10-K 1 a2019yeform10-k.htm 10-K Document

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)                 _____________________________
 þ
 
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
or
 ¨
 
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended November 24, 2019
Commission file number: 001-06631
_____________________________
LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
DELAWARE
  
94-0905160
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
  
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
1155 Battery Street, San Francisco, California 94111
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(415) 501-6000
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
_____________________________
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 
Title of each class
 
Trading symbol(s)
 
Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share
 
LEVI
 
New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None 
_____________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  þ
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. 
  Yes ¨ No  þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  þ    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definition of "Large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer  ¨
Non-accelerated filer þ
Accelerated filer ¨
Smaller reporting company ¨
Emerging growth company ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  þ
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s shares of Class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of May 24, 2019, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $930,196,674, based on the closing price reported for such date on the New York Stock Exchange.
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
As of January 24, 2020, the registrant had 57,367,130 shares of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share and 336,748,994 shares of Class B common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.
Documents incorporated by reference:
Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



LEVI STRAUSS & CO.
TABLE OF CONTENTS TO FORM 10-K
FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED NOVEMBER 24, 2019
 
 
 
 
Page
Number
 
 
 
 
Item 1.
 
Item 1A.
 
Item 1B.
 
Item 2.
 
Item 3.
 
Item 4.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 5.
 
Item 6.
 
Item 7.
 
Item 7A.
 
Item 8.
 
Item 9.
 
Item 9A.
 
Item 9B.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 10.
 
Item 11.
 
Item 12.
 
Item 13.
 
Item 14.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 15.
 
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
 
 



PART I 
Item 1.
BUSINESS
Overview
From our California Gold Rush beginnings, we have grown into one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies. A history of responsible business practices, rooted in our core values, has helped us build our brands and engender consumer trust around the world. Under our Levi's®, Dockers®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brands, we design, market and sell – directly or through third parties and licensees – products that include jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories for men, women and children around the world.
Our Global Reach
Our products are sold in more than 110 countries, grouped into three geographic regions that comprise our three operating segments: the Americas, Europe and Asia (which includes the Middle East and Africa). We service our customers through our global infrastructure, developing, sourcing and marketing our products around the world. Although our brands are recognized as authentically "American," we derive approximately half of our net revenues from outside the United States. A summary of financial information for each regional operating segment is found in Note 21 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report. As a global company with sales and operations in foreign countries, we are subject to risks of doing business in foreign countries. See "Item 1A – Risk Factors", specifically "Risks Relating to Our Industry – Our business is subject to risks associated with sourcing and manufacturing overseas, as well as risks associated with potential tariffs or a global trade war" and "Risks Relating to Our Business – We are a global company with significant revenues and earnings generated internationally, which exposes us to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as well as political and economic risks."
Our products are sold in over 50,000 retail locations worldwide, including approximately 3,000 brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops. In the United States, chain retailers and department stores are the primary distribution channels for our Levi's® and Dockers® products. Outside the United States, department stores, specialty retailers, franchised or other brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops have traditionally been our primary distribution channels. Levi's® and Dockers® products are also sold through our brand-dedicated company-operated retail stores and through the e-commerce sites we operate, as well as the e-commerce sites operated by certain of our key wholesale customers and other third parties. We distribute Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brand products primarily through mass channel retailers in the Americas.
We were founded in San Francisco, California in 1853 and were incorporated in Delaware in 1970. We conduct our operations outside the United States through foreign subsidiaries. We have headquarters in San Francisco, Brussels and Singapore. Our primary corporate office is located at Levi's Plaza, 1155 Battery Street, San Francisco, California 94111, and our main telephone number is (415) 501-6000.
Our website – www.levistrauss.com – contains additional and detailed information about our history, our products and our commitments. Financial news and reports and related information about our company can be found at levistrauss.com/investors/financial-news.
We file or furnish electronically with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. We make copies of these reports available free of charge through our investor relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file or furnish them with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding Levi Strauss and other issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Information contained on or accessible through our websites is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this Annual Report or any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Our Competitive Strengths
The apparel industry is experiencing significant changes in how and where consumers shop for products, impacting the entire apparel value chain. We believe we are well-positioned to succeed in this environment due to the following strengths:
Iconic brands with deep heritage, superior product quality and a culture of innovation.
With a rich history spanning over 165 years, we offer products of exceptional quality at accessible prices. Levi’s is one of


1


the most recognizable consumer brands in the world and the #1 brand globally in jeanswear (measured by total retail sales). Levi’s is an authentic and original lifestyle brand that has expanded beyond men’s jeans into women’s jeans and multiple product categories. Consumers around the world instantly recognize the distinctive traits of Levi’s jeans-the double arc stitching on the back pocket, known as the Arcuate Stitching Design, and the red fabric tab stitched into the right back pocket, known as the Red Tab Device. Building upon this rich history, we continue to innovate our product offerings to meet the evolving tastes of today’s consumers. Our Eureka Innovation Lab, an in-house creative space in San Francisco, California dedicated to research, design, creative development and advanced product prototypes, is responsible for delivering cutting-edge advancements for our company and the industry, with an emphasis on fit, finish and fabric. For example, the 4-way stretch fabric underpinning our 2015 Levi’s women’s jeans relaunch was developed at Eureka.
In our Levi’s men’s jeans business, we retain our commitment to innovating within our core fits, such as our iconic 501 jean, while introducing new fits to address changing consumer preferences. For example, our men’s 511 slim fit has been our top selling men’s jean for the last five fiscal years. In fiscal year 2017, we increased our focus on newer tapered men’s fits and have seen growth and momentum in sales of these fits as a result. We relaunched our Levi’s women’s jeans business in fiscal year 2015, resulting in a number of new styles, and from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2019, our women’s jeans net revenues grew at a CAGR of 13%. We continue to refine our styles, fits and fabrics and explore new silhouettes that resonate with our consumer.

Unique connection with our consumers.
Over the last few years, we have increased the level of marketing support for our brands. In fiscal year 2019, our spending on advertising and promotions was $399.3 million, and 6.9% of net revenues. This disciplined investment in brand-building is a key driver of the inflection in our financial performance that occurred in fiscal year 2017. In 2014, we launched a global brand campaign called “Live in Levi’s,” reflecting that many of our consumers’ greatest moments take place while they are wearing their favorite pair of Levi’s. As part of this ongoing campaign, our “Circles” TV and online ad continues to be viewed on YouTube with over 26 million views to date. “Circles” also won the 2017 Cannes Lions Silver award, one of the most prestigious brand communication awards worldwide.
We also maintain a leading presence at significant cultural events around the world such as music festivals and sporting events, which have put the Levi’s brand back at the center of culture. In 2013, we secured the naming rights to the new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers, allowing us to connect with sports and music fans across the world. In February 2016, Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium was one of the most-watched programs in TV history. In April 2018, our Levi’s cutoff shorts, worn by Beyoncé during her headline performance at the Coachella music festival, were deemed the “ultimate Coachella clothing item” by People magazine, with Coachella generating approximately 5.8 billion global impressions for the Levi’s brand. In 2019, we again dominated Coachella as the go-to uniform for festival season with Levi's 501 cutoff shorts, generating a 50% increase in impressions versus the prior year.
We are also leading the way in customization and personalization, with a focus on delivering a leading world-class omni-channel environment, areas that we believe are increasingly important to today’s consumers. We developed an experiential in-store Tailor Shop concept in which, in select stores, consumers can alter or customize their own jeans and trucker jackets by adding personalized stitching and patches. We now include these Tailor Shops in select stores across the world, providing an added reason for an in-person visit. Several of our stores also include Print Bars where consumers can design and print personalized T-shirts on the spot. We continued our investment in digital innovation by launching Future Finish, an online customization experience on Levi.com that leverages our FLX technology, which makes it easy to create a custom pair of Levi’s and puts the power of personalization directly into the consumers’ hands.
In addition, we generate exposure through selective collaborations with iconic partners, including Disney's Star Wars, Hello Kitty and Stranger Things. In 2019, we collaborated again with Nike, this time with a focus on customization; the exclusive co-branded sneakers were available in select Levi's stores and sold out in 3 days. We also introduced the next iteration of our Trucker Jacket with Jacquard by Google which uses advanced technology and patented conductive fibers, woven into the fabric of the jacket, to seamlessly and wirelessly connect our Trucker to any smartphone.
Robust, diversified business model across multiple regions, channels and categories.
We have a diversified business model that spans our three regions, a robust presence across both our wholesale and direct-to-consumer ("DTC") channels and an established market share position in jeans, non-jeans bottoms and tops for both men and women. In fiscal year 2019, 21% of our net revenues were from tops, 72% of our net revenues were from bottoms, and 7% of our net revenues were from footwear and accessories.
We have demonstrated strong net revenues growth in all three of our geographic regions. Net revenues in our Americas segment increased 1% and 10% year-over-year in fiscal year 2019 and in fiscal year 2018, respectively, with growth since 2015 at a CAGR of 3%, within which the U.S. marketplace has grown at a CAGR of 1%. Net revenues in our Europe segment increased


2


7% and 25% year-over- year in fiscal year 2019 and in fiscal year 2018, respectively. Net revenues in our Asia segment increased 6% and 8% year-over-year in fiscal year 2019 and in fiscal year 2018, respectively. Our Europe and Asia segments represented 31% and 16% of our net revenues, respectively, in fiscal year 2019, as compared to 23% and 17% of our net revenues, respectively, in fiscal year 2015, with growth at CAGRs of 15% and 6%, respectively. Our Europe and Asia segments represented 45% of our total regional operating income in fiscal year 2019, as compared to 31% of our total regional operating income in fiscal year 2015, demonstrating the geographical diversification of our business.
We sell our products worldwide through third-party retailers such as department stores, specialty retailers, third-party e-commerce sites and franchisees who operate brand-dedicated stores. Our wholesale channels, excluding franchise stores, generated 56% and 62% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019 and 2015, respectively. Franchise stores (which are part of our wholesale channels) generated 7% and 8% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019 and 2015, respectively. We take care to select wholesale customers and distributors that we believe will represent our brands in a manner consistent with our values and growth strategies. The strength of our brands as a driver of retail traffic at our key wholesale partners allows us to maintain preferred floor space and presentation formats. Our wholesale channels net revenues increased 2% and 11% year-over-year in fiscal year 2019 and in fiscal year 2018, respectively, with growth since 2015 at a CAGR of 4%, demonstrating strong growth despite a challenging channel environment and becoming a smaller percentage of our overall net revenues. Sales to our top ten wholesale customers accounted for 26% and 27% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019 and in fiscal year 2018, respectively. No single customer represented 10% or more of our net revenues in either of these years.
We also sell our products directly to consumers through a variety of formats, including our own company-operated mainline and outlet stores, company-operated e-commerce sites and select shop-in-shops located in department stores and other third-party retail locations. Sales through our DTC channel have increased from 29% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015 to 36% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, with growth at a CAGR of 12%. Our DTC channel also experienced 6% year-over-year net revenues growth from fiscal year 2018 to fiscal year 2019. Of sales through our DTC channel: sales from our company-operated mainline and outlet stores represented 27% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, as compared to 22% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015; sales from our shop-in-shops represented 5% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, as compared to 4% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015; and sales from our company-operated e-commerce sites represented 5% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, as compared to 3% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015.
We are dedicated to expanding product category offerings that are underdeveloped for us today and that we believe can continue to drive organic business growth. For example, our tops category has increased from 11% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015 to 21% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, with growth at a CAGR of 25%, and our women’s sales increased from 20% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2015 to 31% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2019, with growth at a CAGR of 18%, driven by our women’s jeans relaunch and product category diversification efforts. Net revenues from men’s sales grew at a CAGR of 3% over the same period.
Strong global operating infrastructure.
Our presence in more than 110 countries enables us to leverage our global scale for product development and sourcing while using our local expertise to tailor products and retail experiences to individual markets. In addition, our integrated production development and distribution platform enables us to achieve operating efficiencies and deliver superior quality products. In fiscal year 2018, we announced Project F.L.X., an approach that uses lasers to digitize denim finish design and reduce finishing time improving inventory management, eliminate thousands of chemical formulations and reduces lead time. In fiscal year 2019, we sourced apparel from independent contractors located in approximately 23 countries around the world, including the United States, with no single country accounting for more than 20% of our sourcing by unit volume. By leveraging our flexible supply chain and global operating infrastructure, we are able to more quickly respond to consumer and customer demands, scale operations across diverse geographies and sales channels, shorten product development cycles and adapt to changing economic and political conditions, including new trade policies.
Values-driven company with an unwavering commitment to corporate citizenship.
Throughout our long history, we have upheld our strong belief that we can help shape society through civic engagement and community involvement, responsible labor and workplace practices, philanthropy, ethical conduct, environmental stewardship and transparency. The Levi Strauss Foundation, founded in 1952, is our main philanthropic arm. Its mission is to advance the human rights and well-being of underserved people in places where we have a business presence. We contribute to this foundation on an ongoing basis from the profits we generate. Across all aspects of our business, we engage in a “profits through principles” business approach and constantly strive to set higher standards for ourselves and the industry. In 2017 and 2018, we were named to Fortune magazine’s “Change the World” list as a result of our initiatives to improve worker well-being and reduce the use of chemicals in our finishing process, respectively. Also in 2018, we announced an industry-leading climate action strategy, which includes ambitious science-based targets for reducing carbon emissions in our owned-and-operated facilities and across our global


3


supply chain. And in 2019, we pioneered a contextual approach to water use that prioritizes saving water in areas that need it most, pledging to halve our water use in manufacturing in areas of high and medium water stress by 2025. Over the years, our milestone initiatives include: integrating our factories prior to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; developing a comprehensive supplier code of conduct that requires safe and healthy working conditions before such codes of conduct became commonplace among multinational apparel companies; and offering benefits to same-sex partners in the 1990s, long before most other companies.
Management team with a track record of success.
Over the last several years, our leadership team has built upon the strong foundation of our business, guiding our transformation into a more global, diversified lifestyle apparel company, driving strong financial results and improving our balance sheet. Our distinct culture and track record of success have enabled us to become a leading destination for top talent. Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have been with the company for eight and seven years, respectively, and most of our other key executives have worked together at the company for the last six years. Additionally, we have senior leadership in each of our operating segments to execute our growth strategy across our markets with the benefit of local knowledge and relationships.
Our Business Strategies
Our growth and financial performance over the last several years has been the result of key growth strategies adopted by our management team, each of which is described in more detail below. We will continue to aggressively pursue our global market opportunity by executing these growth strategies and continuing to innovate throughout our business.
Drive the Profitable Core. Our core includes our most profitable and cash-generating businesses. Keeping these businesses healthy and growing is critical for funding expansion in other key growth areas.
Maintain and strengthen our longstanding leadership in men's bottoms. We are actively focused on maintaining and strengthening our men’s bottoms business, which has been and will continue to be a key driver of our operating results. Our iconic 501 jean continues to be a staple in closets around the world, and we continually find ways to update this fit to appeal to new consumers and remain relevant as tastes change. We are also introducing new products, such as updated straight leg and taper styles and fabrics with added stretch for greater comfort. Enhancing the fit, finish and fabric of our existing product offerings while continuing to introduce new styles enables us to appeal to younger millennial customers and to capitalize on the ongoing consumer trend toward casualization in fashion. We will continue to be nimble and respond to evolving demographics and fashion trends while retaining our authentic heritage.
Expand and strengthen our established wholesale customer base. Our established wholesale customer base represents our largest distribution channel and will continue to represent a significant opportunity for growth. We are deepening key wholesale relationships through more targeted product assortments and a broader lifestyle offering. We are expanding our wholesale relationships, with a focus in the United States on growing premium accounts such as Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. We are also growing our core business through wholesale e-commerce sites, including Amazon, where we have expanded our core product offering and established a Levi’s-branded storefront that offers consumers a curated experience similar to the one they enjoy when they visit our company-operated e-commerce sites.
Increase penetration and sales within our top five developed markets. We manage our business by region, which enables us to respond more rapidly to opportunities presented by specific geographic markets. We continue to see growth among our top five developed markets: the United States, France, Germany, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Across these markets, we plan to expand via a combination of new stores, expanded wholesale relationships and an increased e-commerce presence.
Invest in marketing and advertising to increase engagement with our brands. We expect to continue our investment in marketing and advertising, including television, digital and influencer marketing, focusing primarily on growing sales of our core product offerings and increasing engagement with all of our brands, particularly among younger consumers.
Expand for More. We have significant opportunity to grow by expanding beyond our core business into other underpenetrated categories, markets and brands.
Develop leading positions in categories outside of men’s bottoms. We are focusing our product design and marketing efforts to reshape our global consumer perceptions from a U.S. men’s bottoms-oriented company to a global lifestyle leader for both men and women. To this end, in the near term, we are focusing on growing our tops and women’s businesses. While our logo T-shirt business has been a key driver of this growth, we are also seeing growth across other tops sub-categories such as fleece (sweatshirts) and trucker jackets. We believe we have a long runway for growth in both our tops and women’s categories. In the longer term, we intend to increase our focus on expanding our other product categories such as footwear and outerwear.


