NYSE LEVI 2021 Copyable
NYSE LEVI 2021 Copyable
NYSE LEVI 2021 Copyable
$1.47
We generated $4.6
$4.9
$5.6 $5.8 $5.8
performance
in 2021. $.21
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
57.9% $285
$713 53.8% 53.8% 54.4%
51.2% 52.3%
$590 $611 $230
$493 $502
$158
$141
$116
$95
$181
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
The steps we took during the early days of the pandemic to improve
our cost structure, pivot to be more digitally driven and invest in
our brands has paid off. Our structural economics are stronger, the
Levi’s® brand has grown share globally, and our strategic focus on
driving Direct to Consumer (DTC) and continuing to diversify the
business have driven our results.
16,600 employees
billion approx
FY21 net revenue
50,000 retail locations
~$200 million
FY21 capital return to approx
shareholders in dividends brand-dedicated
and share buybacks 3,100 stores & shop-in-shops
5% wholesale
8% Including franchise
company-
25% operated stores
ecommerce
Company-operated
only
shop-in-shops
Europe 75%
51% tops
Asia
footwear &
Other brands* accessories
Brand-Led
The Levi’s® brand is our greatest asset; it bolsters our financial
performance and has an influence and impact that reaches far
beyond our industry. On a global basis, Levi’s® is the #1 denim
brand in both men’s and women’s. In 2021, we grew share overall
and are bigger than the next three brands combined. In the U.S.,
the world’s biggest denim market, we were the #1 brand in men’s
and the #2 brand in women’s, and the only brand among the top
five that gained share with the 18- to 30-year-old consumer.
Our company-operated
brick-and-mortar stores
rebounded in 2021.
We announced earlier this year that our distribution center in
Henderson, Nevada, became our first owned-and-operated facility
to fulfill orders for ecommerce, retail and wholesale channels. This
facility is a part of our ongoing efforts to enhance omnichannel
capabilities with owned-and-operated distribution centers which
will accelerate lead times, reduce reliance on third-party logistics
providers, and lead to long-term cost savings. We are building
highly automated, sustainable, owned-and-operated distribution
centers to serve the east coast of the United States and Europe.
2016 VS 2021
Our Diversification Progress
Percentages indicate % contribution to net revenues
“other than
denim” bottoms women’s
Progress Progress
Through 2020: Through 2020:
14% reduction in
14% ~22% reduction in
22%
Scope 3 emissions from freshwater use in 2020 in
2016 baseline high water-stressed locations
Progress
Through 2020:
67% of all LS&Co.
67%
products were made using
Water<Less® finishing We invite you to read the Sustainability
techniques or in facilities that meet our
water recycle and reuse guidelines
report on our website, levistrauss.com ➔
Sincerely,
President & Chair of Audit Committee Chair of Finance Committee Chair of Nominating,
Chief Executive Officer Governance & Corporate
Former Chief Operating Retired CEO of Ippolita
Citizenship Committee
Officer, Starbucks Corporation
Operating Partner at FFL
Partners, LLC & Chairman
Emeritus of Mattel, Inc.
Retired President & Retired Group Vice President, Partner, Idea Generation & Chief People Officer
Chief Executive Officer Hispanic Business Strategy Research, at Indaba Capital of Project44
of Charlotte Russe, Inc. for Toyota Motor North Management, L.P.
America, Inc.
COMMITTEE KEY
[1] Nominating, Governance and Corporate Citizenship Committee
[2] Compensation and Human Capital Committee
[3] Finance Committee
[4] Audit Committee
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
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 28, 2021
Commission file number: 001-06631
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)
Large accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer 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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of
its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public
accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes No
The aggregate market value of the registrant's shares of Class A common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of May 28,
2021, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $2,350,627,675 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 20, 2022, the registrant had 98,205,835 shares of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share
and 299,815,032 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 2022 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.
Page
Number
Special Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Summary of Risks Affecting Our Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Where You Can Find More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
PART I
Item 1. Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Item 1A. Risk Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Item 2. Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Item 3. Legal Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of
Equity Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Item 6. Reserved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations . . . . . . . 41
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure . . . . . . . 136
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Item 9B. Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
PART III
PART IV
1
should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant
information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
The forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report relate only to events as of the date on which such statements
are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report or to
conform such statements to actual results or revised expectations, except as required by law.
2
SUMMARY OF RISKS AFFECTING OUR BUSINESS
Our business is subject to numerous risks. The following summary highlights some of the risks you should consider with
respect to our business and prospects. This summary is not complete, and the risks summarized below are not the only risks we
face. You should review and carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in more detail in the “Risk Factors” section
of this Annual Report on Form 10-K which includes a more complete discussion of the risks summarized below as well as a
discussion of other risks related to our business and an investment in our Class A common stock.
The summary of risks affecting our business include:
• the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will likely continue to have, an adverse effect on the global economy, our
business, and results of operations;
• global economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition;
• we are a global company with significant revenues and earnings generated internationally, which exposes us to the
impact of foreign currency fluctuations and political and economic risks, including changes in tariffs and taxes,
inflationary pressures and regulatory restrictions and requirements;
• we may be adversely affected by the financial health of our customers;
• extreme weather conditions and natural disasters could negatively impact our operations results and financial
condition;
• our success depends on our ability to maintain the value and reputation of our brands;
• failure to continue to obtain or maintain high-quality endorsers of our products, or actions taken by our endorsers,
could harm our business;
• an extended period of global supply chain and economic disruption could materially affect our business, results of
operations, access to sources of liquidity and financial condition;
• failure to forecast and respond timely to consumer demand and market conditions and offer on-trend and new and
updated products at attractive price points could adversely affect our image and reputation and sales, margins and
profitability;
• we depend on a group of key wholesale customers for a significant portion of our revenues, and a significant adverse
change in a customer relationship or in a customer's performance or financial position could harm our business and
financial condition;
• our efforts to expand our retail business may not be successful, which could impact our operating results;
• if our technology-based systems do not function effectively, our operating results as well as our ability to grow our
digital commerce business globally or to retain our customer base, could be materially adversely affected;
• we may be unable to maintain or increase our sales through our third-party distribution channels, which can impact,
and has adversely impacted in the past, our net revenues, margins and ability to operate efficiently;
• future acquisitions of and investments in new businesses, including the Beyond Yoga® acquisition, could impact our
business and financial condition;
• if we encounter problems with our distribution, 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;
• unexpected obstacles in new and existing markets may limit our expansion opportunities and cause our business and
growth to suffer;
• seasonality could result in fluctuations in our operating results;
• any failure, inadequacy, compromise or interruption of our information technology systems and data, could lead to
adverse consequences, including harm to our ability to effectively operate our business, claims that we breached our
data privacy security obligations, harm to our reputation, and a loss of customers or sales;
• disruptions or delays at our third-party service providers could adversely affect our operations;
3
• production sources that fail to meet our quality, cost, social and environmental compliance and risk mitigation, and
other requirements, or failures by our contract manufacturers to perform, could harm our sales, service levels 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;
• intense competition in the global apparel industry could lead to reduced sales and prices;
• changes in tax policy or trade regulations or imposition of new tariffs could adversely impact our business and
results of operations;
• the loss of high-quality employees or the failure to attract and retain key personnel or maintain our workplace
culture, could harm our business;
• 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;
• our success depends on the continued protection of our trademarks and other proprietary intellectual property rights;
• we have substantial liabilities and cash requirements associated with our postretirement benefits, pension, and
deferred compensation plans;
• we are subject to stringent and changing obligations related to data privacy and security and the actual or perceived
failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and
penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm and other adverse business consequences;
• our licensees and franchisees may not comply with our product quality, manufacturing standards, social,
environmental, marketing, and other requirements, which could negatively affect our reputation and business;
• increases in the price or availability of raw materials could increase our cost of goods and negatively impact our
financial results;
• if one or more of our counterparty financial institutions default on their obligations to us, we may incur significant
losses;
• our products may experience quality problems that could result in negative publicity, litigation, product recalls and
warranty claims, which could result in decreased revenues and harm to our brands;
• environmental, social and governance practices could result in additional costs, and could adversely impact our
reputation, consumer perception, employee retention, and willingness of third parties to do business with us; and
• we have debt and interest payment requirements at a level that may restrict our future operations and restrictions in
our notes, indentures and credit facility may limit our activities, including dividend payments, share repurchases and
acquisitions.
4
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our corporate
website, press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. We also use the following social media channels
as a means of disclosing information about our company, products, planned financial and other announcements, attendance at
upcoming investor and industry conferences and other matters, as well as for complying with our disclosure obligations under
Regulation FD promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended:
• our Investor Relations page (https://levistrauss.com/investors/financial-news);
• our Twitter account (https://twitter.com/LeviStraussCo);
• our company blog (https://www.levistrauss.com/unzipped-blog/);
• our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/levistraussco/);
• our LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/levi-strauss-&-co-);
• our Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/levistraussco/); and
• our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/levistraussvideo).
The information we post through these channels may be deemed material. Accordingly, investors should monitor these
channels in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. This list may be
updated from time to time. The information we post through these channels is not a part of this Annual Report.
5
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, dresses, jackets, footwear, and related accessories for men, women and children around the world. Our newest
brand, Beyond Yoga®, acquired in 2021, is a body positive, premium athleisure apparel brand focused on quality, fit and
comfort for all shapes and sizes.
Segments
In fiscal year 2021, we simplified our organization structure and created an integrated global commercial organization to
continue to elevate and strengthen our Levi's commercial business. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we separated our Dockers
business to provide focus and reinvigorate the brand's growth. We are leveraging a similar, separate structure for the newly
acquired Beyond Yoga business in order to support its continued growth trajectory.
As a result, in the fourth quarter of 2021, we changed our segment reporting. Our Levi's Brands business, which includes
the Levi's, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brands, is presented in our financial statements under the caption of
Levi's Brands and is defined geographically in three reportable segments: Americas, Europe and Asia. The Dockers ® business,
which is managed separately, is no longer reported in the geographical regions of Americas, Europe and Asia. Our newly
acquired Beyond Yoga® business, along with the Dockers® business, do not meet the quantitative thresholds for reportable
segments and are presented in our financial statements under the caption of Other Brands. While this reporting change did not
impact consolidated results, the segment data has been recast to be consistent for all periods presented throughout the financial
statements and accompanying footnotes. For additional information, including the financial results of our segments, see Note 23
to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
6
derived over half of our net revenues from outside the United States in fiscal year 2021. As a global company with sales and
operations in foreign countries, we are subject to risks of doing business in foreign countries. For more information, see "Item
1A – Risk Factors."
Our products are sold in approximately 50,000 retail locations worldwide, including approximately 3,100 brand-dedicated
stores and shop-in-shops. In the United States, chain retailers and department stores have traditionally been 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 our global digital
business, which includes our company-operated e-commerce sites as well as the online businesses of our wholesale customers,
including those of traditional wholesalers as well as pure-play (online-only) wholesalers. Beyond Yoga® products are sold in
the United States primarily through specialty retailers, pure-play wholesalers and a company-operated brand dedicated e-
commerce site. We distribute Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and Denizen® brand products primarily through mass channel
retailers in the Americas, including the e-commerce sites operated by some of our key wholesale customers and other pure-play
customers.
