could further increase materially if we decide to draw upon our credit or overdraft facilities. This substantial level of indebtedness could have adverse consequences to our business, including (i) making it more difficult to satisfy our debt obligations as they become due; (ii) impairing our ability to obtain additional financing in the future; (iii) requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to be used for the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, thereby reducing the amount of cash available to fund working capital needs, capital expenditures, and other general corporate purposes; (iv) limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business; and (v) increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions. We rely on our operating cash flows to repay our outstanding borrowings, as well as to fund any working capital needs, capital expenditures, dividend payments, share repurchases, and other general corporate purposes. Prolonged periods of adverse economic conditions or business disruptions in any of our key regions, or a combination thereof, could impede our ability to pay our obligations as they become due or return value to our shareholders, as well as delay previously planned expenditures related to our operations. Credit rating agencies also periodically review our capital structure and our ability to generate earnings. A prolonged period of deteriorated financial performance or our inability to comply with debt covenants (as discussed below) could make future financing more difficult to secure and/or expensive. Further, factors beyond our control, such as adverse economic conditions, could disrupt capital markets and limit the availability or willingness of financial institutions to extend capital to us in the future. Certain of our debt instruments contain a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including maintaining a leverage ratio at or below a specified level. Our failure to comply with such covenants or otherwise secure temporary waivers of non-compliance, could result in the termination of the related facilities and/or our lenders demanding any amounts outstanding to be immediately repaid, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, even if we are able to obtain waivers of non-compliance, such waivers may result in incremental fees, higher interest rates, and/or additional restrictions and covenants. Additionally, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates multiple times over the last 12 months in an effort to mitigate inflationary pressures and further increases may occur in the near future. Higher interest rates may increase the cost of any borrowings under our various credit and overdraft facilities, as well as negatively impact consumer sentiment and the global economy as a whole, which could result in a material adverse effect on our business.

As of April 2, 2022, our consolidated indebtedness was approximately $1.636 billion, comprised of our outstanding borrowings under Senior Notes. We also maintain several credit and overdraft facilities, including our Global Credit Facility, which collectively had a remaining availability of approximately $564 million as of April 2, 2022. Accordingly, the amount of our indebtedness could further increase materially if we decide to draw upon our credit or overdraft facilities. This substantial level of indebtedness could have adverse consequences to our business, including (i) making it more difficult to satisfy our debt obligations as they become due; (ii) impairing our ability to obtain additional financing in the future; (iii) limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business; and (iv) increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions. We rely on our operating cash flows to repay our outstanding borrowings, as well as to fund any working capital needs, capital expenditures, dividend payments, share repurchases, and other general corporate purposes. Prolonged periods of adverse economic conditions or business disruptions in any of our key regions, or a combination thereof, such as those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, could impede our ability to pay our obligations as they become due or return value to our shareholders, as well as delay previously planned expenditures related to our operations. Credit rating agencies also periodically review our capital structure and our ability to generate earnings. A prolonged period of deteriorated financial performance or our inability to comply with debt covenants (as discussed below) could make future financing more difficult to secure and/or expensive. Further, factors beyond our control, such as adverse economic conditions, could disrupt capital markets and limit the availability or willingness of financial institutions to extend capital to us in the future. Certain of our debt instruments contain a number of affirmative and negative covenants, including maintaining a leverage ratio at or below a specified level. Our failure to comply with such covenants or otherwise secure temporary waivers of non-compliance, could result in the termination of the related facilities and/or our lenders demanding any amounts outstanding to be immediately repaid, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, even if we are able to obtain waivers of non-compliance, such waivers may result in incremental fees, higher interest rates, and/or additional restrictions and covenants.