4


Expand presence in underpenetrated international markets. We believe we have a significant opportunity to deepen our presence in key emerging markets, such as China and India, to drive long-term growth. We believe our management team in China can significantly expand our business in China as we leverage a localized go-to-market strategy to open new stores and build affinity among Chinese consumers. In the fall of 2019, and in collaboration with a franchise partner, we opened a new 7,000 square foot door in Wuhan. This is now our largest store to-date in China, allowing us to showcase a broader assortment, including super-premium products, and early consumer response has been very strong. In India, to support further growth, we have opened three company-operated stores since December 2017 and launched a company-operated e-commerce platform for the country in January 2018.
Opportunistically pursue acquisitions. We expect to opportunistically pursue acquisitions to supplement our strong organic growth profile and drive further brand and category diversification. We will evaluate potential acquisition opportunities with a focus on strategic acquisitions that will enhance our portfolio of brands, bolster our product category expertise or add a new operating capability while fitting well with our corporate culture and providing an attractive financial return. We assess on a regular basis the potential acquisition of franchise partners, distributors and the product categories we have under license, to enhance the consumer experience and to accelerate distribution of our brands. We believe we are well-positioned and have the financial flexibility to pursue attractive acquisition opportunities as they arise. Just recently in December 2019, we acquired the assets of one of our distributors within Latin America in order to take direct control of our Levi's® and Docker's® brands within the Americas region and accelerate growth.
Strengthen Position as a Leading World-Class Omni-Channel Retailer. We are focused on growing our DTC channel in order to better control our brands and drive meaningful connections with our consumers globally.
Continue to expand our retail presence and improve our sales productivity in existing stores. We continue to add new, profitable retail locations in the United States and across the globe. We had 81 more company-operated stores on November 24, 2019 than we did on November 25, 2018. We are focused on creating a shopping experience that excites today’s consumers with enhanced customization and personalization through our Tailor Shops and Print Bars. Additionally, we are continuing to implement integrated omni-channel and digital capabilities across our store fleet. We have updated our systems to enable customers to return products in-store that they purchased through our websites and allow our sales associates to place orders in store when desired fits or sizes are not available. We have continued rolling out our RFID inventory management system to improve operations and help us test the effectiveness of different store layouts and assortments. We have also started updating the POS terminals in our stores so we can deliver a seamless experience across all touchpoints to our customers and continue working toward our strategy of becoming a leading world-class omni-channel retailer.
Drive e-commerce growth through global presence and superior consumer experience. We have been focused on building out our e-commerce sites across geographies while also upgrading the foundation of our sites in key geographies such as the United States and Europe in order to deliver a better user experience. In addition, we are incubating a portfolio of innovative e-commerce features that further enhance consumer experience and demonstrate our leadership in fit and style in an online forum. For example, in 2017 we rolled out "Ask Indigo," an AI-powered stylebot, to help guide consumers to the products that best fit their needs, just as an associate would in a brick-and-mortar store. We are continually testing and refining these features to help drive increased traffic, conversion and order size. We also recently rolled out an online program that enables consumers to customize trucker jackets, logo T-shirts and other products just as they would in-store.
Enhance Operational Excellence. We seek out operational improvements that leverage our scale to unlock efficiencies throughout our organization and enable us to respond quickly to changing market dynamics.
Improve operations by leveraging our scale and consolidating end-to-end accountability. We have ongoing initiatives to reduce inefficiency and increase profitability in our business. Our key efforts include leveraging our global scale to drive supply chain savings, end-to-end planning efforts to manage inventory more efficiently and a focus on driving continuous organizational efficiencies. We are in the process of implementing a new enterprise resource planning system that will strengthen our data and analysis capabilities. We are also planning to upgrade our distribution centers and improve our distribution networks in the United States and Europe to ensure we are prepared for future growth.
Improve flexibility and ability to respond to changing fashion and consumer trends. We are taking steps to shorten our time to market in order to better meet the rapidly evolving needs of our customers and consumers. For example, Project F.L.X. increases operational agility in our men’s and women’s bottoms businesses and facilitates improved inventory management by enabling us to make final decisions on the mix of styles for our denim products closer to the time of sale. We have also added shorter go-to-market processes in categories such as tops in order to forecast and buy inventory more effectively, leading to higher sell through rates and less marked down product.


5


Our Brands and Products
We offer a broad range of products, including jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and related accessories. Across all of our brands, pants – including jeans, casual pants and dress pants – represented 65%, 68% and 72% of our total units sold in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Men's products generated 67%, 69% and 72% of our total net sales in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Levi's® Brand
The Levi's® brand epitomizes classic, authentic American style and effortless cool. Levi's is an authentic and original lifestyle brand and the #1 brand globally in jeanswear (measured by total retail sales). Since their inception in 1873, Levi's® jeans have become one of the most recognizable garments in the world – reflecting the aspirations and earning the loyalty of people for generations. Consumers around the world instantly recognize the distinctive traits of Levi's® jeans, including the Arcuate Stitching Design and the Red Tab Device. The Levi's® brand continues to evolve to meet the tastes of today's consumers, driven by its distinctive pioneering and innovative spirit. Our range of leading jeanswear, other apparel items and accessories for men, women and children is available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style.
The Levi's® brand encompasses a range of products. Levi's® Red Tab™ products are the foundation of the brand, consisting of a wide spectrum of jeans and jeanswear offered in a variety of fits, fabrics, finishes, styles and price points intended to appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers. The line includes the iconic 501® jean, the original and best-selling five-pocket jean of all time. The line also incorporates a full range of jeanswear fits and styles designed specifically for women. Sales of Red Tab™ products represented the majority of our Levi's® brand net sales in all three of our regions in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017. We also offer premium products around the world under the Levi's® brand, including a range of premium pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear, and related accessories.
Our Levi's® brand products accounted for 87% of our total net sales in fiscal year 2019, and 86% in fiscal year 2018 and 2017, approximately half of which were generated in our Americas region.
Dockers® Brand
Founded in 1986, the Dockers® brand sparked a revolution in the way millions of men dressed around the world, shifting from the standard issue suit to a more casual look. 30 years later, the Dockers® brand continues to embody the spirit of khakis and define business casual. Since its introduction, the brand has focused on men's khakis and the essential clothing accessories to go with them.
Our Dockers® brand products accounted for 6%, 7% and 8% of our total net sales in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Although the substantial majority of these net sales were in the Americas region, Dockers® brand products were sold in more than 50 countries.
Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® Brands
In addition to our Levi's® and Dockers® brands, we offer the Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brands, which are focused on value-conscious consumers who seek quality craftsmanship and great fit and style at affordable prices. We offer denim jeans, casual pants, tops and jackets in a variety of fits, fabrics and finishes for men, women and children under the Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ brand through the mass retail channel in the United States and Canada. The Denizen® brand was introduced in the United States starting in 2011, and includes a variety of jeans to complement active lifestyles and to empower consumers to express their aspirations, individuality and attitudes. The Denizen® brand is sold through wholesale accounts in the United States.
Our Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brand products accounted for 7%, 7% and 6% of our total net sales in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Licensing
The appeal of our brands across consumer groups and our global reach enable us to license our Levi's® and Dockers® trademarks for a variety of product categories in multiple markets in each of our regions, including footwear, belts, wallets and bags, outerwear, sweaters, dress shirts, kidswear, sleepwear and hosiery. Licensing accounted for 2% of our total net revenues in each of fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017.


6


We enter into licensing agreements with our licensees covering royalty payments, product design and manufacturing standards, marketing and sale of licensed products, and protection of our trademarks. We require our licensees to comply with our code of conduct for contract manufacturing and engage independent monitors to perform regular on-site inspections and assessments of production facilities.
Sales, Distribution and Customers
We recognize wholesale revenue from sales of our products through third-party retailers such as department stores, specialty retailers, third-party e-commerce sites and franchise locations dedicated to our brands. We also sell our products directly to consumers through a variety of formats, including our own company-operated mainline and outlet stores, company-operated e- commerce sites and select shop-in-shops located in department stores and other third-party retail locations.
Multi-brand Retailers
We seek to make our products available where consumers shop, including offering products that are appropriately tailored for our wholesale customers and their retail consumers. We take care to select wholesale customers and distributors that we believe will represent our brands in a manner consistent with our values and growth strategies. Sales to our top ten wholesale customers accounted for 26%, 27% and 28% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. No single customer represented 10% or more of our net revenues in any of these years.
We also sell our products directly to consumers through shop-in-shops located in certain of our wholesale customers’ and other third-party retail locations. Typically, this format is conducted on a concession basis, whereby the inventory continues to be owned by us (not the retailer) until ultimate sale to the end consumer. The salespeople involved in these transactions are generally our employees and not those of the retailer. We recognize revenue in the amount of the sale to the end consumer, while paying our partners a commission. We operated approximately 500 of these shop-in-shops as of November 24, 2019.
Dedicated Stores and E-commerce Sites
We believe retail stores dedicated to our brands are important for the growth, visibility, availability and commercial success of our brands, and they are an increasingly important part of our strategy for expanding distribution of our products. Our brand-dedicated stores are either operated by us or by independent third parties such as franchisees. In addition to the dedicated stores, we maintain brand-dedicated e-commerce sites that sell products directly to consumers.
Company-operated brick-and-mortar retail stores.  Our company-operated retail stores, comprising both mainline and outlet stores, generated 27%, 26% and 25% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As of November 24, 2019, we had 905 company-operated stores, predominantly Levi's® stores, located in 32 countries across our three regions. We had 282 of these stores in the Americas, 324 stores in Europe and 299 stores in Asia. During 2019, we added 121 company-operated stores and closed 40 stores.
Franchised and other stores.  Franchised, licensed, or other forms of brand-dedicated stores operated by independent third parties sell Levi's® and Dockers® products in markets outside the United States. There were approximately 1,400 of these stores as of November 24, 2019, and they are a key element of our international distribution. In addition to these stores, we consider our network of brand-dedicated shop-in-shops, which are located within department stores and may be either operated directly by us or third parties, to be an important component of our retail distribution in international markets. Outside the United States, approximately 250 of these shop-in-shops were operated by third parties as of November 24, 2019.
E-commerce sites. We maintain brand-dedicated e-commerce sites, including www.levi.com and www.dockers.com, that sell products directly to consumers across multiple markets around the world. These sites represented 5%, 4% and 4% of overall net revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017; and 14%, 13% and 13% of DTC channel net revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Seasonality of Sales
We typically achieve our largest quarterly revenues in the fourth quarter. In fiscal year 2019, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 25%, 23%, 25% and 27%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year. In fiscal year 2018, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 24%, 22%, 25% and 29%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year.
We typically achieve a significant amount of revenues from our DTC channel on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, which is commonly referred to as Black Friday. Due to the timing of our fiscal year-end, a particular fiscal year might include one, two or no Black Fridays, which could impact our net revenues for the fiscal year. Each of fiscal years 2018 and 2017 included one Black Friday. Fiscal year 2019 did not have a Black Friday, while fiscal year 2020 will have two Black Fridays.


7


We use a 52- or 53- week fiscal year, with each fiscal year ending on the Sunday that is closest to November 30 of that year. Certain of our foreign subsidiaries have fiscal years ending November 30. Each fiscal year generally consists of four 13-week quarters, with each quarter ending on the Sunday that is closest to the last day of the month of that quarter. Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 were 52-week years, ending on November 24, 2019, November 25, 2018 and November 26, 2017, respectively. Each quarter of fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of 13 weeks. The fourth quarter of 2020 will consist of 14 weeks.
The level of our working capital reflects the seasonality of our business. We expect inventory, accounts payable and accrued expenses to be higher in the second and third quarters in preparation for the fourth quarter selling season. Order backlog is not material to our business.
Effects of Inflation
We believe inflation in the regions where most of our sales occur has not had a significant effect on our net revenues or profitability.
Marketing and Promotion
Our marketing is rooted in globally consistent brand messages that reflect the unique attributes of our brands, including the Levi's® brand as the authentic and original jeanswear brand and the Dockers® brand as the definitive khaki. We continually strengthen our portfolio of brands and our positioning at the center of popular culture with a diverse mix of marketing initiatives to drive consumer demand, such as through social media and digital and mobile outlets, sponsorships, product placement in leading fashion magazines and with celebrities, television and radio advertisements, personal sponsorships and endorsements, and selective collaborations with key influencers, integrating ourselves with significant cultural events, and on-the-ground efforts such as street-level events and similar targeted "viral" marketing activities. We also connect with sport and music fans across the world, including through the naming rights to the stadium for the San Francisco 49ers, which we secured in 2013.
Our marketing organization includes both global and regional marketing teams. Our global marketing team is responsible for developing a toolkit of marketing assets and brand guidelines to be applied across all marketing activities, including media, engagement, brand environment and in-store activation. Our regional marketing teams adapt global tools for local relevance and execute marketing strategies within the markets where we operate.
We also use our websites, including www.levi.com and www.dockers.com in relevant markets to enhance consumer understanding of our brands and help consumers find and buy our products. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, these websites is not intended to be incorporated by reference into this Annual Report and references to our website addressed in this Annual Report are inactive textual references only.
Sourcing and Logistics
Organization.  Our global sourcing and logistics organizations are responsible for taking a product from the design concept stage through production to delivery to our customers. Our objective is to leverage our global scale to achieve product development and sourcing efficiencies and reduce total product and distribution costs while maintaining our focus on product quality, local service levels and working capital management. Our presence in more than 110 countries enables us to leverage our global scale for product development and sourcing while using our local expertise to tailor products and retail experiences to individual markets. Our integrated production development and distribution platform enables us to achieve operating efficiencies and deliver superior quality products.
Product procurement.  We source nearly all of our products through independent contract manufacturers. The remainder is sourced from our company-operated manufacturing and finishing plants. See "Item 2 – Properties" for more information about these manufacturing facilities.
Sources and availability of raw materials.  The principal fabrics used in our products include cotton, blends, synthetics and wools. The prices we pay our suppliers for our products are dependent in part on the market price for raw materials used to produce them, primarily cotton. The price and availability of cotton may fluctuate substantially, depending on a variety of factors. The price fluctuations impact the cost of our products in future seasons due to the lead time of our product development cycle. Fluctuations in product costs can cause a decrease in our profitability if product pricing actions taken in response are insufficient or if those actions cause our wholesale customers or retail consumers to reduce the volumes they purchase.
Sourcing locations.  We use numerous independent contract manufacturers located throughout the world for the production and finishing of our garments. We conduct assessments of political, social, economic, trade, labor and intellectual property protection conditions in the countries in which we source our products before placing production in those countries and on an ongoing basis. We also monitor ongoing global trade regulations to optimize our supply chain networks in response to changes in tariffs or other trade policies around the world.


8


In fiscal year 2019, we sourced products from independent contract manufacturers located in approximately 23 countries around the world, including United States. We sourced products in North and South Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa. No single country accounted for more than 20% of our sourcing in fiscal year 2019.
Sourcing practices.  Our sourcing practices include these elements:
We require all third-party contractors and subcontractors who manufacture or finish products for us to comply with our code of conduct relating to supplier working conditions as well as environmental, employment and sourcing practices. We also require our licensees to ensure that their manufacturers comply with our requirements.
Our supplier code of conduct covers employment practices such as wages and benefits, working hours, health and safety, working age and discriminatory practices, environmental matters such as wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal, and ethical and legal conduct.
We regularly assess manufacturing and finishing facilities through periodic on-site facility inspections and improvement activities, including use of independent monitors to supplement our internal staff. We integrate review and performance results into our sourcing decisions.
We disclose the names and locations of our contract manufacturers to encourage collaboration among apparel companies in factory monitoring and improvement. We regularly evaluate and refine our code of conduct processes.
Logistics.  We use company-operated and third-party distribution facilities to warehouse and ship products to our wholesale customers, retail stores and e-commerce customers. For more information, see "Item 2 – Properties." Distribution center activities include receiving finished goods from our contract manufacturers and plants, inspecting those products, preparing them for retail presentation, and shipping them to our customers and to our own stores. Our distribution centers maintain a combination of replenishment and seasonal inventory. In certain locations around the globe, we have consolidated our distribution centers to service multiple countries.
Competition
The global apparel industry is highly competitive and fragmented. It is characterized by low barriers to entry, brands targeted at specific consumer segments, many regional and local competitors, and an increasing number of global competitors. Principal competitive factors include:
anticipating and responding to changing consumer preferences and buying trends in a timely manner, and ensuring product availability at wholesale and DTC channels;
developing high-quality, innovative products with relevant designs, fits, finishes, fabrics, style and performance features that meet consumer desires and trends;
maintaining favorable and strong brand name recognition and appeal through strong and effective marketing support and intelligence in diverse market segments;
identifying and securing desirable new retail locations and presenting products effectively at company-operated retail and franchised and other brand-dedicated stores;
ensuring high-profile product placement at retailers;
anticipating and responding to consumer expectations regarding e-commerce shopping and shipping;
optimizing supply chain cost efficiencies and product development cycle lead times;
creating products at a range of price points that appeal to the consumers of both our wholesale customers and our dedicated retail stores and e-commerce sites situated in each of our geographic regions; and
generating competitive economics for wholesale customers, including retailers, franchisees, and licensees.
We believe we compete favorably with respect to these factors.
We face competition from a broad range of competitors at the global, regional and local levels in diverse channels across a wide range of retail price points, and some of our competitors are larger and have more resources in the markets in which we operate. Our primary competitors include vertically integrated specialty stores, jeanswear brands, khakiwear brands, athletic wear companies, retailers' private or exclusive labels, and certain e-commerce sites.