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. 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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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.
• Brand Led: Our brands are authentic, original and loved by consumers the world over. We plan to continue to
elevate and strengthen them through integrating product, design, marketing and consumer in-store experience with a
global vision executed consistently across the markets where we operate. Through product and communications that
drive impact and engage the hearts and minds of our consumers, we intend to maintain our existing consumers while
also creating new life-long fans. Driven by conscious consumerism and denim and style leadership, our goal is to
maintain market share leadership in Levi's® men's and grow market share in Levi's® women's and with youth. We
believe that a critical part of this will be our continued thought leadership in areas where our values and brands go
hand in hand — like equality, sustainability and civic engagement — to drive brand equity. Similarly, we will apply
the same ambitions to Dockers®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.TM, Denizen® and Beyond Yoga®.
• DTC First: Our direct-to-consumer ("DTC") business has grown from 20% of our net revenues in 2011 to nearly
40% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2021, and our ambition is to drive this toward 60% of our annual net revenues
by 2030. Our DTC channels allow us to connect directly with our consumers and deliver the best experience for
them because we control their brand experience. As a result, we plan to accelerate investing in our stores and online
platforms to elevate consumer experiences in store and online, and expand our brick-and-mortar retail footprint, with
a focus on mainline expansion as a step to continue elevating the brand in key markets, to create the kind of
memorable connections that make loyal fans for life, ultimately benefiting our business across all channels. One of
our “DTC First” strategic priorities is to further develop an omni-channel shopping experience for our customers
7
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. We believe growth of our DTC business will be
accretive to our company gross margins and improve the overall profitability of the company. Over time, we plan to
operate more like a retailer and less like a wholesaler, and pivot everything we do to drive success in our stores and
online.
• Further Diversify our Portfolio: We plan to further capitalize on our substantial opportunity to amplify our reach
and grow share across geographies, categories, genders and channels, increasing our flexibility and resilience. We
plan to continue to drive growth in our international business, with a specific focus on China. By 2030, we plan to
achieve gender parity by driving outsized growth in women's, as well as in our product categories beyond jeans—
tops, accessories, outerwear, footwear, non-denim bottoms and activewear—which collectively we intend to
comprise more than half our annual net revenues. In the wholesale channel, we plan to grow our business with
partners that are growing, allowing us to unlock the opportunity to elevate the Levi's ® brand as well as increase the
penetration of our value brands. We expect continued growth of the online business of our pure-play and traditional
wholesale customers, leading to a total global digital footprint—inclusive of our own e-commerce business—
comprising more than a third of our annual net revenues by 2030. Finally, we will also evaluate opportunities to
diversify our portfolio of brands through accretive organic and inorganic acquisitions that make strategic and
financial sense, and that are consistent with our company culture, such as the acquisition of activewear brand
Beyond Yoga® that we completed during the fourth quarter of this year.
Our success will be driven not just by what we do, but how we do it. Our three strategic choices are supported by a
foundation of the following three “how to win” choices:
• Digital Transformation: Our vision for enterprise-wide digital transformation is to create a superior consumer
experience and drive profitability through digital technology, data and artificial intelligence ("AI"), and new ways of
working. We plan to continue to build out key omni-channel capabilities on a global basis, upgrading and improving
our digital shopping platforms globally. We also plan to adopt digital tools across the business to harness the
competitive advantage our data provides — allowing us to make data and AI-informed decisions, respond more
quickly to market trends and focus our time on the most strategic work. We will continue to upgrade our enterprise
resource planning system in the coming years, automating and digitizing processes, while linking our enterprise
systems in a seamless manner, creating a more simplified work environment. We believe all these efforts will
contribute towards growing our digital footprint and higher operating margins.
• Operational Excellence: To stay one step ahead of the competition, we must continue to embrace agility, reduce
complexity and execute consistently, always striving to find more streamlined ways of working. For example, we
have taken and will continue to take steps to improve our speed to market calendar and agility with a focus on
servicing consumer demand globally, such as creating fewer touch points as merchandise goes to market and
leveraging our F.L.X. technology, which uses lasers to digitize denim finish design, to improve operational agility
and improved inventory management. We expect that by simplifying the way we work and driving more efficiency
and agility in responding to changes in consumer demand, we will see improved inventory turns, reduced lead times
and improvements in working capital and our cash conversion cycle.
• Financial Discipline: We plan to continue to manage our costs aggressively so that we can invest in the areas that
will drive growth and help us deliver Adjusted EBIT margins in excess of 12%. For the fiscal year ended November
28, 2021, our Adjusted EBIT margin grew to 12.4% and our intent is to see modest Adjusted EBIT margin
improvement annually. As we grow net revenues and gross margins, we plan to drive leverage on our investments,
improve our structural economics across channels, and deliver returns on invested capital in the mid-to-high
twenties. For more information on our calculation of Adjusted EBIT margin, Adjusted EBIT and return on invested
capital, see “Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis – Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”
8
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 revenues globally in fiscal years 2021, 2020 and
2019. 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 net revenues in each of the fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019,
respectively, approximately half of which were generated in our Americas segment.
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. More than 30 years later, the Dockers ® brand now embodies California style,
bringing a full range of casual, versatile styles for men and women.
Our Dockers® brand products accounted for 5%, 5% and 6% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019,
respectively, and are sold in more than 50 countries.
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 globally, 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 2021, 2020 and 2019.
9
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 follow our
sustainability strategy, policies and guidelines, including being compliant with our code of conduct for contract manufacturing
and engage independent monitors to perform regular on-site inspections and assessments of production facilities.
Seasonality of Sales
We typically achieve our largest quarterly revenues in the fourth quarter. In fiscal year 2021, our net revenues in the first,
second, third and fourth quarters represented 23%, 22%, 26% and 29%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year. In
fiscal year 2020, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 34%, 11%, 24% and 31%,
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. Fiscal year 2019 did not have a Black
Friday, while fiscal year 2020 had two Black Fridays. Fiscal year 2021 included one Black Friday.
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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 year
2021 was a 53-week year, ending on November 28, 2021, and fiscal years 2020 and 2019 were 52-week years, ending on
November 29, 2020 and November 24, 2019, respectively. Each quarter of fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019 consisted of 13
weeks, with the exception of the fourth quarter of 2020, which consisted 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, but they
could also be impacted by other events affecting retail sales, including adverse weather conditions or other macroeconomic
events, including pandemics such as COVID-19.
Effects of Inflation
We do not believe that inflation had a material effect on our results of operations in fiscal 2021, 2020 or 2019; however,
our business could be affected by inflation in the future, which we plan to mitigate through a combination of pricing actions and
operating efficiencies, although these actions could have an adverse impact on demand.
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needs for future seasons. 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 fibers used in the majority of our products include cotton,
synthetics and man-made cellulosics that are used to produce fabrics of 100% composition or blends. 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, environmental, 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.
Due to COVID-19 related lockdowns in certain countries, in fiscal year 2021, we sourced products from independent
contract manufacturers located in approximately 22 countries around the world, with no more than 25% sourced from any
single country, an increase from our standard practice of sourcing less than 20% from any single country. We expect to return
to our historical practice in 2023, assuming product costs, including inflationary impacts, return to pre-pandemic levels. We
sourced products in North and South Asia, the Americas, including the United States, Europe and Africa.
Sourcing practices. Our sourcing practices include these elements:
• We require all third-party vendors, including licensees and their authorized subcontractors, who manufacture or
finish products for us to contribute to our sustainability goals and to follow all established policies and guidelines.
They must comply with our code of conduct relating to supplier working conditions as well as environmental,
employment and sourcing practices.
• 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 evaluate and refine our code of conduct processes.
• We regularly assess manufacturing and finishing facilities against our supplier code of conduct 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 encourage collaboration
among apparel companies in factory monitoring and improvement.
• We regularly disclose the names and locations of our vendors to provide transparency into our supply chain. We
regularly evaluate and refine our supplier 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 consumer intelligence in diverse market segments;
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• 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 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 and
activewear companies, retailers' private or exclusive labels, and certain e-commerce sites.
Government Regulations
Our business activities are global and are subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign laws, rules and regulations.
For example, substantially all of our import operations are subject to complex trade and customs laws, regulations and tax
requirements such as sanctions orders or tariffs set by governments through mutual agreements or unilateral 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. Changes in tax policy or trade regulations,
or the imposition of new tariffs on imported products, could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Compliance with these laws, rules and regulations has not had, and is not expected to have, a material effect on our capital
expenditures, results of operations and competitive position as compared to prior periods, and we do not currently anticipate
material capital expenditures for environmental control facilities. For more information on the potential impacts of government
regulations affecting our business, see "Item 1A - Risk Factors".
Intellectual Property
We have more than 5,700 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 one of our most valuable assets and believe they have substantial value in the
marketing of our products. The Levi's ®, Dockers®, Beyond Yoga® 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 290 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 28, 2021, we had 27 issued U.S. patents and 48 U.S. patent applications pending. Our patents expire
between 2025 and 2040. We also have 41 international and foreign patent applications pending. We will continually assess the
ability to patent new intellectual property as we develop technologies that we believe are innovative, such as our F.L.X.
technology.
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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; offering
benefits to same-sex partners in the 1990s, long before most other companies; and in early 2020, offering up to eight weeks of
paid family leave to help ease the strain on U.S.-based employees caring for an immediate family member with a serious
medical condition.
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We believe in living our values: originality, empathy, integrity and courage. This means
we strive to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, empowered and welcomed to be their authentic selves.
Since 2018, our workforce diversity, equity and inclusion ("DE&I") efforts have been focused on empowering women,
measuring and ensuring pay equity and recruiting diverse talent. Some of our key achievements include establishing a DE&I
function, launching employee resource groups and career development programs for underrepresented populations and fostering
inclusion and allyship globally.
In 2020, we made a series of new commitments to hire, support, promote and elevate diversity at the company, with a goal
to ensure our workforce is as diverse as the communities we serve. This includes our specific commitments to improve our
representation in our corporate and leadership ranks, ensure an inclusive culture and advocate externally in support of racial
justice. We published our U.S. demographic representation data for the first time ever, with a commitment to share annually.
In fiscal year 2021, we hired a Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, welcomed our first Black board of directors
member and hired an executive to lead University & Diversity Talent Acquisition, roles that we believe will help guide and
enable our global commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Also beginning in 2021, we began tying a portion of our
senior executive compensation to the achievement of certain multi-year diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
Pay Equity. In fiscal year 2020, we conducted a pay equity study for our U.S. non-union population. The study
considered job level, performance, experience, and other factors such as promotion recency to examine our relative pay
practices across gender and ethnicity in each population. We did not find any significant pay differences across gender and
ethnicity. We have committed to conduct this study in the U.S. every other year and are working on a global approach that is
appropriate for countries with smaller employee counts. In fiscal year 2021, we conducted pay transparency insights sessions
with people managers to ensure pay equity practices were sustained.