Our business could be adversely affected by infectious disease outbreaks, such as the novel strain of coronavirus commonly referred to as COVID-19. COVID-19 emerged during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020 and spread rapidly across the globe, including throughout all major geographies in which we operate, resulting in adverse economic conditions and widespread business disruptions. Since then, governments worldwide have periodically imposed varying degrees of preventative and protective actions, such as temporary travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and forced business closures or other operational restrictions, including reduced capacity limits and operating hours, all in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced varying degrees of business disruptions since its beginning, including periods of closure of our stores, distribution centers, and corporate facilities, as have our wholesale customers, licensing partners, suppliers, and vendors, as described in Item 1 — "Business — Recent Developments." Collectively, these disruptions have had a material adverse impact on our business throughout the pandemic, most notably during Fiscal 2021. The pandemic continues to evolve, with resurgences and outbreaks occurring in certain parts of the world during Fiscal 2023, including those resulting from variant strains 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 this crisis may continue to impact our business operations, the global supply chain, or the overall global economy. Potential impacts to our business include, but are not limited to: (i) our ability to successfully execute our long-term growth strategy; (ii) supply chain disruptions resulting from closed factories, reduced workforces, scarcity of raw materials, shipping and loading capacity constraints, and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas, including any related cost increases; (iii) reduced retail traffic at our stores and those of our wholesale customers and licensing partners due to forced closures or other operational restrictions, such as reduced capacity limits and operating hours, declines in tourism, and/or potential changes in consumer behavior and shopping preferences, such as their willingness to congregate in shopping centers or other populated locations and the overall growing preference to shop online versus at traditional brick and mortar locations; (iv) potential declines in the level of consumer purchases of discretionary items and luxury retail products, including our products, caused by higher unemployment and lower disposal income levels, inflationary pressures, travel and social gathering restrictions, work-from-home arrangements, or other factors beyond our control; (v) the potential build-up of excess inventory as a result of store closures and/or lower consumer demand; (vi) temporary closures or other operational restrictions of our distribution centers and/or corporate facilities; (vii) our ability to attract, retain, and manage employees in the current environment, which includes remote working arrangements; (viii) additional costs to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers, and communities, such as more frequent and thorough cleanings of our facilities and supplying personal protection equipment; (ix) the potential loss of one or more of our significant wholesale customers or licensing partners, or the loss of a large number of smaller wholesale customers or licensing partners, if they are not able to withstand prolonged periods of adverse economic conditions, and our ability to collect outstanding receivables; (x) increased vulnerability to data security or privacy breaches as a result of a substantial portion of our corporate employees working remotely for part of the work week; (xi) our ability to successfully negotiate with landlords to obtain rent abatements, rent deferrals, and other relief; (xii) our ability to access capital markets and maintain compliance with covenants associated with our existing debt instruments, as well as the ability of our key customers, suppliers, and vendors to do the same with regard to their own obligations; (xiii) our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to support our operations, including repayment of our debt obligations as they become due, as well as to return value to our shareholders in the form of dividend payments and repurchases of our common stock; (xiv) diversion of management 26 26 26 26 attention and resources from ongoing business activities and/or a decrease in employee morale; and (xv) our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls and compliance with the requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Additional discussion related to the various risks and uncertainties described above is included elsewhere within this "Risk Factors" section of this Form 10-K.

Our business could be adversely affected by infectious disease outbreaks, such as the novel strain of coronavirus commonly referred to as COVID-19. COVID-19, which emerged beginning in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2020, has spread rapidly across the globe, including throughout all major geographies in which we operate (North America, Europe, and Asia), resulting in adverse economic conditions and business disruptions, as well as significant volatility in global financial markets. Governments worldwide have periodically imposed varying degrees of preventative and protective actions, such as temporary travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and forced business closures or other operational restrictions, including reduced capacity limits and operating hours, all in an effort to reduce the spread of the virus. Such factors, among others, have resulted in a significant decline in retail traffic, tourism, and consumer spending on discretionary items. 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, as described in Item 1 — "Business — Recent Developments." Collectively, these disruptions have had a material adverse impact on our business throughout the pandemic, particularly during Fiscal 2021. Despite the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, the pandemic remains highly volatile and continues to evolve, including the emergence of variants of the virus, such as the Delta and Omicron variants, which has and could continue to adversely affect consumer sentiment and confidence. Accordingly, we cannot predict for how long and to what extent this crisis will continue to impact our business operations or the overall global economy. Potential impacts to our business include, but are not limited to: •our ability to successfully execute our long-term growth strategy; •reduced retail traffic at our stores and those of our wholesale customers and licensing partners due to forced closures or other operational restrictions, such as reduced capacity limits and operating hours, declines in tourism, and/or potential changes in consumer behavior and shopping preferences, such as their willingness to congregate in shopping centers or other populated locations and the overall growing preference to shop online versus at traditional brick and mortar locations; •potential declines in the level of consumer purchases of discretionary items and luxury retail products, including our products, caused by higher unemployment and lower disposal income levels, inflationary pressures, travel and social gathering restrictions, work-from-home arrangements, or other factors beyond our control; •the potential build-up of excess inventory as a result of store closures and/or lower consumer demand; •temporary closures or other operational restrictions of our distribution centers and/or corporate facilities; •supply chain disruptions resulting from closed factories, reduced workforces, scarcity of raw materials, shipping and loading capacity constraints, and scrutiny or embargoing of goods produced in infected areas, including any related cost increases; •our ability to attract, retain, and manage employees in the current environment, which include remote working arrangements; •additional costs to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers, and communities, such as more frequent and thorough cleanings of our facilities and supplying personal protection equipment; •the potential loss of one or more of our significant wholesale customers or licensing partners, or the loss of a large number of smaller wholesale customers or licensing partners, if they are not able to withstand prolonged periods of adverse economic conditions, and our ability to collect outstanding receivables; •increased vulnerability to data security or privacy breaches as a result of a substantial portion of our corporate employees continuing to work remotely; •our ability to successfully negotiate with landlords to obtain rent abatements, rent deferrals, and other relief; 25 25 25 25 •our ability to access capital markets and maintain compliance with covenants associated with our existing debt instruments, as well as the ability of our key customers, suppliers, and vendors to do the same with regard to their own obligations; •our ability to generate sufficient cash flows to support our operations, including repayment of our debt obligations as they become due, as well as to return value to our shareholders in the form of dividend payments and repurchases of our common stock; •diversion of management attention and resources from ongoing business activities and/or a decrease in employee morale; and •our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls and compliance with the requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Additional discussion related to the various risks and uncertainties described above is included elsewhere within this "Risk Factors" section of this Form 10-K.