9


Intellectual Property
We have more than 5,400 trademark registrations and pending applications in approximately 180 jurisdictions worldwide, and we acquire rights in new trademarks according to business needs. Substantially all of our global trademarks are owned by Levi Strauss & Co. We regard our trademarks as our most valuable assets and believe they have substantial value in the marketing of our products. The Levi's®, Dockers® and 501® trademarks, the Arcuate Stitching Design, the Tab Device, the Two Horse® Design, the Housemark and the Wings and Anchor Design are among our core trademarks.
We protect these trademarks by registering them with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and with governmental agencies in other countries, particularly where our products are manufactured or sold. We work vigorously to enforce and protect our trademark rights by engaging in regular market reviews, helping local law enforcement authorities detect and prosecute counterfeiters, issuing cease-and-desist letters against third parties infringing or denigrating our trademarks, opposing registration of infringing trademarks, and initiating litigation as necessary. We are currently pursuing over 250 infringement matters around the world. We also work with trade groups and industry participants seeking to strengthen laws relating to the protection of intellectual property rights in markets around the world.
As of November 24, 2019, we had nine issued U.S. patents and 19 U.S. patent applications pending. Our patents expire between 2025 and 2038. We also have 15 international and foreign patent applications pending. In addition, as we develop technologies that we believe are innovative, such as Project F.L.X., we intend to continually assess the patentability of new intellectual property.
Employees
As of November 24, 2019, we employed approximately 15,800 people, approximately 7,300 of whom were located in the Americas, 4,600 in Europe, and 3,900 in Asia. Approximately 1,800 of our employees were associated with the manufacturing and procurement of our products, 8,500 worked in retail, including seasonal employees, 1,500 worked in distribution and 4,000 were other non-production employees. As of November 24, 2019, approximately 3,700 of our employees were represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We have not experienced any work stoppages, and we consider our relations with our employees to be good.
History and Corporate Citizenship
Our story began in San Francisco, California in 1853 as a wholesale dry goods business. We invented the blue jean 20 years later. In 1873, we received a U.S. patent for “waist overalls” with metal rivets at points of strain. The first product line designated by the lot number "501" was created in 1890.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, our work pants were worn primarily by cowboys, miners and other working men in the western United States. Then, in 1934, we introduced our first jeans for women, and after World War II, our jeans began to appeal to a wider market. By the 1960s, they had become a symbol of American culture, representing a unique blend of history and youth. We opened our export and international businesses in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively. The Dockers® brand helped drive "Casual Friday" in the 1990s and has been a cornerstone of casual menswear for more than 30 years.
Today, descendants of the family of Levi Strauss continue to be actively involved in our company. Our Class B common stock is primarily owned by these descendants and their relatives and trusts established for their behalf. In order to facilitate a forum for frequent, open and constructive dialogue between us and these stockholders, the family members have organized a family council, which engages with us on topics of mutual interest, such as our industry, governance, ownership and philanthropy. Management shares information and interacts with the family members, including the family council, in a manner consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.
Throughout this long history, we have upheld our strong belief that we can help shape society through civic engagement and community involvement, responsible labor and workplace practices, philanthropy, ethical conduct, environmental stewardship and transparency. We engage in a "profits through principles" business approach and constantly strive to set higher standards for ourselves and the industry. Our milestone initiatives over the years include integrating our factories prior to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; developing a comprehensive supplier code of conduct that requires safe and healthy working conditions before such codes of conduct became commonplace among multinational apparel companies; and offering benefits to same-sex partners in the 1990s, long before most other companies.


10


Item 1A.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and read carefully all of the risks and uncertainties described below, as well as other information included in this Annual Report and in our other public filings. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. The occurrence of any of the following risks or additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In such case, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your original investment. This Annual Report also contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of specific factors, including the risks and uncertainties described below. 

Risks Relating to Our Business
Our success depends on our ability to maintain the value and reputation of our brands.
Our success depends in large part on the value and reputation of our brands, which are integral to our business and the implementation of our strategies for expanding our business. Maintaining, promoting and positioning our brands will depend largely on the success of our marketing and merchandising efforts and our ability to provide consistent, high-quality products. Our brands and reputation could be adversely affected if we fail to achieve these objectives, if we fail to deliver high- quality products acceptable to our customers and consumers or if we face or mishandle a product recall.
Our brand value also depends on our ability to maintain a positive consumer perception of our corporate integrity and culture. Negative claims or publicity involving us or our products, or the production methods of any of our suppliers or contract manufacturers, could seriously damage our reputation, sales and brand image, regardless of whether such claims or publicity are accurate. Social media, which accelerates and potentially amplifies the scope of negative claims or publicity, can increase the challenges of responding to negative claims or publicity. In addition, we or our senior executives may from time to time take positions on social issues that may be unpopular with some customers or potential customers, which may impact our ability to attract or retain such customers. Adverse publicity could undermine consumer confidence in our brands and reduce long-term demand for our products, even if such publicity is unfounded. Any harm to our brands and reputation could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
We depend on a group of key wholesale customers for a significant portion of our revenues. A significant adverse change in a customer relationship or in a customer's performance or financial position could harm our business and financial condition.
Sales to our top ten wholesale customers accounted for 26%, 27% and 28% of our total net revenues in fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. No single customer represented 10% or more of our net revenues in any of these years. While we have long-standing relationships with our wholesale customers, we do not have long-term contracts with them. As a result, purchases generally occur on an order-by-order basis, and the relationship, as well as particular orders, can generally be terminated by either party at any time. If any major wholesale customer decreases or ceases its purchases from us, cancels its orders, reduces the floor space, assortments, fixtures or advertising for our products or changes its manner of doing business with us for any reason, such actions could adversely affect our business and financial condition. Furthermore, certain of our major wholesale customers may seek to distribute our products globally in a manner or at prices that impact the positioning that we seek to promote in our other channels of distribution. In addition, a decline in the performance or financial condition of a major wholesale customer – including bankruptcy or liquidation – could result in a material loss of revenues to us and cause us to limit or discontinue business with that customer, require us to assume more credit risk relating to our receivables from that customer or limit our ability to collect amounts related to previous purchases by that customer. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our business and financial condition. For example, our wholesale customer, Sears Holdings Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries, including Kmart, is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings and has closed stores and implemented layoffs in 2019. Continuing developments will likely adversely affect our sales to this customer.
The retail industry in the United States has experienced substantial consolidation over the last decade, and further consolidation may occur. Consolidation in the retail industry has typically resulted in store closures, centralized purchasing decisions, and increased emphasis by retailers on inventory management and productivity, which could result in fewer stores carrying our products or reduced demand by retailers of our products. In addition, we and other suppliers may experience increased customer leverage over us and greater exposure to credit risk as a result of industry consolidation. Furthermore, consolidation may be partly due to consumers continuing to transition away from traditional wholesale retailers to large online retailers, which in turn exposes our products to increased competition. Any of the foregoing results can impact, and have adversely impacted in the past, our net revenues, margins and ability to operate efficiently.


11


We may be unable to maintain or increase our sales through our primary distribution channels.
In addition to our brand-dedicated company-operated retail stores and e-commerce sites, our primary distribution channels include department stores, specialty retailers, mass channel retailers, franchised or other brand-dedicated stores, and shop-in-shops.
We may be unable to maintain or increase sales of our products through these distribution channels for several reasons, including the following:
the retailers in these channels maintain – and seek to grow – substantial private-label and exclusive offerings as they strive to differentiate the brands and products they offer from those of their competitors;
the retailers may change their apparel strategies in a way that shifts focus away from our typical consumer or that otherwise results in a reduction of sales of our products generally, such as a reduction of fixture spaces devoted to our products or a shift to other brands;
other channels, including vertically integrated specialty stores and e-commerce sites, account for a substantial portion of jeanswear and casual wear sales. In some of our mature markets, these stores and sites have placed competitive pressure on our primary distribution channels, and many of these stores and sites are now looking to our developing markets to grow their business; and
shrinking points of distribution, including fewer doors at our customer locations, or bankruptcy or financial difficulties of a customer.
Further success by retailer private-labels, vertically-integrated specialty stores and e-commerce sites may continue to adversely affect the sales of our products across all channels, as well as the profitability of our brand-dedicated stores. Additionally, our ability to secure or maintain retail floor space, product display prominence, market share and sales in these channels depends on our ability to offer differentiated products, to increase retailer profitability on our products and the strength of our brands, and such efforts could have an adverse impact on our margins.
We are a global company with significant revenues and earnings generated internationally, which exposes us to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations, as well as political and economic risks.
A significant portion of our revenues and earnings are generated internationally. In addition, a substantial amount of our products comes from sources outside the country of distribution. As a result, we are both directly and indirectly (through our suppliers) subject to the risks of doing business outside the United States, including:
currency fluctuations, which have impacted our results of operations significantly in recent years;
political, economic and social instability;
changes in tariffs and taxes;
regulatory restrictions on our ability to operate in our preferred manner;
rapidly changing regulatory restrictions and requirements, for example in the area of data privacy; and
less protective foreign laws relating to intellectual property.
The functional currency for most of our foreign operations is the applicable local currency. As a result, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates affect the results of our operations and the value of our foreign assets and liabilities, including debt, which in turn may adversely affect results of operations and cash flows and the comparability of period-to-period results of operations. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates may also affect the relative prices at which we and foreign competitors sell products in the same market. Foreign governmental policies and actions regarding currency valuation could result in actions by the United States and other countries to offset the effects of such fluctuations. Given the unpredictability and volatility of foreign currency exchange rates, ongoing or unusual volatility may adversely impact our business and financial conditions.
Furthermore, due to our global operations, we are subject to numerous domestic and foreign laws and regulations affecting our business, such as those related to labor, employment, worker health and safety, antitrust and competition, environmental protection, consumer protection, privacy, and anti-corruption, including but not limited to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (the "FCPA") and the U.K. Bribery Act. Although we have put into place policies and procedures aimed at ensuring legal and regulatory compliance, our employees, subcontractors and agents could take actions that violate these requirements. Violations of these regulations could subject us to criminal or civil enforcement actions, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business.
We also are subject to the impacts of political, economic and social instability. For example, in June 2016, voters in the United Kingdom approved an advisory referendum to withdraw from the European Union, commonly referred to as "Brexit." A withdrawal could significantly disrupt the free movement of goods, services, and people between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and result in increased legal and regulatory complexities, as well as potential higher costs of conducting business


12


in Europe. The uncertainty surrounding the terms of the United Kingdom's withdrawal and its consequences could adversely impact consumer and investor confidence, and the level of consumer purchases of discretionary items and retail products, including our products. Any of these effects, among others, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Brexit has also contributed to significant volatility and uncertainty in global stock markets and currency exchange rates, and such volatility could continue to occur.
Changes to trade policy, including tariff and customs regulations, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in U.S. or international social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the countries where we currently sell our products or conduct our business, as well as any negative sentiment toward the United States as a result of such changes, could adversely affect our business. The Trump Administration has instituted or proposed changes in trade policies that include the negotiation or termination of trade agreements, the imposition of higher tariffs on U.S. imports, economic sanctions on individuals, corporations or countries, and other government regulations affecting trade between the United States and other countries where we conduct our business. It may be time-consuming and expensive for us to alter our business operations in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes. The Trump Administration has also negotiated a replacement trade deal for NAFTA with Mexico and Canada, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement ("USMCA"), which still needs to be ratified by Canada before going into force.
As a result of recent policy changes and proposals of the Trump Administration, there may be greater restrictions and economic disincentives on international trade. New tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy could trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries. Like many other multinational corporations, we do a significant amount of business that could be impacted by changes to U.S. and international trade policies (including governmental action related to tariffs, and trade agreements). Such changes have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy or certain sectors thereof, our industry and the global demand for our products and, as a result, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The enactment of tax reform legislation, including legislation implementing changes in taxation of international business activities, could materially impact our financial position and results of operations.
Legislation or other changes in US and international tax laws could increase our liability and adversely affect our after-tax profitability. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") was enacted in the United States on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act had a significant impact on our effective tax rate, cash tax expenses and net deferred tax assets. The Tax Act reduced the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate, eliminated or limited the deduction of several expenses that were previously deductible, imposed a mandatory deemed repatriation tax on undistributed historic earnings of foreign subsidiaries, requires a minimum tax on earnings generated by foreign subsidiaries and permits a tax-free repatriation of foreign earnings through a dividends received deduction. We have completed our evaluation of the overall impact of the Tax Act on our effective tax rate and balance sheet through fiscal year-end 2019, and reflected the amounts in our financial statements. The Tax Act, as well as regulations and legal decisions interpreting and applying the Tax Act, may have significant impacts in future periods.
If we encounter problems with distribution, our ability to deliver our products to market could be adversely affected.
We rely on both company-owned and third-party distribution facilities to warehouse and ship products to our wholesale customers, retail stores and e-commerce consumers throughout the world. As part of the pursuit for improved organizational agility and marketplace responsiveness, we have consolidated the number of distribution facilities we rely upon and continue to look for opportunities for further consolidation in certain regions. Such consolidation may make our operations more vulnerable to interruptions in the event of work stoppages, labor disputes, earthquakes, floods, fires or other natural disasters affecting these distribution centers. In addition, distribution capacity is dependent on the timely performance of services by third parties, including the transportation of products to and from their distribution facilities. Moreover, our distribution system includes computer-controlled and automated equipment, which may be subject to a number of risks related to data and system security or computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, power interruptions or other system failures. If we encounter problems with our distribution system, whether company-owned or third-party, our ability to meet customer and consumer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales and achieve operating efficiencies could be adversely affected.
Our efforts to expand our retail business may not be successful, which could impact our operating results.
One of our key strategic priorities is to become a leading world-class omni-channel retailer by expanding our consumer reach in brand-dedicated stores globally, including making selective investments in company-operated stores and e-commerce sites, franchisee and other brand-dedicated store models. In many locations, we face major, established retail competitors who may be able to better attract consumers and execute their retail strategies. In addition, a retail operating model involves substantial investments in equipment and property, information systems, inventory and personnel. Due to the high fixed-cost structure associated with these investments, a significant expansion in company-operated stores, a decline in sales or the closure of or poor


13


performance of stores could result in significant costs and impacts to our margins. Our ability to grow our retail channel also depends on the availability and cost of real estate that meets our criteria for traffic, square footage, demographics, and other factors. Failure to identify and secure adequate new locations, or failure to effectively manage the profitability of the fleet of stores, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
In addition, our investments in customer, digital, and omni-channel shopping initiatives may not deliver the results we anticipate. One of our strategic priorities is to further develop an omni-channel shopping experience for our customers through the integration of our store and digital shopping channels. Our omni-channel initiatives include cross-channel logistics optimization and exploring additional ways to develop an omni-channel shopping experience, including further digital integration and customer personalization. These initiatives involve significant investments in IT systems and significant operational changes. In addition, our competitors are also investing in omni-channel initiatives, some of which may be more successful than our initiatives. If the implementation of our customer, digital, and omni-channel initiatives is not successful, or we do not realize the return on our investments in these initiatives that we anticipate, our operating results would be adversely affected.
If we are unable to effectively execute our e-commerce business, our reputation and operating results may be harmed.
While e-commerce still comprises a small portion of our net revenues, it has been our fastest growing business over the last several years. The success of our e-commerce business depends, in part, on third parties and factors over which we have limited control, including changing consumer preferences and buying trends relating to e-commerce usage, both domestically and abroad, and promotional or other advertising initiatives employed by our wholesale customers or other third parties on their e-commerce sites. Any failure on our part, or on the part of our third-party digital partners, to provide attractive, reliable, secure and user-friendly e-commerce platforms could negatively impact our consumers’ shopping experience, resulting in reduced website traffic, diminished loyalty to our brands and lost sales. In addition, as we continue to expand and increase the global presence of our e-commerce business, sales from our retail stores and wholesale channels of distribution in areas where e-commerce sites are introduced may decline due to changes in consumer shopping habits and cannibalization.
We are also vulnerable to certain additional risks and uncertainties associated with our e-commerce sites, including:
changes in required technology interfaces;
website downtime and other technical failures;
costs and technical issues from website software upgrades;
data and system security;
computer viruses; and
changes in applicable federal and state regulations.
In addition, we must keep up to date with competitive technology trends, including the use of new or improved technology, creative user interfaces and other e-commerce marketing tools such as paid search and mobile applications, among others, which may increase our costs and which may not succeed in increasing sales or attracting consumers. For example, it is possible that consumers may not sign up for our loyalty program at anticipated rates if they do not find the features and benefits compelling, and that we may not realize the benefits that we anticipate from these programs. Our failure to successfully respond to these risks and uncertainties might adversely affect the sales in our e-commerce business, as well as damage our reputation and brands.
Additionally, the success of our e-commerce business and the satisfaction of our consumers depend on their timely receipt of our products. The efficient flow of our products requires that our company-operated and third-party operated distribution facilities have adequate capacity to support the current level of e-commerce operations and any anticipated increased levels that may follow from the growth of our e-commerce business. If we encounter difficulties with our distribution facilities or in our relationships with the third parties who operate the facilities, or if any such facilities were to shut down for any reason, including as a result of fire, other natural disaster or labor disruption, we could face shortages of inventory, resulting in "out of stock" conditions in the e-commerce sites we operate and those operated by our wholesale customers or other third parties, and we could incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with distributing our products to our consumers and experience dissatisfaction from our consumers.  Any of these issues could have an adverse effect on our business and harm our reputation.
Unexpected obstacles in new markets and that arise in connection with growth in our existing markets may limit our expansion opportunities and cause our business and growth to suffer.
Our future growth depends in part on our continued expansion efforts in existing markets and in new markets where we may have limited familiarity and experience with regulatory environments and market practices. We may not be able to expand or successfully operate in those markets as a result of such unfamiliarity or other unexpected barriers to expansion or entry. In connection with our efforts, we may encounter obstacles, including cultural and linguistic differences, differences in regulatory environments, labor practices and market practices, economic or governmental instability, difficulties in keeping abreast of market,


14


business and technical developments and foreign consumers’ tastes and preferences. Our failure to develop our business in new markets or disappointing growth in existing markets that we may experience could harm our business and results of operations.
We face risks arising from any future restructuring of our operations and uncertainty with respect to our ability to achieve any anticipated cost savings associated with such restructuring.
We continuously assess opportunities to streamline operations and fuel long-term profitable growth. Future charges related to such actions may harm our profitability in the periods incurred.
Implementation of global productivity actions presents a number of significant risks, including:
actual or perceived disruption of service or reduction in service levels to customers and consumers;
potential adverse effects on our internal control environment and inability to preserve adequate internal controls relating to our general and administrative functions in connection with the decision to outsource certain business service activities;
actual or perceived disruption to suppliers, distribution networks and other important operational relationships and the inability to resolve potential conflicts in a timely manner;
difficulty in obtaining timely delivery of products of acceptable quality from our contract manufacturers;
diversion of management attention from ongoing business activities and strategic objectives; and
failure to maintain employee morale and retain key employees.
Because of these and other factors, we cannot predict whether we will fully realize the purpose and anticipated operational benefits or cost savings of any global productivity actions and, if we do not, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. Furthermore, if we experience adverse changes to our business, additional restructuring or reorganization activities may be required in the future.
Any major disruption or failure of our information technology systems, or our failure to successfully implement new technology effectively, could adversely affect our business and operations.
We rely on various information technology systems, owned by us and third parties, to manage our operations. Over the last several years, we have been and continue to implement modifications and upgrades to our systems, including making changes to legacy systems, replacing legacy systems with successor systems with new functionality and acquiring new systems with new functionality. For example, over the next several years, we plan to continue the process of implementing a new enterprise resource planning system across the company. These activities subject us to inherent costs and risks associated with replacing and upgrading these systems, including impairment of our ability to fulfill customer orders, potential disruption of our internal control structure, substantial capital expenditures, additional administration and operating expenses, retention of sufficiently skilled personnel to implement and operate the new systems, demands on management time, and other risks and costs of delays or difficulties in transitioning to new or upgraded systems or of integrating new or upgraded systems into our current systems. Our system implementations may not result in productivity improvements at a level that outweighs the costs of implementation, or at all. In addition, the difficulties with implementing new or upgraded technology systems may cause disruptions in our business operations and have an adverse effect on our business and operations, if not anticipated and appropriately mitigated.
As we outsource functions, we become more dependent on the entities performing those functions. Disruptions or delays at our third-party service providers could adversely impact our operations.
As part of our long-term profitable growth strategy, we are continually looking for opportunities to provide essential business services in a more cost-effective manner. In some cases, this requires the outsourcing of functions or parts of functions that can be performed more effectively by external service providers. For example, we currently outsource a significant portion of our information technology, finance, customer relations and customer service functions to Wipro Limited. While we believe we conduct appropriate diligence before entering into agreements with any outsourcing entity, the failure of one or more of such entities to meet our performance standards and expectations, including with respect to data security, compliance with data protection and privacy laws, providing services on a timely basis or providing services at the prices we expect, may have an adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, we could face increased costs or disruption associated with finding replacement vendors or hiring new employees in order to return these services in-house. We may outsource other functions in the future, which would increase our reliance on third parties.


