We are a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle
products. For more than 35 years, our reputation and distinctive image have
been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and
international markets. Our brand names, which include “Polo,” “Polo by Ralph
Lauren,” “Ralph Lauren Purple Label,” “Polo Sport,” “Ralph Lauren,” “ Blue Label,”
“Lauren,” “Polo Jeans,” “RL,” “Chaps” and “Club Monaco,” among others, constitute
one of the world’s most widely recognized families of consumer brands. We believe
that, under the direction of Ralph Lauren, the internationally renowned designer,
we have influenced the manner in which people dress and live in contemporary
society, reflecting an American perspective and lifestyle uniquely associated
with Polo and Ralph Lauren.
We combine our consumer insight and design, marketing and imaging skills to
offer, along with our licensing partners, broad lifestyle product collections
in four categories:
• Apparel — Products include extensive collections of men’s, women’s and children’s
clothing;
• Home — Coordinated products for the home include bedding and bath products,
furniture, fabric and wallpaper, paints, broadloom, tabletop and giftware;
• Accessories — Accessories encompass a broad range of products such as footwear,
eyewear, jewelry and leather goods, including handbags and luggage; and
• Fragrance — Fragrance and skin care products are sold under our Glamorous,
Romance, Polo, Lauren, Safari and Polo Sport brands, among others.
Customers and Service
Consistent with the appeal and distinctive image of our products and brands,
we sell our menswear and womenswear products primarily to leading upscale department
stores, specialty stores and golf and pro shops located throughout the United
States, which have the reputation and merchandising expertise required for the
effective presentation of Polo Ralph Lauren products. Collection Brands are
distributed through a limited number of premier fashion retailers.
Our wholesale products are distributed through the primary distribution channels
throughout the United States, Europe and other regions as listed in the table
below. We also distribute our products through Company owned stores as discussed
in the “Direct Retailing” section. In addition, we also sell excess and out-of-season
products through secondary distribution channels.
Competition
Competition is strong in the segments of the fashion and consumer product
industries in which we operate. We compete with numerous designers and manufacturers
of apparel and accessories, fragrances and home furnishing products, domestic
and foreign, including Liz Claiborne, Inc., Jones Apparel Group, Inc., Tommy
Hilfiger Corporation, Calvin Klein, Inc. and Giorgio Armani Spa in the branded
apparel market sector, and Gucci Group N.V. and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton
in the luxury market sector. Some of our competitors may be significantly larger
and have substantially greater resources than us. We compete primarily on the
basis of fashion, quality and service, which depend on our ability to:
• shape and stimulate consumer tastes and preferences by producing innovative,
attractive and exciting products, brands and marketing,
• anticipate and respond to changing consumer demands in a timely manner,
• maintain favorable brand recognition,
• develop and produce high quality products that appeal to consumers,
• appropriately price our products,
• provide strong and effective marketing support,
• ensure product availability, and
• obtain sufficient retail floor space and effectively present our products
at retail.