Total Rewards. Our benefits are designed to help employees and their families stay healthy, meet their financial goals,
protect their income and help them balance their work and personal lives. These benefits include health and wellness, paid time
off, employee assistance, competitive pay, career growth opportunities, paid volunteer time, product discounts, and a culture of
recognition.
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider and carefully read 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.
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operational restrictions due to, among other factors, evolving governmental restrictions including public health directives,
quarantine policies, social distancing requirements or vaccine mandates. This hybrid policy may negatively impact productivity
and cause other disruptions to our business. Longer term, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may also threaten the health of
our employees and adversely impact our health care costs.
We continue to monitor the latest developments regarding the pandemic and have made certain assumptions regarding the
pandemic for purposes of our operating, financial and tax planning projections, including assumptions regarding the duration
and severity of the pandemic and the global macroeconomic impacts of the pandemic. However, we are unable to accurately
predict the extent of the impact of the pandemic on our business, operations, and financial condition due to the uncertainty of
future developments. In particular, we believe the ultimate impacts on our business, results of operations, cash flows and
financial condition will depend on, among other things, the further spread and duration of COVID-19, including the impact of
variants and resurgences, the requirements to take action to help limit the spread of the illness, the availability, widespread
distribution, and acceptance of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and the economic impacts of the pandemic, including
recent inflationary pressures. Even in those regions where we have experienced business recovery, should those regions fail to
fully contain COVID-19 or suffer a COVID-19 relapse, those markets may not recover as quickly or at all, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The pandemic may also affect our business, operations or
financial condition in a manner that is not presently known to us or that we currently do not consider to present significant risks.
Global economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial
condition.
The uncertain state of the global economy continues to impact businesses around the world. If global economic and
financial market conditions deteriorate, the following factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating
results and financial condition:
• Our sales are impacted by discretionary spending by consumers. Declines in consumer spending have in the past and
in the future may result in reduced demand for our products, increased inventories, reduced orders from retailers for
our products, order cancellations, lower revenues, higher discounts, and lower gross margins.
• In the future, we may be unable to access financing in the credit and capital markets at reasonable rates in the event
we find it desirable to do so.
• We conduct transactions in various currencies, which creates exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange
rates relative to the U.S. Dollar. Continued volatility in the markets and exchange rates for foreign currencies and
contracts in foreign currencies could have a significant impact on our reported operating results and financial
condition.
• Continued volatility in the availability and prices for commodities and raw materials we use in our products and in
our supply chain (such as cotton) and related inflationary pressures could have a material adverse effect on our costs,
gross margins and profitability.
• If retailers of our products experience declining revenues or have trouble obtaining financing in the capital and credit
markets to purchase our products, this could result in reduced orders for our products, order cancellations, late retailer
payments, extended payment terms, higher accounts receivable, reduced cash flows, greater expense associated with
collection efforts and increased bad debt expense.
• If retailers of our products experience severe financial difficulty, some may become insolvent and cease business
operations, which could negatively impact the sale of our products to consumers. If contract manufacturers of our
products or other participants in our supply chain experience difficulty obtaining financing in the capital and credit
markets to purchase raw materials or to finance capital equipment and other general working capital needs, it may
result in delays or non-delivery of shipments of our products.
In uncertain economic environments, we cannot predict whether or when such circumstances may improve or worsen, or
what impact, if any, such circumstances could have on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position.
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;
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• changes in tariffs and taxes;
• inflationary pressures;
• regulatory restrictions on our ability to operate in our preferred manner;
• rapidly changing regulatory restrictions and requirements, including in the areas of data privacy, sustainability and
responses to climate change, which could result in regulatory uncertainty as well as potential significant increases in
compliance costs; 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 may be adversely affected by the financial health of our customers.
We extend credit to our customers based on an assessment of a customer's financial condition, generally without requiring
collateral. To assist in the scheduling of production and the shipping of our products, we offer certain customers the opportunity
to place orders five to six months ahead of delivery under our futures ordering program. These advance orders may be canceled
under certain conditions, and the risk of cancellation may increase when dealing with financially unstable retailers or retailers
struggling with economic uncertainty. In the past, some customers have experienced financial difficulties up to and including
bankruptcies, which have had an adverse effect on our sales, our ability to collect on receivables and our financial condition.
When the retail economy weakens or as consumer behavior shifts, retailers may be more cautious with orders. A slowing or
changing economy in our key markets could adversely affect the financial health of our customers, which in turn could have an
adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. In addition, product sales are dependent in part on high
quality merchandising and an appealing retail environment to attract consumers, which requires continuing investments by
retailers. Retailers that experience financial difficulties may fail to make such investments or delay them, resulting in lower
sales and orders for our products. The ongoing financial uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, particularly for retailers, could
also have an effect on our sales, our ability to collect on receivables and our financial condition.
Extreme weather conditions and natural disasters could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.
Extreme weather conditions in the areas in which our retail stores, suppliers, manufacturers, customers, distribution
centers, offices, headquarters, and vendors are located could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.
Moreover, natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and tsunamis, whether occurring in the United States or
abroad, and their related consequences and effects, including energy shortages and public health issues, have in the past
temporarily disrupted, and could in the future disrupt, our operations, the operations of our vendors, manufacturers and other
suppliers or have in the past resulted in, and in the future could result in, economic instability that may negatively impact our
operating results and financial condition. In particular, if a natural disaster or severe weather event were to occur in an area in
which we or our suppliers, manufacturers, customers, distribution centers or vendors are located, our continued success would
depend, in part, on the safety and availability of the relevant personnel and facilities and proper functioning of our or third
parties' computer, network, telecommunication and other systems and operations. In addition, a natural disaster or severe
weather event could negatively impact retail traffic to our stores or stores that carry our products and could have an adverse
impact on consumer spending, any of which could in turn result in negative point-of-sale trends for our merchandise. Further,
climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, which may
affect our business operations, either in a particular region or globally, as well as the activities of our third-party vendors and
other suppliers, manufacturers, and customers. In addition, the physical changes prompted by climate change could result in
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changes in regulations or consumer preferences, which could in turn affect our business, operating results, and financial
condition.
We believe the diversity of locations in which we operate, our operational size, disaster recovery and business continuity
planning and our information technology systems and networks, including the Internet and third-party services position us well,
but may not be sufficient for all or for concurrent eventualities. If we were to experience a local or regional disaster or other
business continuity event or concurrent events, we could still experience operational challenges, depending upon how a local or
regional event may affect our human capital across our operations or regarding particular aspects of our operations, such as key
executive officers or personnel. For example, our global headquarters is located in California near major geologic faults that
have experienced earthquakes in the past. Further, if we are unable to find alternative suppliers, replace capacity at key
manufacturing or distribution locations or quickly repair damage to our information technology systems and networks,
including the Internet and third-party services, or supply systems, we could be late in delivering, or be unable to deliver,
products to our customers. These events could result in reputational damage, lost sales, cancellation charges or markdowns, all
of which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Failure to continue to obtain or maintain high-quality endorsers of our products, or actions taken by our endorsers,
could harm our business.
We establish relationships with artists, designers, musicians and other public figures to develop, evaluate and promote our
products. If we are unable to recruit endorsers with consumer appeal or endorsers were to stop using our products contrary to
their endorsement agreements, our business could be adversely affected. In addition, actions taken or statements made by our
endorsers, associated with our products or brand or otherwise, could also seriously harm our brand image with consumers and,
as a result, could have an adverse effect on our business.
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. For example, if sales do not meet expectations because of unexpected effects on inventory supply and consumer
demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, too much inventory may cause excessive markdowns and, therefore, lower-than-
planned margins. Conversely, if we underestimate consumer demand for our products, including as a result of a surge in
consumer demand in places where the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic decrease, 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.
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 32%, 29% and 26% of our total net revenues in fiscal years 2021,
2020 and 2019, 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, delays or defaults on its payment obligations to us, reduces the floor space, assortments, fixtures or advertising for our
products or changes its manner of doing business with us for any reason, such as due to store closures, decreased foot traffic,
inflationary pressures or recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, such actions are expected to 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 the adverse impact on revenues 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. Permanent store closures and other developments in these proceedings have
adversely affected our sales to these customers. We expect additional closures and other developments in these proceedings will
likely adversely affect our sales to these customers in the future, even if they continue operations. In addition, store closures,
decreased foot traffic, inflationary pressures and recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will adversely affect the
performance and will likely adversely affect the financial condition of many of these customers. The foregoing may have an
adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Our efforts to expand our retail business may not be successful, which could impact our operating results.
One of our key strategic priorities is our “DTC First” strategy, which includes our plan to become a leading world-class
omni-channel retailer by expanding our consumer reach in brand-dedicated stores globally, including making selective
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investments in company-operated stores and e-commerce sites, and other brand-dedicated store models. In many locations, we
face major, established retail competitors that 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 decline in sales or the closure of or poor
performance of stores, including the closure of stores and decreased foot traffic resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 foot 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. These initiatives involve significant investments in IT systems, data science and artificial intelligence initiatives, and
significant operational changes. 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.
Iƒ the technology-based systems that give our consumers the ability to shop or interact with us online do not ƒunction
eƒƒectively, our operating results, as well as our ability to grow our digital commerce business globally or to retain our
customer base, could be materially adversely aƒƒected.
Many of our consumers shop with us through our digital platforms. Increasingly, consumers are using mobile-based
devices and applications to shop online with us and with our competitors, and to do comparison shopping, as well as to engage
with us and our competitors through digital services and experiences that are offered on mobile platforms. We are increasingly
using social media and proprietary mobile applications to interact with our consumers and as a means to enhance their shopping
experience. Any failure on our part to provide attractive, effective, reliable, secure, user-friendly digital commerce platforms
that offer a wide assortment of merchandise with rapid delivery options and that continually meet the changing expectations of
online shoppers or any failure to provide attractive digital experiences to our customers could place us at a competitive
disadvantage, result in the loss of digital commerce and other sales, harm our reputation with consumers, have a material
adverse impact on the growth of our digital commerce business globally and have a material adverse impact on our business
and results of operations. In addition, as use of our digital platforms continues to grow, we will need an increasing amount of
technical infrastructure to continue to satisfy our consumers' needs. If we fail to continue to effectively scale and adapt our
digital platforms to accommodate increased consumer demand, our business may be subject to interruptions, delays or failures
and consumer demand for our products and digital experiences could decline. Risks specific to our digital commerce business
also include diversion of sales from our and our retailers' brick and mortar stores, difficulty in recreating the in-store experience
through direct channels and liability for online content. Our failure to successfully respond to these risks might adversely affect
sales in our digital commerce business, as well as damage our reputation and brands.