15


We face cybersecurity, privacy and data protection risks and may incur increasing costs in an effort to minimize those risks.
We utilize systems that allow for the secure storage and transmission of proprietary or confidential information regarding our consumers, employees, and others, including credit card information and personal information. As evidenced by the numerous companies who have suffered serious data security breaches, we may be vulnerable to, and unable to anticipate or detect data security breaches and data loss, including rapidly evolving and increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks. In addition, data security breaches can also occur as a result of a failure by us or our employees, such as failing to follow policies, procedures or training, or by persons with whom we have commercial relationships that result in the unauthorized release of personal or confidential information. In addition to our own databases, we use third-party service providers to store, process and transmit confidential or personal information on our behalf. Although we contractually require these service providers to implement and use reasonable security measures and to comply with laws relating to privacy and data protection, we cannot control third parties and cannot guarantee that a data security breach will not occur in the future either at their location or within their systems.
A data security breach may expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, and could result in significant costs to us, which may include, among others, potential liabilities to payment card networks for reimbursement of credit card fraud and card reissuance costs, including fines and penalties, potential liabilities from governmental or third-party investigations, proceedings or litigation and diversion of management attention and also further inquiries and increased scrutiny from regulatory entities. We could also experience delays or interruptions in our ability to function in the normal course of business, including delays in the fulfillment or cancellation of customer orders or disruptions in the manufacture and shipment of products. In addition, actual or anticipated attacks may cause us to incur costs, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees, and engage third-party experts and consultants. Any compromise or breach of our security could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant legal and financial exposure, and a loss of confidence in our security measures, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and our reputation.
The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with frequent imposition of new and changing requirements. In the United States, various laws and regulations apply to the collection, processing, disclosure and security of certain types of data, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the Gramm Leach Bliley Act and state laws relating to privacy and data security, including the California Consumer Privacy Act. Several foreign countries and governmental bodies, including the European Union, also have laws and regulations dealing with the handling and processing of personal information obtained from their residents, which in certain cases are more restrictive than those in the United States. Laws and regulations in these jurisdictions apply broadly to the collection, use, storage, disclosure and security of various types of data referred to as personal information. The definition of personal information, which includes data that identifies or may be used to identify an individual, directly or indirectly, such as names or email addresses and, in some jurisdictions, any unique identifier such as an internet protocol addresses, has been continually revised in a way that puts larger amounts of information within scope of the laws. Such laws and regulations may be modified or subject to new or different interpretations, and new laws and regulations may be enacted in the future. Within the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation, which became effective in May 2018 and replaced the 1995 European Union Data Protection Directive and superseded applicable European Union member state legislation, imposes significant new requirements on how companies collect, process and transfer personal data, as well as significant fines for noncompliance. The increased complexity in these laws and the inherent conflicts between jurisdictions may result in an inability for the company to comply with all applicable requirements in the jurisdictions where we do business despite our best efforts.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with laws, regulations, policies or regulatory guidance relating to privacy or data security may result in governmental investigations and enforcement actions, litigation, fines and penalties or adverse publicity, and could cause our customers and consumers to lose trust in us, which could have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. Our efforts to implement evolving global detailed legal requirements relating to protection of personal information creates uncertainty in our ability to anticipate the volume of consumer inquiries, to timely respond, and to predict consumer understanding of our business practices which may all unintentionally create confusion about our practices and cause loss of trust and damage to our reputation.
We currently rely on contract manufacturing of our products. Our inability to secure production sources meeting our quality, cost, working conditions and other requirements, or failures by our contract manufacturers to perform, could harm our sales, service levels and reputation.
In fiscal year 2019, we sourced approximately 99% of our products from independent contract manufacturers who purchase fabric and make our products and may also provide us with design and development services. As a result, we must locate and secure production capacity. We depend on contract manufacturers to maintain adequate financial resources, including access to sufficient credit, secure a sufficient supply of raw materials, and maintain sufficient development and manufacturing capacity in an environment characterized by continuing cost pressure and demands for product innovation and speed-to-market. In addition, we currently do not have any material long-term contracts with any of our contract manufacturers. Under our current arrangements


16


with our contract manufacturers, these manufacturers generally may unilaterally terminate their relationship with us at any time. Finally, while we have historically worked with numerous manufacturers, in recent years we have begun consolidating the number of contract manufacturers from which we source our products. In addition, some of our contract manufacturers have merged. Reliance on a fewer number of contract manufacturers involves risk, and any difficulties or failures to perform by our contract manufacturers could cause delays in product shipments or otherwise negatively affect our results of operations.
A contract manufacturer's failure to ship products to us in a timely manner or to meet our quality standards, or interference with our ability to receive shipments due to factors such as port or transportation conditions or security incidents, could cause us to miss the delivery date requirements of our customers. Failing to make timely deliveries may cause our customers to cancel orders, refuse to accept deliveries, impose non-compliance charges, demand reduced prices, or reduce future orders, any of which could harm our sales and margins. If we need to replace any contract manufacturer, we may be unable to locate additional contract manufacturers on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, or we may be unable to locate additional contract manufacturers with sufficient capacity to meet our requirements or to fill our orders in a timely manner.
We require contract manufacturers to meet our standards in terms of working conditions, environmental protection, raw materials, facility safety, security and other matters before we are willing to place business with them. As such, we may not be able to obtain the lowest-cost production. We also may need to move our production to the extent that we determine our contract manufacturers are not in compliance with our standards. We may also encounter delays in production and added costs as a result of the time it takes to train our contract manufacturers in our methods, products and quality control standards. In addition, the labor and business practices of apparel manufacturers and their suppliers have received increased attention from the media, non-governmental organizations, consumers and governmental agencies in recent years. Any failure by our contract manufacturers or their suppliers to adhere to labor or other laws, appropriate labor or business practices, safety, structural or environmental standards, and the potential litigation, negative publicity and political pressure relating to any of these events, could harm our business and reputation.
Our suppliers may be impacted by economic conditions and cycles and changing laws and regulatory requirements which could impact their ability to do business with us or cause us to terminate our relationship with them and require us to find replacements, which we may have difficulty doing.
Our suppliers are subject to the fluctuations in general economic cycles, and global economic conditions may impact their ability to operate their businesses. They may also be impacted by the increasing costs or availability of raw materials, labor and distribution, resulting in demands for less attractive contract terms or an inability for them to meet our requirements or conduct their own businesses. The performance and financial condition of a supplier may cause us to alter our business terms or to cease doing business with a particular supplier, or change our sourcing practices generally, which could in turn adversely affect our business and financial condition.
In addition, regulatory developments such as reporting requirements on the use of "conflict" minerals mined from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries could affect the sourcing and availability of raw materials used by our suppliers in the manufacturing of certain of our products. We have been and may continue to be subject to costs associated with regulations, including for the diligence pertaining to the presence of any conflict minerals used in our products and the cost of remediation and other changes to products, processes, or sources of supply as a consequence of such verification activities. The impact of such regulations may result in a limited pool of suppliers who provide conflict free metals, and we cannot be assured that we will be able to obtain products in sufficient quantities or at competitive prices. Also, because our supply chain is complex, we may face reputational challenges with our consumers and other stakeholders if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins for all metals used in the products we sell.
If one or more of our counterparty financial institutions default on their obligations to us, we may incur significant losses.
As part of our hedging activities, we enter into transactions involving derivative financial instruments, which may include forward contracts, commodity futures contracts, option contracts, collars and swaps, with various financial institutions. In addition, we have significant amounts of cash, cash equivalents and other investments on deposit or in accounts with banks or other financial institutions in the United States and abroad. As a result, we are exposed to the risk of default by or failure of counterparty financial institutions. This risk may be heightened during economic downturns and periods of uncertainty in the financial markets. If one of our counterparties were to become insolvent or file for bankruptcy, our ability to recover losses incurred as a result of default or our assets that are deposited or held in accounts with such counterparty may be limited by the counterparty’s liquidity or the applicable laws governing the insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings. In the event of default or failure of one or more of our counterparties, we could incur significant losses, which could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.


17


The loss of members of our executive management and other key employees or the failure to attract and retain key personnel could harm our business.
Our future success depends, in part, on the continued service of our executive management team and other key employees, and the loss of the services of any key individual could harm our business. Our future success also depends, in part, on our ability to recruit, retain and motivate our employees sufficiently, both to maintain our current business and to execute our strategic initiatives. Competition for experienced and well-qualified employees in our industry is particularly intense in many of the places where we do business, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel. Moreover, shifts in U.S. immigration policy could negatively impact our ability to attract, hire and retain highly skilled employees who are from outside the United States.
Most of the employees in our production and distribution facilities are covered by collective bargaining agreements, and any material job actions could negatively affect our results of operations.
In North America, most of our distribution employees are covered by various collective bargaining agreements. Outside North America, most of our production and distribution employees are covered by either industry-sponsored and/or government-sponsored collective bargaining mechanisms. Any work stoppages or other job actions by these employees could harm our business and reputation.
Our licensees and franchisees may not comply with our product quality, manufacturing standards, marketing and other requirements, which could negatively affect our reputation and business.
We license our trademarks to third parties for manufacturing, marketing and distribution of various products. While we enter into comprehensive agreements with our licensees covering product design, product quality, sourcing, manufacturing, marketing and other requirements, our licensees may not comply fully with those agreements. Non-compliance could include marketing products under our brand names that do not meet our quality and other requirements or engaging in manufacturing practices that do not meet our supplier code of conduct. These activities could harm our brand equity, our reputation and our business.
In addition, we enter into franchise agreements with unaffiliated franchisees to operate stores and, in certain circumstances, websites, in many countries around the world. Under these agreements, third parties operate, or will operate, stores and websites that sell apparel and related products under our brand names. While the agreements we have entered into and plan to enter into in the future provide us with certain termination rights, the value of our brands could be impaired to the extent that these third parties do not operate their stores or websites in a manner consistent with our requirements regarding our brand identities and customer experience standards. Failure to protect the value of our brands, or any other harmful acts or omissions by a franchisee, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and our reputation.
Our success depends on the continued protection of our trademarks and other proprietary intellectual property rights.
Our trademarks and other intellectual property rights are important to our success and competitive position, and the loss of or inability to enforce trademark and other proprietary intellectual property rights could harm our business. We devote substantial resources to the establishment and protection of our trademark and other proprietary intellectual property rights on a global basis. In addition to our trademarks and other intellectual property rights, as we develop technologies, such as Project F.L.X., that we believe are innovative, we intend to continually assess the patentability and other protectability of new intellectual property. However, the patents that we own and those that may be issued in the future may not adequately protect our intellectual property, survive legal challenges or provide us with competitive advantages, and our patent applications may not be granted. Our efforts to establish and protect our proprietary intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others or to prevent others from seeking to claim ownership or seeking to block sales of our products. Unauthorized copying of our products or unauthorized use of our trademarks, patented technologies or other proprietary rights may not only erode sales of our products but may also cause significant reputational harm to our brand names and our ability to effectively represent ourselves to our consumers, contractors, suppliers and/or licensees. Moreover, others may seek to assert rights in, or ownership of, our trademarks and other intellectual property, including through civil and/or criminal prosecution. We may not be able to successfully resolve those claims, which may result in financial liability and criminal penalties, and defending or pursuing such claims may create significant financial burdens. In addition, the laws and enforcement mechanisms of some foreign countries may not allow us to protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as we are able to in the United States and other countries.
We have substantial liabilities and cash requirements associated with our postretirement benefits, pension and deferred compensation plans.
Our postretirement benefits, pension and deferred compensation plans result in substantial liabilities on our balance sheet. These plans and activities have generated, and will generate, substantial cash requirements for us, and these requirements may increase beyond our expectations in future years based on changing market conditions. The difference between plan obligations and assets, or the funded status of the plans, is a significant factor in determining the net periodic benefit costs of our pension


18


plans and the ongoing funding requirements of those plans. Many variables, such as changes in interest rates, mortality rates, health care costs, investment returns and/or the market value of plan assets, can affect the funded status of our defined benefit pension, other postretirement, and postemployment benefit plans and cause volatility in the net periodic benefit cost and future funding requirements of the plans. Plan liabilities may impair our liquidity, have an unfavorable impact on our ability to obtain financing and place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to some of our competitors who do not have such liabilities and cash requirements.
Natural disasters, public health crises, political crises, and other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control may damage our facilities or the facilities of third parties on which we depend, and could impact consumer spending.
Our global headquarters and the headquarters of our Americas region are both located in California near major geologic faults that have experienced earthquakes in the past. An earthquake or other natural disaster or power shortages or outages could disrupt operations or impair critical systems. Any of these disruptions or other events outside of our control could affect our business negatively, harming our operating results. In addition, if any of our facilities, including our manufacturing, finishing or distribution facilities, our company-operated or franchised stores or the facilities of our suppliers, third-party service providers, or customers, is affected by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, power shortages or outages, floods or monsoons, public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics, political crises, such as terrorism, war, political instability or other conflict, or other events outside of our control, our business and operating results could suffer. Disasters occurring at our or our vendors’ facilities also could impact our reputation and our consumers’ perception of our brands. Moreover, these types of events could negatively impact consumer spending in the impacted regions or depending upon the severity, globally, which could adversely impact our operating results. For example, in December 2019, a strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, resulting in store closures and a decrease in consumer traffic in China. At this point, the extent to which the coronavirus may impact our results is uncertain.
Failure to comply with anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.
We are subject to the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in various jurisdictions around the world. The FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act and similar applicable laws generally prohibit companies, as well as their officers, directors, employees and third-party intermediaries, business partners and agents, from making improper payments or providing other improper things of value to government officials or other persons. We and our third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state owned or affiliated entities and other third parties where we may be held liable for corrupt or other illegal activities, even if we do not explicitly authorize them. While we have policies and procedures and internal controls to address compliance with such laws, we cannot assure you that all of our employees and third-party intermediaries, business partners and agents will not take actions in violation of such policies and laws, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. To the extent that we learn that any of our employees or third-party intermediaries, business partners or agents do not adhere to our policies, procedures or internal controls, we are committed to taking appropriate remedial action. In the event that we believe or have reason to believe that our directors, officers, employees or third-party intermediaries, agents or business partners have or may have violated such laws, we may be required to investigate or to have outside counsel investigate the relevant facts and circumstances. Detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged violations can be extensive and require a significant diversion of time, resources and attention from senior management. Any violation of the FCPA, the U.K. Bribery Act or other applicable anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could result in whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, loss of export privileges, and criminal or civil sanctions, penalties and fines, any of which may could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Our current and future products may experience quality problems from time to time that could result in negative publicity, litigation, product recalls and warranty claims, which could result in decreased revenues and harm to our brands.
There can be no assurance we will be able to detect, prevent or fix all defects that may affect our products. Inconsistency of legislation and regulations may also affect the costs of compliance with such laws and regulations. Such problems could hurt the image of our brands, which is critical to maintaining and expanding our business. Any negative publicity or lawsuits filed against us related to the perceived quality of our products could harm our brand and decrease demand for our products.
Climate change may adversely impact our business.
Rising global average temperatures due to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are causing significant changes in weather patterns around the globe and an increase in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. Changes in weather patterns and the increased frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events (e.g., floods, droughts and severe storms) could, among other things, adversely impact the cultivation of cotton, which is a key resource in the production of our products, disrupt the operation of our supply chain and the productivity of our contract manufacturers, disrupt retail operations and traffic in consumer markets, increase our product costs and impact the types of apparel products that


19


consumers purchase. As a result, the effects of climate change could have short- and long-term impacts on our business and operations.
Future acquisitions of and investments in new businesses could impact our business and financial condition.
From time to time, we may acquire or invest in businesses or partnerships that we believe could complement our business or offer growth opportunities. The pursuit of such acquisitions or investments may divert the attention of management and cause us to incur various expenses, regardless of whether the acquisition or investment is ultimately completed. In addition, acquisitions and investments may not perform as expected or cause us to assume unrecognized or underestimated liabilities. Further, if we are able to successfully identify and acquire additional businesses, we may not be able to successfully integrate the acquired personnel or operations, or effectively manage the combined business following the acquisition, any of which could harm our business and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Our Debt
We have debt and interest payment requirements at a level that may restrict our future operations.
As of November 24, 2019, we had $1.0 billion of debt, all of which was unsecured, and we had $819.5 million of additional borrowing capacity under our credit facility. The credit facility is secured by domestic inventories, accounts receivable, and other assets such as the Levi’s® trademarks in the U.S. Our debt requires us to dedicate a substantial portion of any cash flow from operations to the payment of interest and principal due under our debt, which reduces funds available for other business purposes and results in us having lower net income than we would otherwise have had. This dedicated use of cash could impact our ability to successfully compete by, for example:
increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business and industry;
placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to some of our competitors that have less debt; and
limiting our ability to obtain additional financing required to fund working capital and capital expenditures and for other general corporate purposes.
A substantial portion of our debt is Euro-denominated senior notes. In addition, borrowings under our credit facility bear interest at variable rates. As a result, increases in market interest rates and changes in foreign exchange rates could require a greater portion of our cash flow to be used to pay interest, which could further hinder our operations. Increases in market interest rates may also affect the trading price of our debt securities that bear interest at a fixed rate. Our ability to satisfy our obligations and to reduce our total debt depends on our future operating performance and on economic, financial, competitive and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
In addition, certain loans made by us and financing extended to us are made at variable rates that use LIBOR as a benchmark for establishing the interest rate. LIBOR is the subject of recent proposals for reform. On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. These reforms may cause LIBOR to cease to exist, new methods of calculating LIBOR to be established or the establishment of an alternative reference rate(s). These consequences cannot be entirely predicted and could have an adverse impact on the market value for or value of LIBOR-linked securities, loans, and other financial obligations or extensions of credit held by or due to us. Changes in market interest rates may influence our financing costs, returns on financial investments and the valuation of derivative contracts and could reduce our earnings and cash flows.
The Tax Act also places limitations on businesses abilities to deduct interest expenses. If our adjusted taxable income were to decrease, we may not be able to fully deduct our interest expenses.
Restrictions in our notes, indentures and credit facility may limit our activities, including dividend payments, share repurchases and acquisitions.
Our credit facility and the indentures governing our senior unsecured notes contain restrictions, including covenants limiting our ability to incur additional debt, grant liens, make acquisitions and other investments, prepay specified debt, consolidate, merge or acquire other businesses or engage in other fundamental changes, sell assets, pay dividends and other distributions, repurchase stock, enter into transactions with affiliates, enter into capital leases or certain leases not in the ordinary course of business, enter into certain derivatives, grant negative pledges on our assets, make loans or other investments, guarantee third-party obligations, engage in sale leasebacks and make changes in our corporate structure. These restrictions, in combination with our leveraged condition, may make it more difficult for us to successfully execute our business strategy, grow our business or compete with companies not similarly restricted.