Our business is susceptible to risks associated with climate change, including potential disruptions to our retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate facilities. Increased frequency and/or severity of adverse weather events due to climate change could adversely impact global supply chains, including the availability and cost of raw materials (such as cotton, a key raw material used in the production of our products that is highly susceptible to severe weather conditions), the ability of our 36 36 36 36 manufacturers to fulfill our orders timely and to our specifications, and shipping disruptions and/or higher freight costs. An increase in extreme weather conditions could also result in more frequent damage and/or closures of our stores and distribution centers, adversely impact retail traffic, consumer's disposable income levels or spending habits on discretionary items, or otherwise disrupt business operations in the communities in which we operate, any of which could result in lost sales or higher costs. In addition, many countries in which we and our suppliers operate have begun enacting new legislation and regulations in an attempt to reduce or mitigate the potential impacts of climate change, which could result in higher sourcing, operational, and compliance-related costs. Such proposed measures also include expanded disclosure requirements regarding greenhouse gas emissions and other climate-related information, including independent auditors providing some level of attestation to the accuracy of such disclosures. There has also been increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, consumers, customers, and other stakeholders on products that are sustainably made and other sustainability matters, including traceability and transparency, sustainability claims and product labeling requirements, responsible sourcing and deforestation, the use of energy and water, and the recyclability or recoverability of packaging, product, and materials. Our ability to comply with any such new laws and regulations or otherwise meet our various stakeholders' expectations may lead to increased costs and operational complexity. Any failure on our part to comply with such regulations or meet such expectations could lead to adverse consumer actions and/or investment decisions by investors, as well as expose us to government enforcement action and/or private litigation.

Our business is susceptible to risks associated with climate change, including potential disruptions to our retail stores, distribution centers, and corporate facilities. Increased frequency and/or severity of adverse weather events due to climate change could adversely impact global supply chains, including the availability and cost of raw materials (such as cotton, a key raw material used in the production of our products that is highly susceptible to severe weather conditions), the ability of our manufacturers to fulfill our orders timely and to our specifications, and shipping disruptions and/or higher freight costs. An increase in extreme weather conditions could also result in more frequent damage and/or closures of our stores and distribution centers, adversely impact retail traffic, consumer's disposable income levels or spending habits on discretionary items, or otherwise disrupt business operations in the communities in which we operate, any of which could result in lost sales or higher costs. In addition, many countries in which we and our suppliers operate have begun enacting new legislation and regulations in an attempt to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change, which could result in higher sourcing, operational, and compliance-related costs. Such proposed measures also include expanded disclosure requirements regarding greenhouse gas emissions and other climate-related information, including independent auditors providing some level of attestation to the accuracy of such disclosures. Our ability to comply with any such new laws and regulations may lead to increased costs and operational complexity. Any failure on our part to comply with such climate change-related regulations could lead to adverse consumer actions and/or investment decisions by investors, as well as expose us to government enforcement action and/or private litigation.