We may be unable to maintain or increase our sales through our third-party distribution channels.
In addition to our brand-dedicated company-operated retail stores and e-commerce sites, our third-party 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 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, store closures and decreased foot
traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.
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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.
In addition, 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 for 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.
Iƒ we encounter problems with distribution, our ability to deliver our products to market could be adversely aƒƒected.
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 or disruption (including as a consequence of public health directives, quarantine
policies or social distancing measures imposed by governments), labor disputes, worker shortages, pandemics (such as the
COVID-19 pandemic), the impacts of climate change, 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, which also may be adversely affected by work
stoppages or disruption, labor disputes and pandemics. 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.
Unexpected obstacles in new markets and in our existing markets may limit our expansion opportunities and cause our
business and growth to suƒƒer.
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. In particular, one of our key
strategies is to further diversify our portfolio and grow market share across geographies, categories, genders and channels. We
may not be able to expand or successfully operate in those markets, categories and channels as a result of unfamiliarity or other
unexpected barriers to expansion or entry. For example, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we acquired Beyond Yoga ®, a
premium athletic and lifestyle apparel brand. In connection with our expansion efforts, we may encounter obstacles, including
new competitors, cultural and linguistic differences, differences in regulatory environments, labor practices and market
practices, economic or governmental instability, difficulties in keeping abreast of market, business and technical developments
and differences in consumer 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.
Future acquisitions oƒ and investments in new businesses, including the Beyond Yoga ® acquisition, could harm our
business and ƒinancial 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. For example, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we acquired Beyond Yoga ®, a premium athletic
and lifestyle apparel brand. The expected synergies between Levi Strauss & Co. and Beyond Yoga®, such as those related to our
entry into the activewear category, complementing our growing women's business and enabling the allocation of global
resources and infrastructure to significantly expand Beyond Yoga ®, building on its largely digital ecosystem, may not
materialize. Our management team has limited experience in addressing the challenges of integrating management teams,
strategies, cultures and organizations of two companies. The acquisition may not be well received by the customers or
employees of either company, and this could hurt our brand and result in the loss of key employees. The pursuit and integration
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, effectively
manage the combined business following the acquisition, or the acquired business may have inadequate or ineffective controls
and procedures, any of which could harm our business and financial condition.
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In addition, we may, from time to time, evaluate and pursue other strategic investments or acquisitions. These involve
various inherent risks and the benefits sought may not be realized. The acquisition of Beyond Yoga ® or other strategic
investments or acquisitions may not create value and may harm our brand and adversely affect our business, financial condition,
and results of operations.
We face risks arising from 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.
In 2020, we announced and implemented a restructuring initiative, which involved a reduction in workforce in response to
the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and included realignment of our top level organization to support our new strategies,
which realignment became effective in 2021. The initiative included the elimination of approximately 15% of our global non-
retail and non-manufacturing employee population. The final phase of the initiative, which included reorganization of the
underlying operations and employees to support the top level organization was completed in 2021.
We have incurred $98.7 million of restructuring charges related to this restructuring initiative. Unexpected charges in the
future may harm our profitability in the periods incurred.
Implementation of this reduction in workforce, or any similar future restructuring program 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. Additionally, there may be a failure to achieve the anticipated levels of cost savings and efficiency as a
result of the reduction in workforce, which could adversely impact our business and results of operations. Furthermore,
additional restructuring or reorganization activities may be required in the future.
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 the
COVID-19 pandemic, social or political unrest, 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 rely significantly on information technology and data to operate our business, including our supply chain and retail
operations, and any failure, inadequacy, compromise or interruption of that technology or data could lead to adverse
consequences, including harm to our ability to effectively operate our business, claims that we breached our data privacy
security obligations, harm to our reputation and a loss of customers or sales.
In the ordinary course of our business, we may collect, store, use, transmit, disclose or otherwise process proprietary
confidential and sensitive data, including personal information, intellectual property, and trade secrets. We rely upon third
parties (such as service providers) for our data processing-related activities.
We are heavily dependent on information technology systems and networks, including the Internet, third-party services
and artificial intelligence, across our supply chain, including product design, production, forecasting, ordering, manufacturing,
transportation, sales, and distribution, as well as for processing financial information for external and internal reporting
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purposes, retail operations and other business activities. These information technology systems are critical to many of our
operating activities and our business processes and may be negatively impacted by any service interruption or shutdown. For
example, our ability to effectively manage and maintain our inventory and to ship products to customers on a timely basis
depends significantly on the reliability of these systems.
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 (ERP) system across the company.
Our work to integrate, secure and enhance these systems and related processes in our global operations is ongoing and we
will continue to invest in these efforts. We cannot provide assurance, however, that the measures we take to secure and enhance
these systems will be sufficient to protect our information technology systems and prevent cyber-attacks, system failures or data
or information loss. Cyber-attacks, malicious internet-based activity and online and offline fraud are prevalent and continue to
increase. In addition to traditional computer “hackers,” threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), sophisticated
nation-states and nation-state supported actors now engage in attacks. We may be subject to a variety of evolving threats,
including but not limited to social engineering, such as phishing, malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware
(including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks (such as credential stuffing), personnel
misconduct or error, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions and large-scale, complex automated attacks that
can evade detection for long periods of time. Ransomware attacks, including those perpetrated by organized criminal threat
actors, nation-states and nation-state supported actors, are becoming increasingly prevalent and severe and can lead to
significant interruptions in our operations, loss of data and income, reputational harm and diversion of funds. Extortion
payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments
due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments.
Any breach of our or our service providers' networks, or other vendor systems, may result in the loss of confidential
business and financial data, misappropriation of our consumers', users' or employees' personal information or a disruption of our
business. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business, including unwanted media attention,
impairment of our consumer and customer relationships, damage to our reputation, resulting in lost sales and consumers, fines,
lawsuits, government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits and inspections) or significant
legal and remediation expenses. We also may need to expend significant resources to protect against, respond to and/or redress
problems caused by any breach.
The failure of these systems to operate effectively, including as a result of the threats described above as well as a result of
natural disasters, vendor business interruptions or other causes, failure to properly maintain, protect, repair or upgrade systems,
or problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems could cause delays in product fulfillment and reduced
efficiency of our operations, could require significant capital investments to remediate the problem which may not be sufficient
to cover all eventualities, and may have an adverse effect on our reputation, results of operations and financial condition. In
addition, the increased use of employee-owned devices for communications as well as work-from-home arrangements, such as
those implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, present additional operational risks to our information technology
systems, including, but not limited to, increased risks of cyber-attacks. Our software or information technology systems, or that
of third parties upon who we rely to operate our business, may have material vulnerabilities and, despite our efforts to identify
and remediate these vulnerabilities, our efforts may not be successful or we may experience delays in developing and deploying
remedial measures designed to address any such identified vulnerabilities. It may be expensive and time-consuming to
remediate material vulnerabilities, and our operations, reputation, sales and financial performance may be adversely impacted if
we are not able to successfully and promptly remediate such vulnerabilities. Further, like other companies in the retail industry,
we have in the past experienced, and we expect to continue to experience, cyber-attacks, including phishing, and other attempts
to breach, or gain unauthorized access to, our systems. For example, in 2020, SolarWinds Inc., one of our third party software
service providers, was subject to a data security incident and, in 2021, a remote code execution vulnerability in Apache log4j
was identified as affecting large amounts of systems worldwide. We completed investigations of these incidents and concluded
that they resulted in no material adverse impact to us. However, we cannot provide assurance that these and other attacks will
not have an impact in the future.
We also use information technology systems to process financial information and results of operations for internal
reporting purposes and to comply with regulatory financial reporting, legal and tax requirements. If these systems suffer severe
damage, disruption or shutdown and our business continuity plans, or those of our vendors, do not effectively resolve the issues
in a timely manner, we could experience delays in reporting our financial results, which could result in lost revenues and
profits, as well as reputational damage. Furthermore, we depend on information technology systems and personal information
collection for digital marketing, digital commerce, consumer engagement and the marketing and use of our digital products and
services. We also rely on our ability to engage in electronic communications throughout the world between and among our
employees as well as with other third parties, including customers, suppliers, vendors, and consumers. Any interruption in
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information technology systems may impede our ability to engage in the digital space and result in lost revenues, damage to our
reputation, and loss of users.
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 and third-party
service providers are also relied upon to design, program, maintain and service our ERP systems. 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. For example, our outsourcing entities and other third-party service providers
may experience difficulties, disruptions, delays, or failures in their ability to deliver services to us as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. We could face increased costs or disruption associated with finding replacement vendors or hiring new employees in
order to return these services in-house, which may have a significant impact on the cost and timing of receipt of inventory for
future seasons. Any failures of these vendors to properly deliver their services could similarly have a material effect on our
business. We may outsource other functions in the future, which would increase our reliance on third parties.
We currently rely on contract manufacturing of our products. Our inability to secure production sources meeting our
quality, cost, social and environmental risk mitigation and other requirements, or failures by our contract manufacturers to
perform, could harm our sales, service levels and reputation.
In fiscal year 2021, we sourced approximately 99% of our products from independent contract manufacturers that
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, to 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 with our contract manufacturers, these manufacturers generally may unilaterally terminate their
relationship with us at any time. 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. If our contract manufacturers, or any raw material vendors or suppliers on which our contract
manufacturers rely, suffer prolonged manufacturing or transportation disruptions due to public health conditions, such as the
recent COVID-19 pandemic, or other unforeseen events, our ability to source product on a timely basis could be adversely
impacted, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Also, we have certain minimum inventory purchase
commitments, including fabric commitments, with suppliers that secure a portion of material needs for future seasons. If we do
not satisfy the minimum purchase commitments, due to conditions such as decreased demand, we may be charged for estimated
adverse purchase commitments.
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 make progress toward our sustainability goals and meet our standards and policies
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 or
applicable government standards, sanctions or other restrictions. 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, including raw material 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 the LS&Co. code of conduct, labor or other
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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, including
related to inflationary pressures, 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, or compliance with the recent sanctions and customs trade orders
issued by the U.S. government related to raw materials, entities and individuals who are connected to a region of China, 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 these
matters 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 acceptable suppliers, 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 regulatory challenges in complying with applicable sanctions and trade regulations and reputational
challenges with our consumers and other stakeholders if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins for the material used in
the products we sell.
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 we expect them to continue to contribute in the future, to intense pricing pressure and
uncertainty throughout the supply chain. Pricing pressure has been exacerbated by the variability and availability of raw
materials in recent months, combined with labor and cost inflation and uncertainty throughout the supply chain. 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;
• unfavorable consumer reactions to price increases; and
• increased pressure on us to reduce our production costs and operating expenses.
Increases in the price or availability of raw materials could increase our cost of goods and negatively impact our
financial results.