20


If our foreign subsidiaries are unable to distribute cash to us when needed, we may be unable to satisfy our obligations under our debt securities, which could force us to sell assets or use cash that we were planning to use elsewhere in our business.
We conduct our international operations through foreign subsidiaries and we only receive the cash that remains after our foreign subsidiaries satisfy their obligations. We may depend upon funds from our foreign subsidiaries for a portion of the funds necessary to meet our debt service obligations. Any agreements our foreign subsidiaries enter into with other parties, as well as applicable laws and regulations limiting the right and ability of non-U.S. subsidiaries and affiliates to pay dividends and remit cash to affiliated companies, may restrict the ability of our foreign subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. If those subsidiaries are unable to transfer the amount of cash that we need, we may be unable to make payments on our debt obligations, which could force us to sell assets or use cash that we were planning on using elsewhere in our business, which could hinder our operations.
Our business is affected by seasonality, which could result in fluctuations in our operating results.
We experience moderate fluctuations in aggregate sales volume during the year. Historically, revenues in our third and fourth fiscal quarters have slightly exceeded those in our first and second fiscal quarters. In addition, our customers and consumers may cancel orders, change delivery schedules or change the mix of products ordered with minimal notice. As a result, we may not be able to accurately predict our quarterly sales. Accordingly, our results of operations are likely to fluctuate significantly from period to period. This seasonality, along with other factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions, changes in consumer preferences, weather conditions, including the effects of climate change, the availability of import quotas, transportation disruptions and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, could adversely affect our business and cause our results of operations to fluctuate.
We are subject to periodic claims and litigation that could result in unexpected expenses and could ultimately be resolved against us.
From time to time, we may be involved in litigation and other proceedings, including matters related to commercial disputes, product liability, intellectual property, trade, customs laws and regulations, employment, regulatory compliance and other claims related to our business. Any such proceeding or audit could result in significant settlement amounts, damages, fines or other penalties, divert financial and management resources and result in significant legal fees. An unfavorable outcome of any particular proceeding could exceed the limits of our insurance policies, or our insurance carriers may decline to fund such final settlements or judgments, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any such proceeding could negatively impact our brand equity and our reputation.
Changes in our credit ratings or macroeconomic conditions may affect our liquidity, increasing borrowing costs and limiting our financing options.
Our long-term debt is currently rated BB+ by Standard & Poor’s and Ba1 by Moody’s Investors Service. If our credit ratings are lowered, borrowing costs for future long-term debt or short-term credit facilities may increase and our financing options, including our access to the unsecured credit market, could be limited. In addition, macroeconomic conditions such as increased volatility or disruption in the credit markets could adversely affect our ability to refinance existing debt.

Risks Relating to Our Industry
Our revenues are influenced by economic conditions that impact consumer spending and consumer confidence.
Apparel is a cyclical industry that is dependent upon the overall level of consumer spending and consumer confidence. Consumer purchases of discretionary items, including our products, generally decline during periods when disposable income is adversely affected, there is economic uncertainty or volatility or during recessionary periods. Our wholesale customers anticipate and respond to adverse changes in economic conditions and uncertainty by closing doors, reducing inventories, canceling orders or increasing promotional activity. Our brand-dedicated stores are also affected by these conditions which may lead to a decline in consumer traffic and spending in these stores. As a result, factors that diminish consumer spending and confidence in any of the markets in which we compete, particularly deterioration in general economic conditions, consumer credit availability, consumer debt levels, inflation, the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on tourism and tourist spending, volatility in investment returns, fear of unemployment, increases in energy costs or tax or interest rates, housing market downturns, fear about and impact of pandemic illness, and other factors such as acts of war, natural disasters or terrorist or political events that impact consumer confidence, could reduce our sales and adversely affect our business and financial condition through their impact on our wholesale customers as well as direct sales. These outcomes and behaviors have in the past, and may continue to in the future, adversely affect our business and financial condition.


21


Intense competition in the global apparel industry could lead to reduced sales and prices.
We face a variety of competitive challenges in the global apparel industry from a variety of companies, and competition has increased over the years due to factors such as:
the international expansion and increased presence of vertically integrated specialty stores;
expansion into e-commerce by existing and new competitors;
the proliferation of private labels and exclusive brands offered by department stores, chain stores and mass channel retailers;
the introduction of lines of jeans, athleisure and casual apparel by well-known and successful athletic wear companies; and
the transition of apparel companies who traditionally relied on wholesale distribution channels into their own retail distribution network.
In addition, some of these competitors have greater financial, supply, distribution and marketing resources and may be able to adapt to changes in consumer preferences or retail requirements more quickly or devote greater resources to the building and sustaining of their brand equity and the marketing and sale of their products both in stores and online. In addition, some of these competitors may be able to achieve lower product costs or adopt more aggressive pricing and discounting policies. As a result, we may not be able to compete as effectively with them and may not be able to maintain or grow the demand for our products. Failure to compete effectively due to these factors could reduce our sales and adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The success of our business depends upon our ability to forecast and respond timely to consumer demand and market conditions and offer on-trend and new and updated products at attractive price points.
The global apparel industry is characterized by ever-changing fashion trends and consumer preferences, including the increasing shift to digital brand engagement and social media communication, and by the rapid replication of new products by competitors. The apparel industry is also impacted by changing consumer preferences regarding spending categories generally, including shifts away from traditional consumer spending and towards "experiential" spending and sustainable products. As a result, our success depends in large part on our ability to develop, market and deliver innovative and stylish products at a pace, intensity, and price competitive with other brands in the markets in which we sell our products. In addition, we must create products at a range of price points that appeal to the consumers of both our wholesale customers and our dedicated retail stores and e-commerce sites situated in each of our diverse geographic regions. Our development and production cycles take place prior to full visibility into all of these factors for the coming seasons. Failure on our part to forecast and respond timely to consumer demand and market conditions and to regularly and rapidly develop innovative and stylish products and update core products could limit sales growth, adversely affect retail and consumer acceptance of our products, and negatively impact the consumer traffic in our dedicated retail stores. In addition, if we fail to accurately forecast consumer demand, we may experience excess inventory levels, which may result in inventory write-downs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices. This could have an adverse effect on the image and reputation of our brands and could adversely affect our gross margins. Conversely, if we underestimate consumer demand for our products, we may experience inventory shortages, which could delay shipments to customers, negatively impact retailer and consumer relationships and diminish brand loyalty. Moreover, our newer products may not produce as high a gross margin as our traditional products and thus may have an adverse effect on our overall margins and profitability.
The global apparel industry is subject to intense cost and pricing pressure.
The apparel industry is characterized by low barriers to entry for both suppliers and marketers, global sourcing through suppliers located throughout the world, trade liberalization, continuing movement of product sourcing to lower cost countries, regular promotional activity, and the ongoing emergence of new competitors with widely varying strategies and resources. These factors have contributed, and may continue to contribute in the future, to intense pricing pressure and uncertainty throughout the supply chain. Pricing pressure has been exacerbated by the variability of raw materials in recent years. This pressure could have adverse effects on our business and financial condition, including:
reduced gross margins across our product lines and distribution channels;
increased retailer demands for allowances, incentives and other forms of economic support; and
increased pressure on us to reduce our production costs and operating expenses.


22


Increases in the price or availability of raw materials could increase our cost of goods and negatively impact our financial results.
The principal fabrics used in our products include cotton, blends, synthetics and wools. The prices we pay our suppliers for our products are dependent in part on the market price for raw materials used to produce them, primarily cotton. The price and availability of cotton may fluctuate substantially, depending on a variety of factors, including demand, acreage devoted to cotton crops and crop yields, weather, supply conditions, transportation costs, energy prices, work stoppages, government regulation and policy, economic climates, market speculation compliance with our working condition, environmental protection, and other standards, and other unpredictable factors. Any and all of these factors may be exacerbated by global climate change. Cotton prices suffered from unprecedented variability and uncertainty in prior years and may fluctuate significantly again in the future. In the event of a significant disruption or unavailability in the supply of the fabrics or raw materials used by our vendors in the manufacture of our products, our vendors might not be able to locate alternative suppliers of materials of comparable quality at an acceptable price. In addition, prices of purchased finished products also depend on wage rates in the regions where our contract manufacturers are located, as well as freight costs from those regions.Fluctuations in wage rates required by legal or industry standards could increase our costs. Increases in raw material costs or wage rates, unless sufficiently offset by our pricing actions, may cause a decrease in our profitability and negatively impact our sales volume. These factors may also have an adverse impact on our cash and working capital needs as well as those of our suppliers.
Our business is subject to risks associated with sourcing and manufacturing overseas, as well as risks associated with potential tariffs or a global trade war.
We import materials and finished garments into all of our operating regions. Our ability to import products in a timely and cost-effective manner may be affected by conditions at ports or issues that otherwise affect transportation and warehousing providers, such as port and shipping capacity, labor disputes and work stoppages, political unrest, security incidents, severe weather, or security requirements in the United States and other countries. These issues could delay importation of products or require us to locate alternative ports or warehousing providers to avoid disruption to our customers. These alternatives may not be available on short notice or could result in higher transportation costs, which could have an adverse impact on our business and financial condition, specifically our gross margin and overall profitability.
Substantially all of our import operations are subject to complex custom laws, regulations and tax requirements as well as trade regulations, such as tariffs set by governments through mutual agreements or bilateral actions. In addition, the countries in which our products are manufactured or imported may from time to time impose additional duties, tariffs or other restrictions on our imports or adversely modify existing restrictions. Adverse changes in these import costs and restrictions, or the failure by us or our suppliers to comply with customs regulations or similar laws, could harm our business. In this regard, the results of the November 2016 election in the United States and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom have introduced greater uncertainty with respect to future tax and trade regulations. Changes in tax policy or trade regulations, the disallowance of tax deductions on imported merchandise, or the imposition of new tariffs on imported products, could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
In 2018, the Trump Administration announced tariffs on steel and aluminum imported into the United States, which has resulted in reciprocal tariffs from the European Union on goods, including denim products, imported from the United States. Because we manufacture most of our products outside the United States, these reciprocal tariffs are not expected to have a material impact on our business. The Trump Administration has also imposed tariffs on goods imported from China in connection with China’s intellectual property practices and forced technology transfer. The Trump Administration has also negotiated a replacement trade deal for NAFTA with Mexico and Canada, the USMCA, which still needs to be ratified. Currently, of the products that we sell in the United States, approximately 8% are manufactured in Mexico and less than 8% are manufactured in China. If the Trump Administration follows through on its proposed China tariffs, or if additional tariffs or trade restrictions are implemented by the United States or other countries in connection with a global trade war, the cost of our products manufactured in China or other countries and imported into the United States or other countries could increase, which in turn could adversely affect the demand for these products and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock
The market price of our Class A common stock may be volatile or may decline steeply or suddenly regardless of our operating performance and we may not be able to meet investor or analyst expectations. You may lose all or part of your investment.
The market price of our Class A common stock may fluctuate or decline significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenues or other operating results;
variations between our actual operating results and the expectations of securities analysts, investors and the financial community;


23


any forward-looking financial or operating information we may provide to the public or securities analysts, any changes in this information or our failure to meet expectations based on this information;
actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
whether investors or securities analysts view our stock structure unfavorably, particularly our dual-class structure;
additional shares of Class A common stock being sold into the market by us or our existing stockholders, or the anticipation of such sales, including if existing stockholders sell shares into the market when applicable “lock-up” periods end;
announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, capital commitments, divestitures or other dispositions;
changes in operating performance and stock market valuations of companies in our industry, including our vendors and competitors;
price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of general economic trends;
lawsuits threatened or filed against us, or events that negatively impact our reputation;
developments in new legislation and pending lawsuits or regulatory actions, including interim or final rulings by judicial or regulatory bodies; and
other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events.
In addition, extreme price and volume fluctuations in the stock markets have affected and continue to affect many retail companies’ stock prices. Often, their stock prices have fluctuated in ways unrelated or disproportionate to the respective companies’ operating performance. In the past, stockholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business and seriously harm our business.
Moreover, because of these fluctuations, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. You should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failing to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenues or operating results fall below the expectations of analysts or investors or below any forecasts we may provide to the market, or if the forecasts we provide to the market are below the expectations of analysts or investors, the price of our Class A common stock could decline substantially. Such a decline could occur even when we have met any previously publicly stated revenues or earnings forecasts that we may provide.
An active trading market for our Class A common stock may not be sustained.
Our Class A common stock is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "LEVI." However, we cannot assure you that an active trading market for our Class A common stock will be sustained. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of the likelihood that an active trading market for our Class A common stock will be maintained, the liquidity of any trading market, your ability to sell your shares of Class A common stock when desired or the prices that you may obtain for your shares.
Future sales of our Class A common stock by existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.
If our existing stockholders, including employees, who obtain equity, sell or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our Class A common stock in the public market, the trading price of our Class A common stock could decline. As of January 24, 2020 we had outstanding a total of 57,367,130 shares of Class A common stock and 336,748,994 shares of Class B common stock. Of these shares, only the shares of Class A common stock are currently freely tradable without restrictions or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares held by persons who are not our “affiliates” as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act and who have complied with the holding period requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
Sales of a substantial number of such shares, or the perception that such sales may occur, upon the expiration of the securities subject to the lock-up agreements, could cause our stock price to decline or make it more difficult for the holders of our Class A common stock to sell at a time and price that they deem appropriate.
Holders of more than 90% of our Class B common stock have contractual rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements for the public resale of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of their Class B common stock, or to include such shares in registration statements that we may file.


24


The dual class structure of our common stock concentrates voting control with descendants of the family of Levi Strauss, who have the ability to control the outcome of matters submitted for stockholder approval, which will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and may depress the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Our Class B common stock, which is entitled to ten votes per share, is primarily owned by descendants of the family of our founder, Levi Strauss, and their relatives and trusts established for their behalf. Collectively, these persons have the ability to control the outcome of stockholder votes, including the election of our board of directors and the approval or rejection of a merger, change of control or other significant corporate transaction. In addition, so long as any shares of Class B common stock remain outstanding, the approval of the holders of a majority of our then-outstanding Class B common stock (or, in certain cases, a majority of our then-outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting together as a single class) will be required in order for us to take certain actions.
This control may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have recently announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500. These changes exclude companies with multiple classes of shares of common stock from being added to such indices. In addition, several stockholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple class structures. As a result, the dual class structure of our common stock may prevent the inclusion of our Class A common stock in such indices and may cause stockholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for our Class A common stock. Any actions or publications by stockholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of our Class A common stock.
We believe having a long-term-focused, committed and engaged stockholder base provides us with an important strategic advantage, particularly in our business, where our more than 165-year history contributes to the iconic reputations of our brands. However, the interests of these stockholders may not always be aligned with each other or with the interests of our other stockholders. By exercising their control, these stockholders could cause our company to take actions that are at odds with the investment goals or interests of institutional, short-term or other non-controlling investors, or that have a negative effect on our stock price. Further, because these stockholders control the majority of our Class B common stock, we might be a less attractive takeover target, which could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
If securities or industry analysts either do not publish research about us or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, our business or our market, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our Class A common stock, the trading price or trading volume of our Class A common stock could decline.
The trading market for our Class A common stock is influenced in part by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. If one or more of the analysts initiate research with an unfavorable rating or downgrade our Class A common stock, provide a more favorable recommendation about our competitors or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our Class A common stock price would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the trading price or trading volume of our Class A common stock to decline.
Future securities issuances could result in significant dilution to our stockholders and impair the market price of our Class A common stock.
Future issuances of our Class A common stock or the conversion of a substantial number of shares of our Class B common stock, or the perception that these issuances or conversions may occur, could depress the market price of our Class A common stock and result in dilution to existing holders of our Class A common stock. Also, to the extent stock-based awards are issued or become vested, there will be further dilution. The amount of dilution could be substantial depending upon the size of the issuances or exercises. Furthermore, we may issue additional equity securities that could have rights senior to those of our Class A common stock. As a result, purchasers of Class A common stock bear the risk that future issuances of debt or equity securities may reduce the value of such shares and further dilute their ownership interest.
As of November 24, 2019, there were 451,897 shares of Class A common stock and 24,806,706 shares of Class B common stock issuable pursuant to restricted stock units ("RSUs"), performance restricted stock units ("PRSUs") and stock appreciation rights ("SARs") that may be settled in shares of our Class A or Class B common stock. All of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise or settlement of such awards, or upon the conversion of shares of Class B common stock issuable upon exercise or settlement of such awards, are registered for public resale under the Securities Act. Accordingly, these shares will be able to be freely sold in the public market upon issuance as permitted by any applicable vesting requirements, and subject to compliance with applicable securities laws.