Our ability to capitalize on growth in new international markets and to maintain our current level of operations in our existing markets is subject to certain risks associated with operating in various locations around the globe. These include, but are not limited to (i) complying with a variety of U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, trade, product labeling, and product safety restrictions, as well as forced labor regulations such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ("UFLPA") and the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ("CAATSA"), both of which prohibit the importation of goods made in whole or in part in certain territories, or by certain identified entities, and grants U.S. Customs & Border Protection the authority to detain, exclude, or seize goods and assess monetary penalties and fines, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, and similar foreign country laws, such as the U.K. Bribery Act, which prohibits U.K. and related companies from any form of bribery; (ii) adapting to local customs and culture; (iii) unexpected changes in laws, judicial processes, or regulatory requirements; (iv) the imposition of additional duties, tariffs, taxes, and other charges or other barriers to trade; (v) changes in diplomatic and trade relationships; (vi) civil and political instability, military conflicts, and terrorist attacks; (vii) pandemic diseases, such as COVID-19; and (viii) general economic fluctuations in specific countries or markets. Changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social, economic, or monetary policies and other factors may have a material adverse effect on our business in the future or may require us to exit a particular market or significantly modify our current business practices. For example, the global economy has been negatively impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war. Several countries, including the U.S., have imposed significant economic sanctions against Russia, including export controls and other trade restrictions with Russian entities. We have also voluntarily elected to suspend operations in Russia in protest of the conflict. While the suspension of our operations in Russia have not resulted in a material impact to our consolidated financial statements, our business has been impacted by the broader macroeconomic implications resulting from the war, including unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates, increases in energy prices, food shortages, and volatility in financial markets, among other factors, which have adversely impacted consumer sentiment and confidence. It is not clear at this time how long the conflict will endure, or if it will escalate further with additional countries declaring war against each other, which could further compound the adverse impact to the global economy. Further, in recent years both the U.S. and China have imposed new tariffs on each other related to the importation of certain product categories, including imports of apparel into the U.S. from China. As a result of actions to mitigate our exposure to the resulting tariffs, which have included diverting production to and sourcing from other countries, driving productivity within our existing supplier base, and taking pricing actions, the tariffs enacted to date have not had a material adverse impact on our business operations. However, if the U.S. decides to impose additional tariffs on apparel or other of our goods imported from China, there can be no assurance that we will be able to offset all related increased costs, which could be material to our business operations as approximately 19% of our products are currently sourced from China. We cannot predict if, and to what extent, other countries in which our products are currently manufactured or will be manufactured in the future, will be subject to additional tariffs, new trade restrictions, or other changes to existing international trade agreements, any of which could have a material adverse impact on our business. For a discussion of risks associated with the importation of products, see "Risks 37 37 37 37 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." Our business could also be impacted by changes to the tax laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. For example, in August 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA") into law. The IRA enacted a 15% corporate minimum tax rate (subject to certain thresholds being met) that will be applicable to the Company beginning in its Fiscal 2024, a 1% excise tax on share repurchases made after December 31, 2022, and created and extended certain tax-related energy incentives. Additionally, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (the "OECD"), which represents a coalition of member countries, has proposed changes to numerous long-standing tax principles through its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project, which is focused on a number of issues, including the creation of a global minimum tax commonly referred to as "Pillar Two." Currently, South Korea and Japan are the only countries to have enacted legislation consistent with the OECD's proposals under Pillar Two. However, in December 2022, the European Union member states agreed to implement the OECD's Pillar Two global minimum tax rate of 15%, which is expected to go into effect during calendar 2024, and other countries are expected to implement related legislation in the near future. We cannot be certain if or when other countries will enact new legislation or how closely any such new legislation will align with the OECD's Pillar Two framework. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of such newly enacted and proposed legislation on its future consolidated financial statements. Additionally, other taxing authorities of certain state, local, and other foreign jurisdictions may also decide to modify existing tax laws. We cannot predict which, if any, of these items or others will be enacted into law or the resulting impact any such enactment will have on our business operations, which could be material.