The majority of our products are made of cotton, where the remaining balance are made of synthetics, cotton/synthetic
blends, and viscose. 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, sanctions and policy, economic climates, market
speculation compliance with our working condition, environmental protection, and other standards, and other unpredictable
factors. For example, compliance with the recent sanctions and trade orders issued by the U.S. government related to raw
materials, entities and individuals who are connected to a region of China could affect the sourcing and availability of raw
materials, including cotton, used by our suppliers in the manufacturing of certain of our products. Any and all of these factors
may be exacerbated by global climate change. Cotton prices have begun to increase and previously suffered from
unprecedented variability and uncertainty. They 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
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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, transportation disruptions 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 trade and customs laws, regulations, and tax
requirements such as sanctions orders or tariffs set by governments through mutual agreements or unilateral 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 trade regulations or similar laws, could harm our business. In
this regard, the increasingly protectionist trade policy in the United States has introduced greater uncertainty with respect to
future tax and trade regulations.
Changes in tax policy or trade regulations or the imposition of new tariffs on imported products could have an adverse
effect on our business and results of operations.
In 2018, the U.S. government 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 U.S government also imposed tariffs on goods imported from China in connection with
China's intellectual property practices and forced technology transfer, which have not been lifted or changed by the Biden
Administration. Currently, of the products that we sell in the United States, less than 1% are manufactured in China. If the
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative follows through on the next proposed tranche of 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.
The loss of high-quality employees, including members of our executive management and other key employees, or the
failure to attract and retain key personnel or maintain our workplace culture could harm our business.
Our future success depends, in part, on the continued service of our high-quality employees, including our executive
management team and other key employees, and the loss of the services of any key individual, or any negative perception with
respect to these individuals, or our workplace culture or values, 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.
Changes to our current and future office environments, adoption of new work models, and our business requirements and/or
expectations about when or how often for employees to work either on-site or remotely may not meet the expectations of our
employees. As certain jobs and employers increasingly operate remotely, traditional geographic competition for talent may
change in ways that cannot be fully predicted at this time. If our employment proposition is not perceived as favorable
compared to other companies' policies, it could negatively impact our ability to attract, hire and retain our employees.
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. We believe that our corporate culture has been a key driver of our success,
and we have invested substantial time and resources in building, maintaining, and evolving our culture. Any failure to preserve
and evolve our culture could negatively affect our future success, including our ability to retain and recruit employees.
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.
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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
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.
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The actions we take to establish and protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent imitation of
our products by others. We also may be unable to prevent others from seeking to block sales of our products as violations of
proprietary rights.
We may be subject to liability if third parties successfully claim we infringe their intellectual property rights. Defending
infringement claims could be expensive and time consuming and might result in our entering into costly license agreements. We
also may be subject to significant damages or injunctions against development, manufacturing, use, importation and/or sale of
certain products.
We take various actions to prevent the unauthorized use and/or disclosure of our confidential information and intellectual
property rights. These actions include contractual measures such as entering non-disclosure and non-compete agreements and
agreements relating to our collaborations with third parties and providing confidential information awareness training. Our
controls and efforts to prevent unauthorized use and/or disclosure of confidential information and intellectual property rights
might not always be effective. For example, confidential information related to business strategy, innovations, new
technologies, mergers and acquisitions, unpublished financial results or personal data could be prematurely, inadvertently, or
improperly used and/or disclosed, resulting in a loss of reputation, loss of intellectual property rights, a decline in our stock
price and/or a negative impact on our market position, and could lead to damages, fines, penalties, or injunctions.
In addition, the laws of certain countries may not protect or allow enforcement of intellectual property rights to the same
extent as the laws of the United States. We may face significant expenses and liability in connection with the protection of our
intellectual property rights, including outside the United States, and if we are unable to successfully protect our rights or resolve
intellectual property conflicts with others, our business or financial condition may be adversely affected.
The enactment of tax reform legislation, including legislation implementing changes in taxation of international
business activities, could adversely impact our financial position and results of operations.
We earn a substantial portion of our income in foreign countries and, as such, we are subject to the tax laws in the United
States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Current economic and political conditions make tax laws and regulations, or their
interpretation and application, in any jurisdiction subject to significant change.
Proposals to reform U.S. and foreign tax laws could significantly impact how U.S. multinational corporations are taxed on
foreign earnings and could increase the U.S. corporate tax rate. Although we cannot predict whether or in what form these
proposals may pass, several of the proposals considered, if enacted into law, could have an adverse impact on our effective tax
rate, income tax expense and cash flows.
We utilize tax rulings and other agreements to obtain certainty in treatment of certain tax matters. These rulings and
agreements expire from time to time and may be extended when certain conditions are met or terminated if certain conditions
are not met. The impact of any changes in conditions would be the loss of certainty in treatment thus potentially impacting our
effective income tax rate.
We are also subject to the examination of our tax returns by the United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other
tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to determine the
adequacy of its provision for income taxes. Although we believe our tax provisions are adequate, the final determination of tax
audits and any related disputes could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results
of audits or related disputes could have an adverse effect on our financial statements for the period or periods for which the
applicable final determinations are made. For example, we and our subsidiaries are also engaged in a number of intercompany
transactions across multiple tax jurisdictions. Although we believe we have clearly reflected the economics of these transactions
and the proper local transfer pricing documentation is in place, tax authorities may propose and sustain adjustments that could
result in changes that may impact our mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates.
We are subject to stringent and changing obligations related to data privacy and security. Our actual or perceived
failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties;
disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm and other adverse business consequences.
In addition to our own sensitive and proprietary business information, we handle transactional and personal information,
including without limitation personal information about our customers, consumers, and users of our digital experiences, which
include online distribution channels and product engagement.
As a result of our processing activities, we must comply with increasingly complex and rigorous, and sometimes
conflicting laws, regulatory standards, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contracts and
other obligations that govern the processing of business and personal data by us and on our behalf. For example, the European
Union's General Data Protection Regulation (the “EU GDPR”), the United Kingdom's GDPR (the “UK GDPR”) and
California's Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended (the "CCPA") impose obligations on companies regarding the
handling of personal data and provide certain individual privacy rights to persons whose data is stored. In addition, it is
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anticipated that the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (“CPRA”), effective January 1, 2023, will expand the CCPA.
Furthermore, other states in the United States have enacted data privacy laws. For example, Virginia passed the Consumer Data
Protection Act, and Colorado passed the Colorado Privacy Act, both of which become effective in 2023. Additionally, laws in
certain jurisdictions require data localization and impose restrictions on the transfer of personal information across border. For
example, the EU GDPR generally restricts the transfer of personal information to countries outside of the EEA without
appropriate safeguards or other measures. If we cannot implement a valid compliance mechanism for cross-border privacy and
security transfers, we may face increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and injunctions against processing or
transferring personal information from Europe or elsewhere.
In addition, privacy advocates and industry groups have proposed, and may propose in the future, standards with which
we are legally or contractually bound to comply. For example, we are also subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security
Standard (“PCI DSS”). The PCI DSS requires companies to adopt certain measures to ensure the security of cardholder
information, and noncompliance with PCI-DSS can result in penalties ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per month by credit
card companies, litigation, damage to our reputation and revenue losses.
Compliance with existing and forthcoming laws and regulations can be costly and time consuming, and may require
changes to our information technologies, systems and practices and to those of any third parties that process personal
information on our behalf. If we fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with obligations related to data
privacy and security, we could face significant consequences, including, but not limited to, proceedings against the Company
by governmental entities (e.g. investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections) or other entities or individuals, additional
reporting requirements and/or oversight bans, damage to our reputation and credibility, or inability to process data or operate in
certain jurisdictions, any of which could have a negative impact on revenues and profits.
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 provide assurance 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 licensees and franchisees may not comply with our product quality, manufacturing standards, social,
environmental, 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 sustainability standards and policies including our supplier code of conduct or applicable
government restrictions and regulations. 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 and
plan to enter 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 businesses, including 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
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any other harmful acts or omissions by a franchisee, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and our
reputation.
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.
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including during the transition period. The Credit Agreement Amendment contemplates a procedure for transitioning from
LIBOR upon the occurrence of specified events. Nevertheless, the consequences of these market developments cannot be
entirely predicted and a transition from LIBOR, even if administered consistent with the credit facility's provisions, could
increase the cost of our variable rate indebtedness.
Both New York State and federal legislation in the U.S. is under consideration that if enacted could result, upon the
unavailability of LIBOR, in the replacement of certain fallback provisions in LIBOR-based financing agreements. Under the
proposed legislation, some of these existing fallback provisions would be replaced by a provision specifying that the
replacement rate and related adjustments recommended by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”), the
committee in the United States convened to ensure a successful transition from LIBOR, would be used to establish the interest-
rate on the financing. The legislation would also require the use of the benchmark replacement rate and related adjustments
recommended by the AARC in the event that there are no fallback provisions in a financing. The legislation would not impact
credit agreements that already include fallbacks to the changes recommended by the ARRC. Any such legislation adopted in
New York State would have applicability only to agreements governed by New York law. There can be no assurance as to the
final form of any such New York or federal legislation or as to whether any such legislation will be adopted.
In the event that one or more LIBOR-based interest rate derivatives are entered into to hedge variable rate indebtedness,
the LIBOR rate specified therein will be determined from time to time by reference to a publication page specified in the
relevant definitions of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (“ISDA”). However, if such rate does not
appear on the relevant page, and the above-referenced legislation is not adopted that would address the replacement of LIBOR
under such derivatives, LIBOR will be determined in accordance with dealer polls conducted by the calculation agent under the
agreement governing the derivative. This dealer polling mechanism may not be successful in arriving at a replacement interest
rate for LIBOR. Even if the dealer polling mechanism successfully arrives at a replacement interest rate for derivatives, that
rate could differ significantly from the interest rates used for our variable-rate indebtedness.
Restrictions in our notes, indentures and credit facility may limit our activities, including dividend payments, share
repurchases and acquisitions.
Our credit facility and certain of 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.
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.
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 S&P Global Ratings, Ba1 by Moody's Investors Service, Inc and BB+ by
Fitch Ratings, Inc. 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, including the recent volatility due, in
part, to the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect our ability to obtain financing or refinance existing debt on terms that
would be acceptable to us.
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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;
• 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;
• 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, including
inflationary pressures;
• 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, incidents of terrorism, natural disasters, industrial
accidents, pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic), 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
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of January 20, 2022 we had outstanding a total of 98,205,835 shares of Class A common stock and 299,815,032 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 of 1933, as amended (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, 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.
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
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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 28, 2021, there were 7,775,666 shares of Class A common stock and 7,798,702 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.
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.
As a 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. Complying with these rules and regulations involves significant legal and financial
compliance costs, makes some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and puts significant 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.
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;
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• 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 or to Federal court;
• 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.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws together designate the
Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States as the exclusive forums 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 and amended and restated bylaws provide 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.
In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will
be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
These choice of forum provisions 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. While the Delaware courts have determined that such
choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those
designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and
enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and
restated bylaws. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and
there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions.