25


Holders of more than 90% of our Class B common stock have contractual rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements for the public resale of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of their Class B common stock, or to include such shares in registration statements that we may file.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, result in more litigation and divert management’s attention.
Although we have made filings with the SEC for many years, as a newly public company we are subject to the additional reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of the NYSE and other applicable securities rules and regulations. For example, we are required to file proxy statements under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. Complying with these rules and regulations has increased and will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could adversely affect our business and operating results. We may also need to hire additional employees or engage outside consultants to comply with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies. This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business may be adversely affected.
These new rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and, in the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
By disclosing information in the various filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If those claims are successful, our business could be seriously harmed. Even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, the time and resources needed to resolve them could divert our management’s resources and seriously harm our business.
Delaware law and provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make a merger, tender offer or proxy contest difficult, thereby depressing the trading price of our Class A common stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could depress the trading price of our Class A common stock by acting to discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management that our stockholders may deem advantageous. In particular, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws:
establish a classified board of directors so that not all members are elected at one time;
permit our board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly-created directorships;
authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that our board of directors could use to implement a stockholder rights plan;
provide that our board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws;
restrict the forum for certain litigation against us to Delaware;
reflect the dual class structure of our common stock; and
establish advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders.
Any provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or deterring a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of Class A common stock, and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our Class A common stock.


26


Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law:
any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf;
any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty;
any action asserting a claim against us arising under the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; and
any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal-affairs doctrine.
This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
This exclusive-forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. If a court were to find this exclusive forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, which could seriously harm our business.



27


Item 1B.
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not applicable.
Item 2.
PROPERTIES
We conduct manufacturing, distribution and administrative activities in owned and leased facilities. As of November 24, 2019, we operated two manufacturing-related facilities abroad and seven distribution centers around the world. We have renewal rights for most of our property leases. We anticipate that we will be able to extend these leases on terms satisfactory to us or, if necessary, locate substitute facilities on acceptable terms. We believe our facilities and equipment are in good condition and are suitable and adequate to meet our current requirements. Information about our key operating properties in use as of November 24, 2019 is summarized in the following table:
 
Location
 
Primary Use
 
Leased/Owned
 
 
Americas
 
 
 
 
 
 
San Francisco, CA
 
Design and Product Development
 
Leased
 
 
Hebron, KY
 
Distribution
 
Owned
 
 
Canton, MS
 
Distribution
 
Owned
 
 
Henderson, NV
 
Distribution
 
Owned
 
 
Etobicoke, Canada
 
Distribution
 
Owned
 
 
Cuautitlan, Mexico
 
Distribution
 
Leased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Europe
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plock, Poland
 
Manufacturing and Finishing
 
Leased(1)
 
 
Northhampton, U.K.
 
Distribution
 
Leased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Asia
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adelaide, Australia
 
Distribution
 
Leased
 
 
Cape Town, South Africa
 
Manufacturing, Finishing and Distribution
 
Leased
 
______________
(1)
Building and improvements are owned but subject to a ground lease.
Our global headquarters and the headquarters of our Americas region are both located in leased premises in San Francisco, California. Our Europe and Asia headquarters are located in leased premises in Diegem, Belgium and Singapore, respectively. In addition to the above, we operate finance shared service centers in Eugene, Oregon and Bangalore, India. We also operate two back-up data centers located in Carrollton and Westlake, Texas. As of November 24, 2019, we leased 80 administrative and sales offices in 46 countries, as well as leased 12 warehouses in seven countries.
In addition, as of November 24, 2019, we had 905 company-operated retail and outlet stores in leased premises in 32 countries: 282 stores in the Americas, 324 stores in Europe and 299 stores in Asia.
Item 3.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In the ordinary course of business, we have various pending cases involving contractual matters, facility and employee-related matters, distribution matters, product liability claims, customs and duty regulations, trademark infringement and other matters. We do not believe any of these pending legal proceedings will have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Item 4.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable. 


28


PART II
Item 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information
Our Class A common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “LEVI” since March 21, 2019. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our stock. Our Class B common stock is neither listed nor publicly traded.
Holders of Record
As of January 24, 2020, there were 46 holders of record of our Class A common stock and 239 holders of record of our Class B common stock. The number of Class A beneficial stockholders is substantially greater than the number of holders of record because a large portion of our Class A common stock is held in “street name” by banks and brokerage firms.
Dividend Policy
We do not have an established annual dividend policy, but we aim to grow our annual cash dividends along with our earnings growth. We will continue to review our ability to pay cash dividends on an ongoing basis and dividends may be declared at the discretion of the Board depending upon, among other factors, our financial condition and compliance with the terms of our debt agreements. Our debt arrangements limit our ability to pay dividends. For more detailed information about these limitations, see Note 6 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Incentive Plans
See Item 12, “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” for information regarding securities authorized for issuance.
Cumulative Stock Performance Graph
The following graph compares the cumulative total return to stockholders on our Class A common stock relative to the cumulative total returns of the S&P 500, and the S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories and Luxury Goods. An investment of $100 (with reinvestment of all dividends) is assumed to have been made in our Class A common stock and in each index on March 21, 2019, the date our Class A common stock began trading on the NYSE, and its relative performance is tracked through November 24, 2019. The comparisons are based on historical data and are not indicative of, nor intended to forecast, the future performance of our Class A common stock.



29


stockperformancegraph1.jpg
The following table assumes an investment of $100 (with reinvestment of all dividends) to have been made in our Class A common stock and in each index on March 21, 2019, the date our Class A common stock began trading on the NYSE, and indicates the cumulative total return to stockholders on our Class A common stock and the cumulative total return of each index at our fiscal year end of November 24, 2019:
(in dollars)
 
March 21, 2019
 
November 24, 2019
Levi Strauss & Co.
 
$
100.00

 
$
76.40

S&P 500
 
$
100.00

 
$
114.49

S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories and Luxury Goods
 
$
100.00

 
$
94.24

The information under “Cumulative Stock Performance Graph” is not deemed to be “soliciting material” or “filed” with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C, or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of Levi Strauss & Co. under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date of this Annual Report and irrespective of any general incorporation language in those filings.
Use of Proceeds from Initial Public Offering of Class A Common Stock
On March 25, 2019, we closed our initial public offering of Class A common stock (our “IPO”), in which we sold 14,960,557 shares of our Class A common stock at a price to the public of $17.00 per share, including shares sold in connection with the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and excluding shares of common stock sold in our IPO by certain of our existing stockholders. The offer and sale of all of the shares in our IPO were registered under the Securities Act


30


pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-229630), which was declared effective by the SEC on March 20, 2019.
We received net proceeds from our IPO of $234.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $13.6 million and other direct and incremental offering expenses of $6.1 million. No payments were made to our directors or officers or their associates, holders of 10% or more of any class of our equity securities or any affiliates.
There has been no material change in the planned use of our net IPO proceeds as described in the prospectus contained in such registration statement.


31


Item 6.
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following table sets forth our selected historical consolidated financial data which are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. The financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified by reference to, "Item 7 – Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," our audited consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 and the related notes to those audited consolidated financial statements, included elsewhere in this report.
 
Year Ended November 24, 2019
 
Year Ended November 25, 2018
 
Year Ended November 26, 2017
 
Year Ended November 27, 2016
 
Year Ended November 29, 2015
 
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Statements of Income Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net revenues
$
5,763,087

 
$
5,575,440

 
$
4,904,030

 
$
4,552,739

 
$
4,494,493

Cost of goods sold
2,661,714

 
2,577,465

 
2,341,301

 
2,223,727

 
2,225,512

Gross profit
3,101,373

 
2,997,975

 
2,562,729

 
2,329,012

 
2,268,981

Selling, general and administrative
expenses(1)(2)
2,534,698

 
2,457,564

 
2,082,662

 
1,853,489

 
1,800,277

Restructuring, net

 

 

 
312

 
14,071

Operating income
566,675

 
540,411

 
480,067

 
475,211

 
454,633

Interest expense
(66,248
)
 
(55,296
)
 
(68,603
)
 
(73,170
)
 
(81,214
)
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders
(24,860
)
 

 

 

 

Loss on early extinguishment of debt

 

 
(22,793
)
 

 
(14,002
)
Other income (expense), net(2)
2,017

 
14,907

 
(39,890
)
 
5,219

 
(49,019
)
Income before taxes
477,584

 
500,022

 
348,781

 
407,260

 
310,398

Income tax expense
82,604

 
214,778

 
64,225

 
116,051

 
100,507

Net income
394,980

 
285,244

 
284,556

 
291,209

 
209,891

Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest
(368
)
 
(2,102
)
 
(3,153
)
 
(157
)
 
(455
)
Net income attributable to Levi Strauss & Co.
$
394,612

 
$
283,142

 
$
281,403

 
$
291,052

 
$
209,436

Earnings per common share attributable to common stockholders:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
1.01

 
$
0.75

 
$
0.75

 
$
0.78

 
$
0.56

Diluted
$
0.97

 
$
0.73

 
$
0.73

 
$
0.76

 
$
0.55

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
389,082,277

 
377,139,847

 
376,177,350

 
375,141,560

 
374,831,820

Diluted
408,365,902

 
388,607,361

 
384,338,330

 
382,852,950

 
384,122,020

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statements of Cash Flow Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net cash flow provided by (used for):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Operating activities
$
412,188

 
$
420,371

 
$
525,941

 
$
306,550

 
$
218,332

Investing activities
(243,343
)
 
(179,387
)
 
(124,391
)
 
(68,348
)
 
(80,833
)
Financing activities
55,018

 
(148,224
)
 
(151,733
)
 
(173,549
)
 
(94,895
)
Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
934,237

 
$
713,120

 
$
633,622

 
$
375,563

 
$
318,571

Working capital(3)(4)
1,702,982

 
1,235,860

 
1,118,157

 
942,019

 
681,982

Total assets(3)
4,232,418

 
3,542,660

 
3,357,838

 
2,995,470

 
2,884,395

Total debt, excluding capital leases
1,014,366

 
1,052,154

 
1,077,311

 
1,045,178

 
1,152,541

Temporary equity

 
299,140

 
127,035

 
79,346

 
68,783

Total Levi Strauss & Co. stockholders' equity
1,563,531

 
660,113

 
696,910

 
509,555

 
330,268

Other Financial Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
$
123,942

 
$
120,205

 
$
117,387

 
$
103,878

 
$
102,044

Capital expenditures
175,356

 
159,413

 
118,618

 
102,950

 
102,308

Cash dividends paid
113,914

 
90,000

 
70,000

 
60,000

 
50,000

______________
(1)
Fiscal year 2017 includes an out-of-period adjustment which increased selling, general and administrative expenses by $8.3 million and decreased net income by $5.1 million. This item, which originated in prior years, relates to the correction of the periods used for the recognition of stock-based compensation expense associated with employees eligible to vest in awards after retirement. We have evaluated the effects of this out-of-period adjustment, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and concluded that the correction of this amount was not material to the current period or the periods in which they originated, including quarterly reporting.
(2)
The amounts in Selling, general and administrative expenses, and Other income (expense), net in fiscal years prior to 2019 have been conformed to reflect the adoption of ASU 2017-07, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost" and include non-service cost component of net periodic benefit costs. Refer to Note 1 for more information.
(3)
Certain insignificant amounts on the balance sheets from fiscal 2017 and 2016 have been conformed to the November 25, 2018 and November 24, 2019 presentation.
(4)
Increase in working capital in fiscal year 2019 is partially attributable to our IPO in March 2019, as net proceeds of $234.6 million were received, and as a result of cash-settled stock-based compensation being replaced with stock-settled awards, $45.8 million of related liabilities were reclassified from accrued salaries, wages and employee benefits to additional paid in capital. Refer to Note 1 for additional information.


32


Item 7.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or Annual Report. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” for a discussion of forward-looking statements and important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements. We use a 52- or 53-week fiscal year, with each fiscal year ending on the Sunday that is closest to November 30 of that year. See “—Financial Information Presentation—Fiscal Year.”
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement our consolidated financial statements prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the Unites States ("GAAP"), we use certain non-GAAP financial measures throughout this Annual Report, as described further below, to provide investors with additional useful information about our financial performance, to enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and to allow for greater transparency with respect to important metrics used by our management for financial and operational decision-making. We are presenting these non-GAAP financial measures to assist investors in seeing our financial performance from management’s view and because we believe they provide an additional tool for investors to use in comparing our core financial performance over multiple periods with other companies in our industry.
However, non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in their usefulness to investors because they have no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP and are not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles. In addition, non-GAAP financial measures may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be directly comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies. As a result, non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplementing, and not as an alternative or substitute for, our consolidated financial statements prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Overview
We are an iconic American company with a rich history of profitable growth, quality, innovation and corporate citizenship. Our story began in San Francisco, California, in 1853 as a wholesale dry goods business. We invented the blue jean 20 years later. Today we design, market and sell products that include jeans, casual and dress pants, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and related accessories for men, women and children around the world under our Levi’s, Dockers, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. and Denizen brands.
Our business is operated through three geographic regions: Americas, Europe and Asia (which includes the Middle East and Africa). We service our consumers through our global infrastructure, developing, sourcing and marketing our products around the world.
Our iconic, enduring brands are brought to life every day around the world by our talented and creative employees and partners. The Levi’s brand epitomizes classic, authentic American style and effortless cool. We have cultivated Levi’s as a lifestyle brand that is inclusive and democratic in the eyes of consumers while offering products that feel exclusive, personalized and original. This approach has enabled the Levi’s brand to evolve with the times and continually reach a new, younger audience, while our rich heritage continues to drive relevance and appeal across demographics. The Dockers brand helped drive "Casual Friday" in the 1990s and has been a cornerstone of casual menswear for more than 30 years. The Signature by Levi Strauss & Co. and Denizen brands, which we developed for value-conscious consumers, offer quality craftsmanship and great fit and style at affordable prices.
We recognize wholesale revenue from sales of our products through third-party retailers such as department stores, specialty retailers, leading third-party e-commerce sites and franchise locations dedicated to our brands. We also sell our products directly to consumers (direct-to-consumer "DTC") through a variety of formats, including our own company-operated mainline and outlet stores, company-operated e-commerce sites and select shop-in-shops that we operate within department stores and other third-party retail locations. As of November 24, 2019, our products were sold in over 50,000 retail locations in more than 110 countries, including approximately 3,000 brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops. As of November 24, 2019, we had 905 company-operated stores located in 32 countries and approximately 500 company-operated shop-in-shops. The remainder of our brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops were operated by franchisees and other partners.
Our Europe and Asia businesses, collectively, contributed 47% of our net revenues and 45% of our regional operating income in 2019, as compared to 45% of our net revenues and 41% of our regional operating income in 2018. Sales of Levi’s® brand


33


products represented approximately 87% of our total net sales in 2019, as compared to 86% in 2018. Pants represented 65% of our total units sold in 2019, as compared to 68% of our total units sold in 2018, and men's products generated 67% of our total net sales in 2019 as compared to 69% in 2018.
Our wholesale channel generated 64% and 65% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively. Our DTC channel generated 36% and 35% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively, with our company operated e-commerce representing 14% and 13% of DTC channel net revenues and 5% and 4% of total net revenues in fiscal years 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Our Objectives
Our key long-term objectives are to strengthen our brands globally in order to deliver sustainable profitable growth and generate industry leading shareholder returns. Critical strategies to achieve these objectives include; driving our profitable core business, expanding the reach of our brands globally and into new categories, leading in omni-channel, and achieving operational excellence.
Factors Affecting Our Business
We believe the key business and marketplace factors that are impacting our business include the following:
Factors that impact consumer discretionary spending, which remains volatile globally, continue to create a complex and challenging retail environment for us and our customers, characterized by unpredictable traffic patterns and a general promotional environment. In developed economies, mixed real wage growth and shifting in consumer spending also continue to pressure global discretionary spending. Consumers continue to focus on value pricing and convenience with the off-price retail channel remaining strong and increased expectations for real-time delivery.
The diversification of our business model across regions, channels, brands and categories affects our gross margin. For example, if our sales in higher gross margin business regions, channels, brands and categories grow at a faster rate than in our lower gross margin business regions, channels, brands and categories, we would expect a favorable impact to aggregate gross margin over time. Gross margin in Europe is generally higher than in our other two regional operating segments. Sales directly to consumers generally have higher gross margins than sales through third parties, although these sales typically have higher selling expenses. Value brands, which are focused on the value-conscious consumer, generally generate lower gross margin. Enhancements to our existing product offerings, or our expansion into new products categories, may also impact our future gross margin.
More competitors are seeking growth globally, thereby increasing competition across regions. Some of these competitors are entering markets where we already have a mature business such as the United States, Mexico, Western Europe and Japan, and may provide consumers discretionary purchase alternatives or lower-priced apparel offerings.
Wholesaler/retailer dynamics and wholesale channels remain challenged by mixed growth prospects due to increased competition from e-commerce shopping, pricing transparency enabled by the proliferation of online technologies and vertically-integrated specialty stores. Retailers, including our top customers, have in the past and may in the future decide to consolidate, undergo restructurings or rationalize their stores which could result in a reduction in the number of stores that carry our products.
Many apparel companies that have traditionally relied on wholesale distribution channels have invested in expanding their own retail store and e-commerce distribution and consumer-facing technologies, which has increased competition in the retail market.
Competition for, and price volatility of, resources throughout the supply chain have increased, causing us and other apparel manufacturers to continue to seek alternative sourcing channels and create new efficiencies in our global supply chain. Trends affecting the supply chain include the proliferation of lower-cost sourcing alternatives, resulting in reduced barriers to entry for new competitors, and the impact of fluctuating prices of labor and raw materials as well as the consolidation of suppliers. Trends such as these can bring additional pressure on us and other wholesalers and retailers to shorten lead-times, reduce costs and raise product prices.
Foreign currencies continue to be volatile. Significant fluctuations of the U.S. Dollar against various foreign currencies, including the Euro, British Pound and Mexican Peso will impact our financial results, affecting translation, and revenue, operating margins and net income.
The current environment has introduced greater uncertainty with respect to potential tax and trade regulations. The current domestic and international political environment, including changes to other U.S. policies related to global trade and tariffs, have resulted in uncertainty surrounding the future state of the global economy. Such changes may require us to modify our current sourcing practices, which may impact our product costs and, if not mitigated, could