Our ability to capitalize on growth in new international markets and to maintain our current level of operations in our existing markets is subject to certain risks associated with operating in various locations around the globe. These include, but are not limited to: •complying with a variety of U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, trade, forced labor, product labeling, and product safety restrictions, as well as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business, and similar foreign country laws, such as the U.K. Bribery Act, which prohibits U.K. and related companies from any form of bribery; •adapting to local customs and culture; •unexpected changes in laws, judicial processes, or regulatory requirements; •the imposition of additional duties, tariffs, taxes, and other charges or other barriers to trade; •changes in diplomatic and trade relationships; •civil and political instability, military conflicts, and terrorist attacks; •pandemic diseases, such as COVID-19; and •general economic fluctuations in specific countries or markets. Changes in regulatory, geopolitical, social, economic, or monetary policies and other factors may have a material adverse effect on our business in the future or may require us to exit a particular market or significantly modify our current business practices. For example, in recent years both the U.S. and China have imposed new tariffs on each other related to the importation of certain product categories, including imports of apparel into the U.S. from China. As a result of actions to mitigate our exposure to the resulting tariffs, which have included diverting production to and sourcing from other countries, driving productivity within our existing supplier base, and taking pricing actions, the tariffs enacted to date have not had a material adverse impact on our business operations. However, if the U.S. decides to impose additional tariffs on apparel or other of our goods imported from China, there can be no assurance that we will be able to offset all related increased costs, which could be material to our business operations as approximately 19% of our products are sourced from China. We cannot predict if, and to what extent, there will be changes to international trade agreements or the resulting impact any such changes would have on our business operations, which could be material. For a discussion of risks associated with the importation of products, see "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." 37 37 37 37 Our business could also be impacted by changes to the tax laws and regulations in the countries where we operate. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (the "OECD"), which represents a coalition of member countries, has proposed changes to numerous long-standing tax principles through its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project, which is focused on a number of issues, including the shifting of profits among affiliated entities located in different tax jurisdictions. In response, certain member countries have, or are otherwise planning to, implement legislation to align their international tax rules with the OECD's recommendations. Additionally, the Biden Administration has proposed to increase the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 21% up to as much as 28%, as well as increase U.S. taxation on foreign earnings. Other taxing authorities of certain state, local, and other foreign jurisdictions may also decide to modify existing tax laws. We cannot predict which, if any, of these items or others will be enacted into law or the resulting impact any such enactment will have on our business operations, which could be material.

Although we believe that our existing cash and investments, cash provided by operations, and available borrowing capacity under our credit and overdraft facilities and commercial paper borrowing program will provide us with sufficient liquidity, the impact of economic conditions on our major third-party customers, suppliers, vendors, and lenders and their ability to access global capital markets cannot be predicted. The inability of third parties to manufacture and/or ship our products due to insufficient liquidity or otherwise could impair our ability to meet the delivery date requirements of our 25 25 25 25 customers. A disruption in the ability of our significant customers to access liquidity could cause serious disruptions or an overall deterioration of their businesses which could lead to a significant reduction in their future orders of our products and the inability or failure on their part to meet their payment obligations to us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Any deterioration in global financial or capital markets could affect our ability to access sources of liquidity to provide for our future cash needs, increase the cost of any future financing, or cause our lenders to be unable to meet their funding commitments under our credit and overdraft facilities. We also regularly maintain domestic cash deposits in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insured banks, which exceed the FDIC insurance limits. In addition, we maintain cash deposits in foreign banks where we operate, some of which are not insured or are only partially insured by the FDIC or other similar agencies. Bank failures, events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, or concerns or rumors about such events, may lead to liquidity constraints. The failure of a bank, or other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets impacting financial institutions at which we maintain balances, could adversely impact our liquidity and financial performance. There can be no assurance that our deposits in excess of the FDIC or other comparable insurance limits will be backstopped by the U.S. or applicable foreign government, or that any bank or financial institution with which we do business will be able to obtain needed liquidity from other banks, government institutions, or by acquisition in the event of a failure or liquidity crisis. Our major customers, suppliers, and vendors may also be subject to similar risks, which in turn could have a resulting material adverse impact on our business if they were to lose access to sufficient liquidity.

Although we believe that our existing cash and investments, cash provided by operations, and available borrowing capacity under our credit and overdraft facilities and commercial paper borrowing program will provide us with sufficient liquidity, the impact of economic conditions on our major customers, suppliers, vendors, and lenders, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and their ability to access global capital markets cannot be predicted. The inability of major manufacturers to ship our products could impair our ability to meet the delivery date requirements of our customers. Deterioration in global financial or capital markets could affect our ability to access sources of liquidity to provide for our future cash needs, increase the cost of any future financing, or cause our lenders to be unable to meet their funding commitments under our credit and overdraft facilities. A disruption in the ability of our significant customers to access liquidity could cause serious disruptions or an overall deterioration of their businesses which could lead to a significant reduction in their future orders of our products and the inability or failure on their part to meet their payment obligations to us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.