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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 28,
2021, we operated two manufacturing-related facilities abroad and 12 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 28, 2021 is summarized in the following table:
(1) Building and improvements are owned but subject to a ground lease.
Our global headquarters is located in leased premises in San Francisco, California, and we have additional commercial
support offices in Diegem, Belgium and Singapore. The headquarters of Dockers ® and Beyond Yoga® are located in leased
premises in San Francisco, California and Culver City, California, respectively.
In addition to the above, we operate finance shared service centers in Eugene, Oregon and Bangalore, India. We also
operate two data centers located in Carrollton and Westlake, Texas. As of November 28, 2021, we leased 69 administrative and
sales offices in 38 countries, as well as leased nine warehouses in five countries.
As of November 28, 2021, we had 1,083 company-operated Levi's retail and outlet stores in leased premises in 37
countries: 360 stores in the Americas, 344 stores in Europe and 328 stores in Asia. Additionally, we had 51 Dockers® retail and
outlet stores in leased premises.
In the ordinary course of business, we have various claims, complaints and pending cases, including contractual matters,
facility and employee-related matters, distribution matters, product liability matters, intellectual property matters, bankruptcy
preference matters, and tax and administrative matters. We do not believe any of these pending claims, complaints and legal
proceedings will have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Not applicable.
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PART II
Market Information
Our Class A common stock has 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 Class A common stock. Our Class B common
stock is neither listed nor publicly traded.
Holders of Record
As of January 20, 2022, there were 56 holders of record of our Class A common stock and 254 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 9 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
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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 28, 2021. 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.
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 ends of November 24, 2019, November 29, 2020 and November 28, 2021:
(in dollars) March 21, 2019 November 24, 2019 November 29, 2020 November 28, 2021
Levi Strauss & Co…………………………... $ 100.00 $ 76.40 $ 87.06 $ 124.82
S&P 500……………………………………... $ 100.00 $ 114.49 $ 134.47 $ 172.02
S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories and Luxury
Goods………………………………………... $ 100.00 $ 94.24 $ 89.99 $ 99.37
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.
39
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
(1) In October 2021, our Board authorized a program to repurchase up to $200 million of our Class A common stock with no expiration date.
(2) The average price paid per share excludes any broker commissions.
Item 6. RESERVED
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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.
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.”
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is designed to provide a
reader of our financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of
operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results.
To supplement our consolidated financial statements prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles in the United 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,
dresses, 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. We service our consumers through our global infrastructure which
develops, sources and markets our products around the world. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we acquired Beyond Yoga ®,
which is a premium athletic and lifestyle apparel brand.
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. Seen as the
khaki leader, Dockers® has returned to its California roots and is bringing a full range of casual, versatile styles for men and
women to show up with cool confidence everyday. 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. The Beyond
Yoga® brand is a body positive, premium athleisure apparel brand focused on quality, fit and comfort.
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 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 28, 2021, our products were sold in approximately 50,000 retail locations in more than 110
countries, including approximately 3,100 brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops. As of November 28, 2021, we had
41
company-operated stores located in 37 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.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we changed our segment reporting as a result of operational changes in support of the
ongoing efforts to globally integrate the Levi's business, which includes Levi's ®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ and
Denizen® brands, and is defined geographically in three reportable segments: Americas, Europe and Asia. The Dockers ®
business, which is managed separately, is no longer reported in the geographical regions of Americas, Europe and Asia. Our
newly acquired Beyond Yoga® business, along with the Dockers® business, do not meet the quantitative thresholds for
reportable segments and are presented in our financial statements under the caption of Other Brands. While this reporting
change did not impact consolidated results, the segment data has been recast to be consistent for all periods presented
throughout the financial statements and accompanying footnotes. For additional information, including the financial results of
our segments, see Note 23 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
Our Europe and Asia businesses, collectively, contributed 44% of our net revenues and 39% of our segment operating
income in fiscal year 2021, as compared to 46% of our net revenues and 37% of our segment operating income in fiscal year
2020. Sales of Levi's® brand products represented approximately 87% of our net revenues in both fiscal year 2021 and fiscal
year 2020. Pants represented 67% of our total units sold in fiscal year 2021 as compared to 65% in fiscal year 2020, and men's
products generated 65% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2021 as compared to 64% in fiscal year 2020.
Our wholesale channel generated 64% and 61% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2021 and 2020, respectively. Our DTC
channel generated 36% and 39% of our net revenues in fiscal years 2021 and 2020, respectively, with our company operated e-
commerce representing 21% of DTC channel net revenues and 8% of total net revenues in both fiscal years. Our global digital
business, which includes our e-commerce sites as well as the online business of our wholesale customers, including that of
traditional wholesalers as well as pure-play (online-only) wholesalers represent approximately 22% of our total net revenues in
fiscal year 2021, versus approximately 23% of our net revenues in fiscal year 2020.
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 being a brand-led business,
putting DTC first, and further diversifying across geographies, categories, genders and channels. We intend to achieve these
strategies through operational excellence, financial discipline, and the digital transformation of our business processes and ways
of working, including leveraging data and machine learning in our decision making.
42
mitigate these delays. We continue to monitor these delays and other potential disruptions in our supply chain and will continue
to implement mitigation plans as needed.
Despite the continued COVID-19 disruption and volatility, fiscal year 2021 revenues returned to pre-pandemic revenue
levels, being essentially flat in comparison to fiscal year 2019. In our Americas segment, net revenues grew in comparison to
the fiscal year 2019. Recovery in our Europe region was more market specific, delivering growth as compared to fiscal year
2019 when COVID restrictions were lightened, such as in the second half of fiscal 2021. Due to COVID-19 resurgences, certain
markets within our Asia segment experienced COVID-19 disruptions and reduced consumer confidence throughout fiscal 2021
and as a result net revenues for that segment remained below pre-pandemic levels.
Although the global distribution of vaccines continues to progress and many government-imposed restrictions have been
lightened or removed, the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains highly uncertain. Resurgences of COVID-19 cases
and the emergence of new variants have led to reduced consumer confidence and changes in shopping patterns adversely
impacting store traffic as more consumers are either not shopping or choosing to shop online. Consequently, our business and
results of operations, including our net revenues, earnings and cash flows, could continue to be adversely impacted, including as
a result of:
• Risk of future additional temporary closures of our owned and operated retail stores globally as well as the doors
owned by our wholesale customers, including third-party retailers and franchise partners;
• Decreased foot traffic in retail stores;
• Decreased consumer confidence and consumer spending habits, including spending for the merchandise that we
sell and negative trends in consumer purchasing patterns due to changes in consumers' disposable income, credit
availability, debt levels and inflation;
• Decreased wholesale channel sales and increased likelihood of wholesale customer failure;
• Increased inventory, inventory write-downs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices;
• Disruption to the supply chain affecting production, distribution and other logistical issues, including port closures
and shipping backlogs;
• Challenges filling staffing requirements at our company-operated retail stores and distribution centers due to labor
shortages affecting retail businesses;
• Decreased productivity due to travel bans, work-from-home policies or shelter-in-place orders; and
• A slowdown in the U.S. or global economy and uncertain global economic outlook, inflation or a credit crisis.
2020 Restructuring
In April 2020, we began to implement a restructuring initiative designed to reduce costs, streamline operations and
support agility. In October 2020, we realigned our top level organization to support our new strategies, which became effective
in fiscal year 2021. The final phase of the reorganization, which supported the on-going efforts to create an integrated global
commercial organization and the separation of our Dockers® business, was completed in fiscal year 2021.
The initiative included the elimination of approximately 15% of our global non-retail and non-manufacturing positions
and is expected to result in approximately $100 million in annual cost savings.
For the years ended November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, we recognized restructuring charges of $8.3 million
and $90.4 million, respectively, which were recorded on a separate line item in our consolidated statements of operations.
Within the consolidated balance sheet as of November 28, 2021, we had $19.1 million and $2.7 million in restructuring
liabilities and other long-term liabilities, respectively, and an immaterial amount of pension and postretirement curtailment
losses were recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income. The charges primarily relate to severance benefits, based on
separation benefits provided by company policy or statutory benefit plans.
43
• The diversification of our business model across geographies, channels, brands and categories affects our gross
margin. For example, if our sales in higher gross margin geographies, channels, brands and categories grow at a
faster rate than in our lower gross margin geographies, channels, brands and categories, we would expect a favorable
impact to aggregate gross margin over time. Gross margin in our Europe segment is generally higher than in our
Americas and Asia segments. DTC sales generally have higher gross margins than sales through third parties,
although DTC sales also 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 brands and products categories, may also impact our future gross margin.
• More competitors are seeking growth globally, thereby increasing competition across geographies and our segments.
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, 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, tariffs and sanctions, 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 have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
• There has been increased focus from our stakeholders, including consumers, employees and investors, on corporate
ESG practices, including practices related to the causes and impacts of climate change. We expect that stakeholder
expectations with respect to ESG expectations will continue to evolve rapidly, which may necessitate additional
resources to monitor, report on, and adjust our operations.
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.
Seasonality of Sales
We typically achieve our largest quarterly revenues in the fourth quarter. In fiscal year 2021, our net revenues in the first,
second, third and fourth quarters represented 23%, 22%, 26% and 29%, respectively, of our total net revenues for the year. In
fiscal year 2020, our net revenues in the first, second, third and fourth quarters represented 34%, 11%, 24% and 31%,
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. Fiscal year 2019 did not have a Black
Friday, while fiscal year 2020 had two Black Fridays and fiscal year 2021 included one Black Friday. Fiscal year 2020
benefited from a 53rd week.
44
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 but they could
also be impacted by other events affecting retail sales, including adverse weather conditions or other macroeconomic events,
including pandemics such as COVID-19.
Effects of Inflation
We do not believe that inflation has had a material effect on our results of operations in fiscal 2021, fiscal 2020 or fiscal
2019; however, our business could be affected by inflation in the future, which we plan to mitigate through a combination of
pricing actions and operating efficiencies, although these actions could have an adverse impact on demand.
• Net revenues. Compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020, consolidated net revenues increased 21.6% on a
reported basis and 21.5% on a constant-currency basis. The increase reflects demand increasing to pre-pandemic
levels, in comparison to adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in fiscal 2020, despite fiscal 2020 including
the benefit of a 53rd week.
• Operating income. We recognized consolidated operating income of $186.3 million as compared to $92.0 million in
the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher net revenues and gross margin
partially offset with higher SG&A expenses in the current year reflecting higher advertising, selling and
administration expenses due to the increase in sales volume and improved overall company performance.
• Net income. We recognized net income of $153.0 million compared to $56.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal
year 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increase in operating income described above.
• Adjusted EBIT. Adjusted EBIT was $202.5 million compared to $113.4 million recognized in the fourth quarter of
fiscal year 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher net revenues and higher Adjusted gross margin in the
current year partially offset with higher Adjusted SG&A reflecting higher advertising, selling and administration
expenses due to the increase in sales volume and improved overall company performance.