34


have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, the United States enacted tax legislation in fiscal year 2018, which is intended to stimulate economic growth and capital investments in the United States by, among other provisions, lowering tax rates for both corporations and individuals. For more information, see Note 18 of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
These factors contribute to a global market environment of intense competition, constant product innovation and continuing cost pressure, and combine with the continuing global economic conditions to create a challenging commercial and economic environment. We evaluate these factors as we develop and execute our strategies. For more information on the risk factors affecting our business, see "Item 1A - Risk Factors".
Seasonality of Sales
We typically achieve our largest quarterly revenues in the fourth quarter. In fiscal year 2019, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 25%, 23%, 25% and 27%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year. In fiscal year 2018, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 24%, 22%, 25% and 29%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year.
We typically achieve a significant amount of revenues from our DTC channel on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, which is commonly referred to as Black Friday. Due to the timing of our fiscal year-end, a particular fiscal year might include one, two or no Black Fridays, which could impact our net revenues for the fiscal year. Each of fiscal years 2018 and 2017 included one Black Friday, fiscal year 2019 did not have a Black Friday, while fiscal year 2020 will have two Black Fridays.
The level of our working capital reflects the seasonality of our business. We expect inventory, accounts payable and accrued expenses to be higher in the second and third quarters in preparation for the fourth quarter selling season. Order backlog is not material to our business.
Effects of Inflation
We believe inflation in the regions where most of our sales occur has not had a significant effect on our net revenues or profitability.
Our 2019 Results
 
Net revenues.  Compared to 2018, consolidated net revenues increased 3.4% on a reported basis and 5.8% on a constant-currency basis driven by growth across all three regions.
Operating income.  Compared to 2018, consolidated operating income increased 4.8% and operating margin increased to 9.8% from 9.7%, primarily reflecting higher net revenues and lower selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses as a percent of net revenues as higher selling expenses incurred to support DTC growth were more than offset by lower administration expenses.
Net income. Compared to 2018, consolidated net income increased to $395.0 million from $285.3 million due to higher operating income in the current year and a $143.4 million charge in the prior year from the transitional impact from the 2017 Tax Act, partially offset with a $24.9 million underwriter commission paid by us on behalf of selling stockholders in connection with our IPO.
Adjusted EBIT. Compared to 2018, adjusted EBIT of $610.6 million increased 4% on a reported basis and 8% on a constant-currency basis as a result of higher net revenues. Adjusted EBIT margin was 10.6%, flat compared to prior year on a reported basis, and 20 basis points higher than the prior year on a constant-currency basis. The lack of Black Friday sales in 2019 adversely impacted the adjusted EBIT margin comparison by approximately 25 basis points.
Adjusted net income. Compared to 2018, adjusted net income increased 9% due to higher operating income in the current year, and a $47.8 million charge in the prior year from a one-time U.S. transition tax on undistributed foreign earnings and foreign and state tax costs associated with future remittances of undistributed earnings from foreign subsidiaries, both resulting from the 2017 Tax Act.
Earnings per share. Compared to 2018, diluted earnings per share increased from $0.73 to $0.97 due to higher net income, partially offset by an increase in shares outstanding as a result of our IPO.
Adjusted diluted earnings per share. Compared to 2018, adjusted diluted earnings per share increased from $1.08 to $1.12 on a reported basis and increased from $1.03 to $1.12 on a constant-currency basis as a result of higher adjusted net income, partially offset by increased shares outstanding as a result of our IPO.


35


Financial Information Presentation
Fiscal year.  We use a 52- or 53-week fiscal year, with each fiscal year ending on the Sunday that is closest to November 30 of that year. Certain of our foreign subsidiaries have fiscal years ending November 30. Each fiscal year generally consists of four 13-week quarters, with each quarter ending on the Sunday that is closest to the last day of the last month of that quarter. Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 were 52-week years ending on November 24, 2019, November 25, 2018 and November 26, 2017, respectively. Fiscal 2020 will be a 53-week year. Each quarter of fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of 13 weeks. The fourth quarter of 2020 will consist of 14 weeks.
Segments.  We manage our business according to three operating segments: Americas, Europe and Asia.
Classification.  Our classification of certain significant revenues and expenses reflects the following:
Net revenues comprise net sales and licensing revenues. Net sales include sales of products to wholesale customers, including franchised stores, and direct sales to consumers at our company-operated stores and shop-in-shops located within department stores and other third party locations, as well as company-operated e-commerce sites. Net revenues include discounts, allowances for estimated returns and incentives. Licensing revenues, which include revenues from the use of our trademarks in connection with the manufacturing, advertising and distribution of trademarked products by third-party licensees, are earned and recognized as products are sold by licensees based on royalty rates as set forth in the applicable licensing agreements.
Cost of goods sold primarily comprises product costs, labor and related overhead, sourcing costs, inbound freight, internal transfers and the cost of operating our remaining manufacturing facilities, including the related depreciation expense. On both a reported and constant-currency basis, cost of goods sold reflects the transactional currency impact resulting from the purchase of products in a currency other than the functional currency.
Selling expenses include, among other things, all occupancy costs and depreciation associated with our company-operated stores and commissions associated with our company-operated shop-in-shops, as well as costs associated with our e-commerce operations.
We reflect substantially all distribution costs in selling, general and administrative expenses, including costs related to receiving and inspection at distribution centers, warehousing, shipping to our customers, handling, and certain other activities associated with our distribution network.
SG&A and Other Income (Expense), net in the period ended November 25, 2018 and November 26, 2017 have been conformed to reflect the adoption of ASU 2017-07, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost". Refer to Note 1 for more information.



36


Results of Operations
2019 compared to 2018
The following table summarizes, for the periods indicated, our consolidated statements of income, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
%
Increase
(Decrease)
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
Net revenues
$
5,763.1

 
$
5,575.4

 
3.4
 %
 
100.0
 %
 
100.0
 %
Cost of goods sold
2,661.7

 
2,577.4

 
3.3
 %
 
46.2
 %
 
46.2
 %
Gross profit
3,101.4

 
2,998.0

 
3.4
 %
 
53.8
 %
 
53.8
 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
2,534.7

 
2,457.5

 
3.1
 %
 
44.0
 %
 
44.1
 %
Operating income
566.7

 
540.5

 
4.8
 %
 
9.8
 %
 
9.7
 %
Interest expense
(66.2
)
 
(55.3
)
 
19.7
 %
 
(1.1
)%
 
(1.0
)%
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders
(24.9
)
 

 
*

 
(0.4
)%
 
 %
Other income, net
2.0

 
14.9

 
(86.6
)%
 
 %
 
0.3
 %
Income before income taxes
477.6

 
500.1

 
(4.5
)%
 
8.3
 %
 
9.0
 %
Income tax expense
82.6

 
214.8

 
(61.5
)%
 
1.4
 %
 
3.9
 %
Net income
395.0

 
285.3

 
38.5
 %
 
6.9
 %
 
5.1
 %
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
(0.4
)
 
(2.1
)
 
(81.0
)%
 
 %
 
 %
Net income attributable to Levi Strauss & Co.
$
394.6

 
$
283.2

 
39.3
 %
 
6.8
 %
 
5.1
 %
Earnings per common share attributable to common stockholders:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
1.01

 
$
0.75

 
34.7
 %
 
*

 
*

Diluted
$
0.97

 
$
0.73

 
32.9
 %
 
*

 
*

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
389.1

 
377.1

 
3.2
 %
 
*

 
*

Diluted
408.4

 
388.6

 
5.1
 %
 
*

 
*

_____________
* Not meaningful


37


Net revenues
The following table presents net revenues by regional operating segment for the periods indicated and the changes in net revenues by operating segment on both reported and constant-currency bases from period to period:
 
Year Ended
 
 
 
 
 
% Increase
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
As
Reported
 
Constant
Currency
 
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas
$
3,057.0

 
$
3,042.7

 
0.5
%
 
0.8
%
Europe
1,768.1

 
1,646.2

 
7.4
%
 
13.3
%
Asia
938.0

 
886.5

 
5.8
%
 
9.5
%
Total net revenues
$
5,763.1

 
$
5,575.4

 
3.4
%
 
5.8
%
As compared to the same period in the prior year, total net revenues were affected unfavorably by approximately $126 million in foreign currency exchange rates.
Americas.   On both a reported basis and constant-currency basis, net revenues in our Americas region increased slightly for 2019. Currency translation had an unfavorable impact on net revenues of approximately $10 million for the year.
Constant-currency net revenues increased as a result of higher DTC revenues, in the U.S. and international markets, specifically Mexico, despite lacking Black Friday sales due to the timing of our 2019 fiscal year-end. The increase in sales was due to the expansion of our company-operated retail network, as we had 14 more stores in operation as of November 24, 2019 as compared to November 25, 2018 and increased traffic to our e-commerce business. Total wholesale revenues were down, driven from a decline in U.S. wholesale revenues, as a result of the softening in the overall wholesale environment, including the impact of financially troubled retailers and increased door closures since a year ago. The decline was also due to the 2018 relaunch of our Docker's Signature Khaki, as we stocked our customers' floors with the new product, driving increased sales in the prior year.
Europe.  Net revenues in Europe increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation affecting net revenues unfavorably by approximately $86 million.
Constant-currency net revenues increased for 2019 as a result of strong performance across both DTC and wholesale channels. The growth in DTC is mainly driven from strong performance within our company-operated retail network, particularly outlets, as well as expansion, as we had 24 more stores in operation as of November 24, 2019 as compared to November 25, 2018, despite lacking Black Friday sales due to the timing of our 2019 fiscal year-end. The growth in our wholesale channel is broad based, across all markets and product categories.
Asia.  Net revenues in Asia increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation affecting net revenues unfavorably by approximately $30 million.
On a constant-currency basis, the increase in net revenues was due to growth across both wholesale and DTC channels. The growth in wholesale, which includes franchised stores was across multiple markets, in particular India. The growth in DTC was primarily due to store expansion, as there were 43 more stores as of November 24, 2019 as compared to November 25, 2018 as well as growth within our e-commerce business.


38


Gross profit
The following table shows consolidated gross profit and gross margin for the periods indicated and the changes in these items from period to period: 
 
Year Ended
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
%
Increase
 
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues
$
5,763.1

 
$
5,575.4

 
3.4
%
Cost of goods sold
2,661.7

 
2,577.4

 
3.3
%
Gross profit
$
3,101.4

 
$
2,998.0

 
3.4
%
Gross margin
53.8
%
 
53.8
%
 
 
Currency translation unfavorably impacted gross profit by approximately $72 million. Excluding the impact of currency translation, gross margin increased slightly due to sales in higher gross margin businesses offset primarily by transactional currency impact.
Selling, general and administrative expenses
The following table shows SG&A expenses for the periods indicated, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
%
Increase (Decrease)
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
(Dollars in millions)
Selling
$
1,116.8

 
$
1,043.0

 
7.1
 %
 
19.4
%
 
18.7
%
Advertising and promotion
399.3

 
400.3

 
(0.2
)%
 
6.9
%
 
7.2
%
Administration
426.0

 
484.5

 
(12.1
)%
 
7.4
%
 
8.7
%
Other
592.6

 
529.7

 
11.9
 %
 
10.3
%
 
9.5
%
Total SG&A expenses
$
2,534.7

 
$
2,457.5

 
3.1
 %
 
44.0
%
 
44.1
%
Currency translation affected SG&A expenses favorably by approximately $50 million as compared to the prior year.
Selling.  Currency translation impacted selling expenses favorably by approximately $29 million for the year ended November 24, 2019. Higher selling expenses primarily reflected costs associated with the expansion and performance of our DTC business, including increased investment in new and existing company-operated stores. We had 81 more company-operated stores as of November 24, 2019 than as of November 25, 2018.
Advertising and promotion.  Currency translation impacted advertising and promotion expense favorably by approximately $8 million for the year ended November 24, 2019. Advertising and promotion expenses as a percent of net revenues decreased due to planned reductions in advertising spend.
Administration.  Administration expenses include functional administrative and organization costs. Currency translation impacted administration expenses favorably by approximately $6 million for the fiscal year 2019. Administration expenses decreased due to lower annual incentive compensation costs as well as lower stock-based compensation costs, which reflect the cancel of cash-settled awards and concurrent replacement with similar equity-settled awards in relation to the IPO, as well as lower overall stock price volatility for 2019.
Other.  Other SG&A expenses include distribution, information resources, and marketing organization costs. Currency translation impacted other SG&A expenses favorably by approximately $7 million for the fiscal year 2019. The increase in other SG&A costs was primarily due to an increase in information technology expenses, which reflect critical investments towards expanding our omni-channel capabilities as well as initial investments towards a new enterprise resource planning system. Distribution costs also increased to support increased volume, mainly within Europe and Asia.


39


Operating income
The following table shows operating income by regional operating segment and corporate expenses for the periods indicated, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of corresponding region net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
 
November 24,
2019
 
November 25,
2018
 
% (Decrease)
Increase
 
November 24,
2019
 
 
November 25,
2018
 
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
 
(Dollars in millions)
 
Operating income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas
$
545.1

 
$
551.4

 
(1.1
)%
 
17.8
%
 
 
18.1
%
 
Europe
353.1

 
292.9

 
20.6
 %
 
20.0
%
 
 
17.8
%
 
Asia
85.8

 
86.6

 
(0.9
)%
 
9.1
%
 
 
9.8
%
 
Total regional operating income
984.0

 
930.9

 
5.7
 %
 
17.1
%
*
 
16.7
%
*
Corporate expenses
417.3

 
390.4

 
6.9
 %
 
7.2
%
*
 
7.0
%
*
Total operating income
$
566.7

 
$
540.5

 
4.8
 %
 
9.8
%
*
 
9.7
%
*
Operating margin
9.8
%
 
9.7
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
______________
* Percentage of consolidated net revenues
Currency translation affected total operating income unfavorably by approximately $22 million as compared to the prior year.
Regional operating income.    
Americas.  Currency translation did not have a significant impact on operating income in the region for fiscal year 2019. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to an increase in net revenues and gross margin offset by higher SG&A selling expense, mainly to support growth across our DTC channel.
Europe.  Currency translation unfavorably affected operating income in the region by approximately $17 million as compared to the prior year. Excluding the effects of currency, the increase in operating income was due to higher net revenues across all channels and increased gross margin, partially offset by higher SG&A selling, distribution, and advertising and promotion costs to support revenue growth.
Asia.  Currency translation unfavorably affected operating income in the region by approximately $5 million in the region for fiscal year 2019. Excluding the effects of currency, the increase in operating income for 2019 was due to higher net revenues across all channels, offset by higher SG&A selling expense to support growth across our retail channel.
Corporate.  Corporate expenses represent costs that management does not attribute to any of our regional operating segments.
Included in corporate expenses are other corporate staff costs and costs associated with our global inventory sourcing organization, which are reported as a component of consolidated gross margin. The increase in corporate expenses for 2019 was primarily due to an increase in foreign currency transaction losses related to our global sourcing organizations procurement of inventory on behalf of our foreign subsidiaries.
Interest expense
Interest expense was $66.2 million for the year ended November 24, 2019, as compared to $55.3 million in the prior year. The increase in interest expense was primarily related to higher interest on deferred compensation as a result of changes in market conditions, and higher interest incurred on lease financing obligations for build to suit locations.
Our weighted-average interest rate on average borrowings outstanding for 2019 was 5.31%, as compared to 5.01% for 2018.