• Adjusted net income. Adjusted net income was $169.8 million compared to Adjusted net income of $81.3 million in
the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increase in Adjusted EBIT as described
above.
• Diluted earnings per share. Diluted earnings per share were $0.37 compared to $0.14 in the fourth quarter of fiscal
year 2020 and $0.23 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.41 compared to $0.20 in the fourth
quarter of fiscal year 2020 and $0.26 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019.
• Net revenues. Compared to fiscal year 2020, consolidated net revenues increased 29.5% on a reported basis and
27.1% on a constant-currency basis. The increase was primarily due to demand increasing to pre-pandemic levels, in
comparison to adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in fiscal 2020, including temporary store closures of
company-operated and wholesale customer retail locations.
• Operating income (loss). We recognized consolidated operating income of $686.2 million as compared to an
operating loss of $85.1 million in fiscal year 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher net revenues and gross
margin partially offset with higher SG&A expenses in the current year reflecting higher administration, advertising
and selling expenses due to the increase in sales volume and improved overall company performance. The prior year
also included the recognition of $250.0 million in incremental COVID-19 charges.
• Net income (loss). We recognized net income of $553.5 million compared to a net loss of $127.1 million in fiscal
year 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increase in operating income (loss) described above, offset by
$36.5 million in incremental costs in the current year related to the early extinguishment of debt.
• Adjusted EBIT. Adjusted EBIT was $712.9 million compared to Adjusted EBIT of $181.1 million in fiscal year
2020. The increase was primarily due to higher net revenues and higher Adjusted gross margin in the current year
partially offset with higher Adjusted SG&A expenses reflecting higher administration, advertising and selling
expenses due to the increase in sales volume and improved overall company performance.
45
• Adjusted net income. Adjusted net income was $600.9 million compared to Adjusted net income of $83.6 million in
fiscal year 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increase in Adjusted EBIT as described above.
• Diluted earnings (loss) per share. Diluted earnings per share were $1.35 compared to diluted loss per share of $0.32
in fiscal year 2020.
• Adjusted diluted earnings per share. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.47 compared to Adjusted diluted
earnings per share of $0.21 in fiscal year 2020.
For more information on Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted SG&A, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted net income and Adjusted
diluted earnings per share, measures not prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles,
and reconciliations of such measures to net income (loss) and diluted earnings (loss) per share, see “—Non-GAAP Financial
Measures”.
46
Results of Operations
Year Ended
November 28, November 29,
% 2021 2020
November 28, November 29, Increase % of Net % of Net
2021 2020 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
* Not meaningful
47
Net revenues
The following table presents net revenues for each reportable segment for the periods indicated, and the changes in net
revenues for each reportable segment on both reported and constant-currency bases from period to period:
Year Ended
% Increase (Decrease)
November 28, November 29, As Constant
2021 2020 Reported Currency
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues:
Levi's Brands:
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,934.8 $ 2,187.9 34.1 % 33.7 %
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,704.0 1,391.8 22.4 % 18.0 %
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 834.7 663.4 25.8 % 22.1 %
Total Levi's Brands net revenues: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,473.5 4,243.1 29.0 % 26.6 %
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290.4 209.5 38.6 % 37.5 %
Total net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763.9 $ 4,452.6 29.5 % 27.1 %
As compared to the same period in the prior year, total net revenues were affected favorably by approximately $82
million in foreign currency exchange rates.
Americas. Net revenues in our Americas segment increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency
affecting net revenues favorably by approximately $8 million. In fiscal year 2021, our net revenues in this segment exceeded
pre-pandemic levels across both our wholesale and DTC channels in comparison to the adverse impact COVID-19 had on our
business in the prior year.
Wholesale channel revenue increased as a larger number of stores were open, and demand increased during fiscal 2021 as
compared to the prior year, when COVID-19 resulted in many stores being closed in the second and third quarters as well as
reduced demand once locations re-opened. A higher number of units were sold to both our traditional and digital wholesale
customers, in the U.S. and internationally, in fiscal year 2021 as compared to fiscal year 2020.
The increase in DTC channel revenue was due to the majority of our company-operated stores being open and operating
during fiscal year 2021, as compared to the prior year when the majority of our store network was closed for varying periods of
time or operating under reduced capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there were 28 more stores in
operation as of November 28, 2021, as compared to November 29, 2020. E-commerce revenue also grew due to increased
traffic and higher conversion despite the prior year period including the benefit of two Black Fridays and a 53rd week.
Europe. Net revenues in Europe increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation
affecting net revenues favorably by approximately $53 million. In fiscal 2021, our net revenues returned to pre-pandemic
levels, driven by strong growth in the second half of the year in both our wholesale and DTC channels, prior to COVID-19
resurgences impacting select markets late in the fourth quarter.
The increase in wholesale channel revenue is primarily due to a larger number of wholesale customer locations being
open during fiscal year 2021, as compared to the prior year when many stores were closed, or experienced decreased demand as
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales to our digital wholesale customers, including pure-play and online sales of our
traditional wholesale customers increased in comparison to fiscal year 2020.
The increase in DTC channel revenue was due to the majority of our company-operated stores being open and operating
during fiscal 2021, as compared to the prior year when many company-operated stores were closed or impacted by lower traffic
and reduced operating and occupancy levels as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there were five more stores
in operation as of November 28, 2021, as compared to November 29, 2020. E-commerce revenue grew during the year as a
result of increased conversion and increased dollars spent per order despite the prior year including the benefit of two Black
Fridays and a 53rd week.
Asia. Net revenues in Asia increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation affecting
net revenues favorably by approximately $20 million. In fiscal 2021, net revenues in both wholesale and DTC channels grew in
comparison to fiscal year 2020, but remained below pre-pandemic levels as various markets continued to be challenged by
COVID-19 resurgences and related restrictions.
48
The increase in wholesale revenue was primarily due to a larger portion of wholesale customer locations being open and
operating throughout fiscal 2021, as compared to the same period in 2020, where many locations were closed for varying
periods of time throughout the fiscal year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase in DTC revenue was primarily due to a larger amount of our company-operated stores being open and
operating throughout fiscal 2021, as compared to fiscal year 2020 when many of our company operated stores were closed for
varying periods of time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there were five more stores in operation as of
November 28, 2021, as compared to November 29, 2020. E-commerce revenue grew compared to the prior year as momentum
continued since the onset of the pandemic last year.
Other Brands. Net revenues in Other Brands increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency
translation affecting net revenues favorably by approximately $2 million. Net revenues growth was primarily due to the adverse
COVID-19 impact on our Dockers® brand revenues in the prior year and the inclusion of Beyond Yoga® revenues since the date
of acquisition.
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 28, November 29, Increase
2021 2020 (Decrease)
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763.9 $ 4,452.6 29.5 %
Cost of goods sold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,417.2 2,099.7 15.1 %
Gross profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,346.7 $ 2,352.9 42.2 %
Gross margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.1 % 52.8 %
Currency translation favorably impacted gross profit by approximately $45 million. The increase in gross margin was
mainly due to favorable product mix within our retail and wholesale channels. Price increases also attributed to approximately
0.5% of the increase in the current year. Additionally, there were $69 million of COVID-19 related inventory charges
recognized in the prior year, attributing to 1.6 percentage points of the 5.3 percentage point increase.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29,
% 2021 2020
November 28, November 29, Increase % of Net % of Net
2021 2020 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
(Dollars in millions)
Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,130.6 $ 1,040.4 8.7 % 19.6 % 23.4 %
Advertising and promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434.5 331.4 31.1 % 7.5 % 7.4 %
Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485.5 343.2 41.5 % 8.4 % 7.7 %
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596.2 542.3 9.9 % 10.3 % 12.2 %
COVID-19 related charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 90.3 (94.0)% 0.1 % 2.0 %
Total SG&A expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,652.2 $ 2,347.6 13.0 % 46.0 % 52.7 %
Currency translation affected SG&A expenses unfavorably by approximately $43 million as compared to the prior year.
Selling. Currency translation impacted selling expenses unfavorably by approximately $25 million for the year ended
November 28, 2021. The increase in selling expenses is primarily due to the majority of our company-operated stores being
open and operating during the fiscal year 2021, in comparison to substantially all of our company-operated stores being
49
temporarily closed for varying periods of time throughout fiscal year 2020. The increase was partially offset with lower
compensation costs due to the cost-savings actions initiated in the second quarter of fiscal year 2020 in response to COVID-19.
Advertising and promotion. Currency translation impacted advertising and promotion expense unfavorably by
approximately $6 million for the year ended November 28, 2021. The increase in advertising and promotion expenses for the
fiscal year 2021 is due to increased spend to support revenue growth and restoring media spend that was eliminated in the prior
year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Administration. Administration expenses include functional administrative and organization costs. Currency translation
impacted administration expenses unfavorably by approximately $6 million for the year ended November 28, 2021. The
increase in administration costs for the fiscal year 2021 is primarily due to higher incentive compensation attributed to higher
sales and stronger company performance as compared to the prior year, which was adversely impacted by COVID-19.
Other. Other costs include distribution, information resources, and marketing organization costs. Currency translation
impacted other SG&A expenses unfavorably by approximately $6 million for fiscal year 2021. The increase in other costs for
the fiscal year 2021 was primarily due to higher distribution expenses attributed to increased sales volume as compared to the
prior year, which was adversely impacted by COVID-19.
COVID-19 related charges. COVID-19 related charges consist of incremental charges as a result of COVID-19 related
business disruptions, including asset impairment and other charges. The decrease in COVID-19 related charges for the fiscal
year 2021 is due to the initial recognition of related inventory costs and other charges upon the onset of the pandemic
recognized in the prior year. During fiscal year 2021, we recognized a net $5.4 million in COVID-19 related charges which
includes impairment charges of certain retail store related assets resulting from lower revenue and future cash flow projections
from the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic partially offset with reductions in allowances related to customer
receivables. During fiscal year 2020, we recognized $44.3 million in impairment of certain operating lease right-of-use assets
and $21.7 million in impairment of property and equipment related to certain retail locations and other corporate assets, as a
result of lower revenue and future cash flow projections in relation to the pandemic. Additional charges of $17.7 million related
to customer receivables, including provisions and other allowances as a result of changes in their financial condition of
$5.2 million and actual and anticipated bankruptcies and other associated claims of $12.5 million. The remainder relates to
other incremental costs incurred in response to the global pandemic.
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Table of Contents
Year Ended
November 28, November 29,
% 2021 2020
November 28, November 29, Increase % of Net % of Net
2021 2020 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
(Dollars in millions)
Operating income (loss):
Levi's Brands:
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 660.2 $ 318.7 107.2 % 22.5 % 14.6 %
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396.4 207.9 90.7 % 23.3 % 14.9 %
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.1 (21.4) * 4.2 % (3.2)%
Total Levi's Brands operating income . . . . . 1,091.7 505.2 116.1 % 19.9 % 11.9 %
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.4 (3.3) * 3.6 % (1.6)%
Restructuring charges, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8.3) (90.4) (90.8)% (0.1)% ❖ (2.0)% ❖
Corporate expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (407.6) (496.6) (17.9)% (7.1)% ❖ (11.2)% ❖
Total operating income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . $ 686.2 $ (85.1) * 11.9 % ❖ (1.9)% ❖
Operating margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.9 % (1.9)%
Currency translation affected total operating income in fiscal year 2021 favorably by approximately $2 million as
compared to the prior year.