40


Other income (expense), net
Other income (expense), net, primarily consists of foreign exchange management activities and transactions. For the year ended November 24, 2019 and November 25, 2018, we recorded net other income of $2.0 million and $14.9 million, respectively. The income in 2019 primarily reflected investment interest generated from money market funds and short-term investments, partially offset by net periodic pension cost and net losses on our foreign currency denominated balances. The income in 2018 primarily reflected net gains on our foreign exchange derivatives and investment interest generated from money market funds, partially offset by net losses on our foreign currency denominated balances.
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders
For the year ended November 24, 2019, we recorded an expense of $24.9 million for underwriting discounts and commissions paid by us on behalf of the selling stockholders in connection with our IPO.
Income tax expense
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted the Tax Act, which significantly changed U.S. tax law. The Tax Act lowered our U.S. statutory federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective on November 26, 2018. Beginning the first quarter of 2019, our effective tax rate reflected a provision to tax Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") of foreign subsidiaries and a tax benefit for Foreign Derived Intangible Income ("FDII"). In accordance with U.S. GAAP, we made an accounting policy election to account for GILTI in the period in which it is incurred.
Income tax expense was $82.6 million for the year ended November 24, 2019, compared to $214.8 million for the prior year. Our effective income tax rate was 17.3% for the year ended November 24, 2019, compared to 43.0% for the prior year. The decrease in the effective tax rate in 2019 as compared to 2018 was primarily driven by a $143.4 million one-time tax charge in 2018 related to the enactment of the Tax Act. This charge was comprised of $95.6 million re-measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities and $37.5 million one-time U.S. transition tax on undistributed foreign earnings and $10.3 million charge related to foreign and state tax costs associated with the future remittance of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries.
We historically provided for U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries unless they were considered indefinitely reinvested outside the United States. We have reevaluated this historic indefinite reinvestment assertion as a result of the enactment of the Tax Act and determined that any historical undistributed earnings through November 25, 2018 of foreign subsidiaries are no longer considered to be indefinitely reinvested as well as most of the additional undistributed earnings generated through November 2019. The deferred tax liability related to foreign and state tax costs associated with the future remittance of these undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries was $9.7 million. For the year ended November 24, 2019, management asserted indefinite reinvestment on a small portion of foreign earnings generated in fiscal year 2019. If such earnings were to repatriate back to the U.S., the related foreign withholding and state tax costs could be approximately $1 million.



41


2018 compared to 2017
The following table summarizes, for the periods indicated, our consolidated statements of income, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
%
Increase
(Decrease)
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
Net revenues
$
5,575.4

 
$
4,904.0

 
13.7
 %
 
100.0
 %
 
100.0
 %
Cost of goods sold
2,577.4

 
2,341.3

 
10.1
 %
 
46.2
 %
 
47.7
 %
Gross profit
2,998.0

 
2,562.7

 
17.0
 %
 
53.8
 %
 
52.3
 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses(1)
2,457.5

 
2,082.6

 
18.0
 %
 
44.1
 %
 
42.5
 %
Operating income
540.5

 
480.1

 
12.6
 %
 
9.7
 %
 
9.8
 %
Interest expense
(55.3
)
 
(68.6
)
 
(19.4
)%
 
(1.0
)%
 
(1.4
)%
Loss on early extinguishment of debt

 
(22.8
)
 
*

 
 %
 
(0.5
)%
Other income (expense), net(1)
14.9

 
(39.9
)
 
(137.3
)%
 
0.3
 %
 
(0.8
)%
Income before income taxes
500.1

 
348.8

 
43.4
 %
 
9.0
 %
 
7.1
 %
Income tax expense
214.8

 
64.2

 
*

 
3.9
 %
 
1.3
 %
Net income
285.3

 
284.6

 
0.2
 %
 
5.1
 %
 
5.8
 %
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
(2.1
)
 
(3.2
)
 
(34.4
)%
 
 %
 
(0.1
)%
Net income attributable to Levi Strauss & Co.
$
283.2

 
$
281.4

 
0.6
 %
 
5.1
 %
 
5.7
 %
Earnings per common share attributable to common stockholders:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
0.75

 
$
0.75

 
 %
 
*

 
*

Diluted
$
0.73

 
$
0.73

 
 %
 
*

 
*

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
377.1

 
376.2

 
0.2
 %
 
*

 
*

Diluted
388.6

 
384.3

 
1.1
 %
 
*

 
*

_____________
* Not meaningful
(1)
The amounts in SG&A and Other income (expense), net have been conformed to reflect the adoption of ASU 2017-07, "Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost" and include non-service cost component of net periodic benefit costs. Refer to Note 1 for more information.


42


Net revenues
The following table presents net revenues by regional operating segment for the periods indicated and the changes in net revenues by operating segment on both reported and constant-currency bases from period to period:
 
Year Ended
 
 
 
 
 
% Increase
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
As
Reported
 
Constant
Currency
 
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas
$
3,042.7

 
$
2,774.0

 
9.7
%
 
10.0
%
Europe
1,646.2

 
1,312.3

 
25.4
%
 
20.8
%
Asia
886.5

 
817.7

 
8.4
%
 
8.2
%
Total net revenues
$
5,575.4

 
$
4,904.0

 
13.7
%
 
12.7
%
As compared to the same period in the prior year, total net revenues were affected favorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
Americas.   On both a reported basis and constant-currency basis, net revenues in our Americas region increased for 2018. Currency translation had an unfavorable impact on net revenues of approximately $7 million for the year.
Constant-currency net revenues increased as a result of broad-based growth in the region. Wholesale revenues grew in the region, largely due to the continued growth in performance and expansion of Signature® products and Levi's® women's products as well as growth in Mexico. DTC revenues grew due to strong performance of our company-operated retail outlet and e-commerce businesses driven by increased traffic and conversion, as well as 21 more company-operated retail stores in operation as of November 25, 2018 as compared to November 26, 2017.
Europe.  Net revenues in Europe increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation affecting net revenues favorably by approximately $50 million.
Constant-currency net revenues increased for 2018 as a result of strong performance in all channels mostly due to traditional wholesale and company-operated retail. The widespread growth in all channels reflects the strength of the brand and expanded product assortment across the customer base, mainly in Levi's® men's and women's products. Additionally, there were 17 more company-operated retail stores in operation as of November 25, 2018 as compared to November 26, 2017.
Asia.  Net revenues in Asia increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation having a minimal impact on net revenues.
On a constant-currency basis, the increase in net revenues was primarily due to the expansion and strong performance of our company-operated retail network, which included 36 more stores as of November 25, 2018 as compared to November 26, 2017. Wholesale revenues in 2018 increased, particularly in India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
 


43


Gross profit
The following table shows consolidated gross profit and gross margin for the periods indicated and the changes in these items from period to period:
 
Year Ended
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
%
Increase
 
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues
$
5,575.4

 
$
4,904.0

 
13.7
%
Cost of goods sold
2,577.4

 
2,341.3

 
10.1
%
Gross profit
$
2,998.0

 
$
2,562.7

 
17.0
%
Gross margin
53.8
%
 
52.3
%
 
 
Currency translation favorably impacted gross profit by approximately $32 million. Gross margin increased primarily due to increased DTC sales.
Selling, general and administrative expenses
The following table shows our SG&A expenses for the periods indicated, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
%
Increase
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
(Dollars in millions)
Selling
$
1,043.0

 
$
888.2

 
17.4
%
 
18.7
%
 
18.1
%
Advertising and promotion
400.3

 
323.3

 
23.8
%
 
7.2
%
 
6.6
%
Administration
484.5

 
398.1

 
21.7
%
 
8.7
%
 
8.1
%
Other
529.7

 
473.0

 
12.0
%
 
9.5
%
 
9.7
%
Total SG&A expenses
$
2,457.5

 
$
2,082.6

 
18.0
%
 
44.1
%
 
42.5
%
Currency translation affected SG&A expenses unfavorably by approximately $19 million as compared to the prior year.
Selling.  Currency translation impacted selling expenses unfavorably by approximately $11.0 million for the year ended November 25, 2018. Higher selling expenses primarily reflected costs associated with the expansion and performance of our DTC business, including increased investment in new and existing company-operated stores. We had 74 more company-operated stores as of November 25, 2018 than as of November 26, 2017.
Advertising and promotion.  Currency translation impacted advertising and promotion expense unfavorably by approximately $2.0 million for the year ended November 25, 2018. Advertising and promotion expenses increased due to planned incremental investments in advertising.
Administration.  Administration expenses include functional administrative and organization costs. Currency translation impacted administration expenses unfavorably by approximately $3.0 million for the fiscal year 2018. As compared to the same prior-year period, administration expenses in 2018 reflect higher stock-based and incentive compensation which increased $57.9 million, reflecting outperformance against our internally-set objectives. Our stock-based compensation expense related to cash-settled awards increased to $71.4 million for fiscal year 2018 from $31.3 million for the same prior-year period, mostly as a result of an increase in fair value of our common stock during the period. This increase was partially offset by an $8.3 million adjustment in 2017, which was for the correction of the periods used for the recognition of expense associated with employees eligible to vest in awards after retirement in the prior years.
Other.  Other SG&A expense include distribution, information resources, and marketing organization costs. Currency translation impacted other SG&A expenses unfavorably by approximately $3.0 million for the fiscal year 2018. The increase in SG&A other costs was primarily due to an increase in distribution costs as a result of higher volume.



44


Operating income
The following table shows operating income by regional operating segment and corporate expenses for the periods indicated, the changes in these items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of corresponding region net revenues:
 
Year Ended
 
 
November 25,
2018
 
November 26,
2017
 
%
Increase
 
November 25,
2018
 
 
November 26,
2017
 
 
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
 
% of Net
Revenues
 
 
(Dollars in millions)
 
Operating income:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Americas
$
551.4

 
$
529.3

 
4.2
%
 
18.1
%
 
 
19.1
%
 
Europe
292.9

 
198.7

 
47.4
%
 
17.8
%
 
 
15.1
%
 
Asia
86.6

 
78.3

 
10.6
%
 
9.8
%
 
 
9.6
%
 
Total regional operating income
930.9

 
806.3

 
15.5
%
 
16.7
%
*
 
16.4
%
*
Corporate expenses
390.4

 
326.2

 
19.7
%
 
7.0
%
*
 
6.7
%
*
Total operating income
$
540.5

 
$
480.1

 
12.6
%
 
9.7
%
*
 
9.8
%
*
Operating margin
9.7
%
 
9.8
%
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
______________
* Percentage of consolidated net revenues
Currency translation affected total operating income favorably by approximately $13 million as compared to the prior year.
Regional operating income.    
Americas.  Currency translation did not have a significant impact on operating income in the region for fiscal year 2018. The increase in operating income was primarily due to higher net revenues and gross margin partially offset by higher SG&A selling expense due to store growth and an increased investment in advertising.
Europe.  Currency translation favorably affected operating income by approximately $14 million as compared to the prior year. The increase in operating income was due to higher net revenues across all channels, partially offset by higher SG&A selling expense to support growth and higher advertising and promotion expense.
Asia.  Currency translation did not have a significant impact on operating income in the region for fiscal year 2018. The increase in operating income for 2018 was due to higher net revenues and gross margins, partially offset by higher SG&A selling expense related to retail expansion.
Corporate.  Corporate expenses represent costs that management does not attribute to any of our regional operating segments. Included in corporate expenses are restructuring and restructuring-related charges, other corporate staff costs, and costs associated with our global inventory sourcing organization. Currency translation did not have a significant impact on corporate expenses. The increase in corporate expenses for 2018 was primarily due to an increase in administration expenses of $57.9 million relating to stock-based and incentive compensation reflecting outperformance against our internally-set objectives. This increase was partially offset by an $8.3 million adjustment in 2017, which was for the correction of the periods used for the recognition of expense associated with employees eligible to vest in awards after retirement in the prior years.
Interest expense
Interest expense was $55.3 million for the year ended November 25, 2018, as compared to $68.6 million in the prior year. The decrease in interest expense was primarily due to lower average borrowing rates in 2018 resulting from our debt refinancing activities during the second quarter of 2017, and the reduction in deferred compensation interest due to changes to market conditions.
Our weighted-average interest rate on average borrowings outstanding for 2018 was 5.01%, as compared to 5.60% for 2017.



45


Loss on early extinguishment of debt
For the year ended November 26, 2017, we recorded a $22.8 million loss on early extinguishment of debt as a result of our debt refinancing activities during the year. The loss included $21.9 million of tender and call premiums on the retirement of the debt.
Other income (expense), net
Other income (expense), net, primarily consists of foreign exchange management activities and transactions. For the year ended November 25, 2018, we recorded net other income of $14.9 million as compared to net other expense of $39.9 million for the prior year. The income in 2018 primarily reflected net gains on our foreign exchange derivatives and investment interest generated from money market funds, partially offset by net losses on our foreign currency denominated balances. The expense in 2017 primarily reflected net losses on foreign exchange derivatives, partially offset by net gains on our foreign currency denominated balances.
Income tax expense
Income tax expense was $214.8 million for the year ended November 25, 2018, compared to $64.2 million for the prior year. Our effective income tax rate was 43.0% for the year ended November 25, 2018, compared to 18.4% for the prior year.
The increase in the effective tax rate in 2018 as compared to 2017 was primarily driven by one-time tax charge related to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") described below and proportionately less tax benefit from the lower tax cost of foreign operations, partially offset by the lower U.S. federal statutory tax rate.
For the year ended November 25, 2018, management reevaluated its historic assertion of indefinite reinvestment of $264 million of undistributed foreign earnings. These earnings, as well as other foreign earnings, were subject to the U.S. one-time mandatory transition tax and are eligible to be repatriated to the United States without additional U.S. federal tax under the Tax Act. As a result of this reevaluation, we have determined that any historical undistributed earnings through November 25, 2018 are no longer considered to be indefinitely reinvested and accordingly recognized a $10.3 million deferred tax expense associated with the future remittance of these undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries.
The Tax Act was enacted in the United States on December 22, 2017 and includes, among other items, a reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% and a deemed repatriation of foreign earnings. The enactment of the Tax Act resulted in a charge of $143.4 million to tax expense for the year ended November 25, 2018. This charge was comprised of a $95.6 million re-measurement of our deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the lower rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, a $37.5 million one-time U.S. transition tax on undistributed foreign earnings and a $10.3 million charge related to foreign and state tax costs associated with the future remittance of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries.
The Tax Act also includes provisions not yet effective for our company, including a provision to tax global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) of foreign subsidiaries, which were effective for our company beginning on November 26, 2018. In accordance with U.S. GAAP, we have made an accounting policy election to treat taxes due under the GILTI provision as a current period expense.


46


Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity outlook
We believe we will have adequate liquidity over the next 12 months to operate our business and to meet our cash requirements. Our capital allocation priorities are (1) to invest in opportunities and initiatives to grow our business organically, (2) to return capital to our stockholders in the form of cash dividends, which we expect to be in the range of $130 million in 2020, as well as stock repurchases to offset dilution that would otherwise be introduced from stock-based incentive compensation grants, and (3) to pursue acquisitions that support our current strategies. Future determinations regarding the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our results of operations, payout ratio, capital requirements, financial condition, prospects, contractual arrangements, any limitations on payment of dividends present in our current and future debt agreements and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Cash sources
We have historically relied primarily on cash flows from operations, borrowings under credit facilities, issuances of notes and other forms of debt financing. We regularly explore financing and debt reduction alternatives, including new credit agreements, unsecured and secured note issuances, equity financing, equipment and real estate financing, securitizations and asset sales.
We are party to a second amended and restated credit agreement that provides for a senior secured revolving credit facility. The facility is an asset-based facility, in which the borrowing availability is primarily based on the value of our U.S. Levi’s® trademarks and the levels of accounts receivable and inventory in the United States and Canada. The maximum availability under the facility is $850 million, of which $800 million is available to us for revolving loans in U.S. Dollars and $50 million is available to us for revolving loans either in U.S. Dollars or Canadian Dollars.
In March 2019, we completed our IPO, in which we issued and sold 14,960,557 shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $17.00 per share. We received net proceeds of $234.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $13.6 million and other direct and incremental offering expenses of $6.1 million. We agreed to pay all underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the sales of shares of Class A common stock by the selling stockholders. This amount, $24.9 million, was paid at completion of the IPO in March 2019 and was recorded as non-operating expense in the second quarter of 2019. Additionally, we incurred $3.5 million of other costs associated with the IPO that were recorded in SG&A.
As of November 24, 2019, we did not have any borrowings under the credit facility, unused availability under the facility was $819.5 million, and our total availability of $850.0 million, based on collateral levels as defined by the agreement, was reduced by $30.5 million of other credit-related instruments.
As of November 24, 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents totaling approximately $934.2 million and short-term investments of $80.7 million resulting in a total liquidity position (unused availability and cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments) of approximately $1.8 billion.
Cash uses
Our principal cash requirements include working capital, capital expenditures, payments of principal and interest on our debt, payments of taxes, contributions to our pension plans and payments for postretirement health benefit plans, settlement of shares issued under our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended to date ("EIP") and, if market conditions warrant, occasional investments in, or acquisitions of, business ventures in our line of business. In addition, we regularly evaluate our ability to pay dividends or repurchase stock, all consistent with the terms of our debt agreements. Upon completion of our IPO in March 2019, our 2016 Plan was replaced with our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan ("2019 Plan"). Under the 2016 Plan, holders of shares could require us to repurchase such shares at the then-current market value pursuant to a contractual put right. Under the 2019 Plan and as a result of the IPO, this contractual put right was terminated. However, upon vesting or exercise of an award, we will continue to net settle shares in order to pay withholding taxes on behalf of our employees.
In December 2019, the Company completed an acquisition for all operating assets related to Levi’s® and Dockers® brands from The Jeans Company ("TJC"), LS&Co's distributor in Chile, Peru and Bolivia, for $52 million, plus transaction costs. This includes 78 Levi’s® and Dockers® retail stores, distribution with the region’s leading multi-brand retailers, and the logistical operations in these markets.
In January 2020, the Board declared a cash dividend of $0.08 per share to holders of record of its Class A and Class B common stock at the close of business on February 12, 2020. Total dividends are expected to be in the range of $130 million for fiscal year 2020 and to be paid out quarterly.


47


The following table provides information about our significant cash contractual obligations and commitments as of November 24, 2019:
 
Payments due or projected by fiscal period
 
Total
 
2020
 
2021
 
2022
 
2023
 
2024
 
Thereafter
 
(Dollars in millions)
Contractual and Long-term Liabilities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Short-term and long-term debt obligations
$
1,025

 
$
8

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$

 
$
1,017

Interest(1)
273

 
46

 
45

 
45

 
43

 
43

 
51

Future minimum payments(2)
1,147

 
234

 
203

 
175

 
140

 
111

 
284

Purchase obligations(3)
863

 
636

 
41

 
27

 
18

 
16

 
125

Postretirement obligations(4)
67

 
9

 
9

 
8

 
8

 
7

 
26

Pension obligations(5)
194

 
44

 
25

 
15

 
15

 
15

 
80

Long-term employee related benefits(6)
96

 
11