51
Corporate expenses. Corporate expenses represent costs that management does not attribute to any of our operating
segments. Included in corporate expenses are acquisition related charges, COVID-19 related charges and other corporate staff
costs. Corporate expenses also include costs associated with our global inventory sourcing organization and COVID-19 and
acquisition related inventory costs which are reported as a component of consolidated gross margin. Currency translation
unfavorably affected corporate expenses by approximately $2 million as compared to prior year.
The decrease in corporate expenses for the year ended November 28, 2021 was primarily due to the COVID-19 related
net inventory costs and other charges, and impairment of certain store right-of-use and other store assets, recognized in the prior
year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic partially offset with higher employee incentive costs due to improved company
performance in the current year.
Interest expense
Interest expense was $72.9 million for the year ended November 28, 2021, as compared to $82.2 million in the prior year.
The decrease in interest expense was primarily related to redemption of $1.0 billion of our senior notes.
Our weighted-average interest rate on average borrowings outstanding for fiscal year 2021 was 4.32%, as compared to
4.75% for fiscal year 2020.
52
Fiscal Year 2020 compared to Fiscal Year 2019
The following table summarizes, for the periods indicated, our consolidated statements of operations, the changes in these
items from period to period and these items expressed as a percentage of net revenues:
Year Ended
November 29, November 24,
% 2020 2019
November 29, November 24, Increase % of Net % of Net
2020 2019 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
* Not meaningful
53
Net revenues
The following table presents net revenues by 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 (Decrease)
November 29, November 24, As Constant
2020 2019 Reported Currency
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues:
Levi's Brands:
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,187.9 $ 2,771.1 (21.0)% (19.9)%
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,391.8 1,707.5 (18.5)% (18.5)%
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 663.4 926.1 (28.4)% (27.5)%
Total Levi's Brands net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,243.1 5,404.7 (21.5)% (20.8)%
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209.6 358.4 (41.5)% (40.4)%
Total net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,452.7 $ 5,763.1 (22.7)% (22.0)%
As compared to the same period in the prior year, total net revenues were affected unfavorably by approximately $56
million in foreign currency exchange rates.
Americas. On both a reported basis and constant-currency basis, net revenues in our Americas segment decreased for
fiscal year 2020. Currency translation had an unfavorable impact on net revenues of approximately $38 million for the year.
The decrease in net revenues was due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both our wholesale and DTC
channels throughout the year.
The decrease in wholesale revenues was primarily due to the temporary closures of third-party retail locations, most of
which were closed for the duration of the second quarter, as well as decreased demand throughout the remainder of the year as
locations reopened. These declines were partially offset by increases in Levi's ® and Signature products sold to traditional and
digital wholesale customers deemed essential, allowing them to remain open throughout the year, either through their retail
locations, or e-commerce sites.
The decrease in DTC channel revenue was due to the temporary closures of our company-operated stores as the majority
of our store network was closed during the second and part-way through the third quarter as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic. As stores reopened, they were impacted by decreased traffic throughout the remainder of the year, many operating
under reduced hours and occupancy levels. This was partially offset by incremental revenues from our newly acquired South
American distributor, first quarter revenue growth in our DTC channel and the inclusion of non-comparable net revenues from
two Black Fridays and a 53rd week in fiscal year 2020 when compared to fiscal year 2019. As of November 29, 2020,
approximately 94% of our company-operated stores in the Americas were open and our store network had 61 more stores in
operation as compared to November 24, 2019. E-commerce revenue also had strong growth during the year due to increased
traffic and higher conversion, as consumer spending continued to shift towards online shopping, as well as from the benefit of
two Black Fridays and a 53rd week in fiscal year 2020 when compared to fiscal year 2019.
Europe. Net revenues in Europe decreased on both reported and constant-currency bases. Currency translation did not
have a significant impact on net revenues in the segment for fiscal year 2020. The decrease in net revenues was driven by the
adverse impact COVID-19 had across both our wholesale and DTC channels throughout the year.
Wholesale revenue declined due to the temporary closure of our wholesale customers' retail locations, most of which
were closed for the duration of the second quarter and some again in the fourth quarter due to a resurgence of COVID-19, as
well as decreased demand when locations were open after the pandemic began. These declines were partially offset by growth
in our digital wholesale customer revenues as well as first quarter growth from our traditional wholesale customers.
54
The decrease in DTC channel revenue was due to the temporary closures of our company-operated stores as the majority
of our store network was closed during the second quarter, with some stores closed again in the fourth quarter due to a
resurgence of COVID-19. When stores were able to open after the first wave of the pandemic, they were impacted by lower
traffic, many operating under reduced hours and store occupancy levels. This decline was partially offset with first quarter
growth within our company operated retail network and the inclusion of non-comparable net revenues from two Black Fridays
and a 53rd week in fiscal year 2020 as compared to fiscal year 2019. As of November 29, 2020, approximately 66% of our
company-operated stores in Europe were open and our store network had 29 more stores in operation as compared to November
24, 2019. E-commerce revenue grew during the year as a result of increased traffic, as consumer spending continued to shift
towards online shopping, as well as from the benefit of two Black Fridays and a 53rd week in fiscal year 2020 when compared
to fiscal year 2019.
Asia. Net revenues in Asia decreased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency translation affecting
net revenues unfavorably by approximately $11 million. The decrease in net revenues was driven by the adverse impact
COVID-19 had across our wholesale and DTC channels throughout the year.
Wholesale revenue declined due to temporary store closures impacting wholesale customer retail locations across the
segment, starting in the second quarter and at various times throughout the remainder of the year, offsetting first quarter growth.
DTC channel revenue decreased due to the temporary store closures that started in China and neighboring countries
midway through the first quarter, and then spread throughout various parts of the segment for varying periods of time during the
year as sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks and partial and full lockdowns impacted the segment. As stores reopened, sales were
impacted by lower foot traffic and restrictions on operating hours and store occupancy levels. The decline in DTC revenue was
partially offset by growth in e-commerce revenue in fiscal year 2020 as compared to fiscal year 2019. As of November 29,
2020, approximately 99% of our company-operated stores in Asia were open and our store network had 25 more stores in
operation as compared to November 24, 2019.
Other Brands. Net revenues in Other Brands increased on both reported and constant-currency bases, with currency
translation affecting net revenues unfavorably by approximately $7 million. The decrease in net revenues was due to the
adverse COVID-19 impact on our Dockers® brand revenues in fiscal 2020.
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 29, November 24, Increase
2020 2019 (Decrease)
(Dollars in millions)
Net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,452.6 $ 5,763.1 (22.7)%
Cost of goods sold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,099.7 2,661.7 (21.1)%
Gross profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,352.9 $ 3,101.4 (24.1)%
Gross margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.8 % 53.8 %
Currency translation unfavorably impacted gross profit by approximately $23 million. The decrease in gross margin was
mainly due to COVID-19 related charges, which primarily included the recognition of incremental inventory reserves of $42.3
million and adverse fabric purchase commitments of $26.2 million which decreased gross margin by 1.6 percentage points.
These adverse impacts were partially offset by price increases implemented in the second half of the prior year.
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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 29, November 24,
% 2020 2019
November 29, November 24, Increase % of Net % of Net
2020 2019 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
(Dollars in millions)
Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,040.4 $ 1,116.8 (6.8)% 23.4 % 19.4 %
Advertising and promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331.4 399.3 (17.0)% 7.4 % 6.9 %
Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343.2 426.0 (19.4)% 7.7 % 7.4 %
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542.3 592.6 (8.5)% 12.2 % 10.3 %
COVID-19 related charges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90.3 — 100.0 % 2.0 % —%
Total SG&A expenses $ 2,347.6 $ 2,534.7 (7.4)% 52.7 % 44.0 %
Currency translation affected SG&A expenses favorably by approximately $15 million as compared to the prior year.
Selling. Currency translation impacted selling expenses favorably by approximately $9 million for the year ended
November 29, 2020. Lower selling expenses primarily reflected decreased costs due to the temporary closure of our company
operated retail stores as well as cost-savings actions initiated during the second quarter. Selling expenses as a percentage of net
revenues increased due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on net revenues, offset in part by cost-savings actions
implemented during the year.
Advertising and promotion. Currency translation impacted advertising and promotion expense favorably by
approximately $3 million for the year ended November 29, 2020. The decrease in advertising and promotion expenses is due to
our decision to reduce spending in response to COVID-19 in the channels most affected by the economic shutdown.
Administration. Administration expenses include functional administrative and organization costs. Currency translation
did not have a significant impact on administration expenses for fiscal year 2020. The decrease in administration expenses is
largely due to lower employee and incentive costs, which included the impact of cost-savings actions implemented in response
to COVID-19.
Other. Other costs include distribution, information resources, and marketing organization costs. Currency translation
impacted other SG&A expenses favorably by approximately $2 million for fiscal year 2020. The decrease in other costs was
primarily due to lower distribution expenses attributable to reduced sales volume as well as cost-savings actions implemented in
response to COVID-19.
COVID-19 related charges. During the year ended November 29, 2020, we recognized $44.3 million in impairment of
certain operating lease right-of-use assets and $21.7 million in impairment of property and equipment related to certain retail
locations and other corporate assets, resulting from lower revenue and future cash flow projections from the ongoing effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional charges of $17.7 million relate to customer receivables, including provisions and other
allowances as a result of changes in their financial condition of $5.2 million and actual and anticipated bankruptcies and other
associated claims of $12.5 million. The remainder relates to other incremental costs incurred in response to the global
pandemic.
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Operating income (loss)
The following table shows operating income by 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 segment net revenues:
Year Ended
November 29, November 24,
% 2020 2019
November 29, November 24, Increase % of Net % of Net
2020 2019 (Decrease) Revenues Revenues
(Dollars in millions)
Operating (loss) income:
Levi's Brands:
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 318.7 $ 519.7 (38.7)% 14.6 % 18.8 %
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207.9 350.1 (40.6)% 14.9 % 20.5 %
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (21.4) 87.5 (124.5)% (3.2)% 9.4 %
Total Levi's Brands operating income . . . . . . 505.2 957.3 (47.2)% 11.9 % 17.7 %
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (3.3) 7.1 (146.5)% (1.6)% 2.0 %
Restructuring charges, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (90.4) — —% (2.0)% * — %*
Corporate expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (496.6) (397.7) 24.9 % (11.2)% * (6.9)% *
Total operating (loss) income . . . . . . . . . . . . $ (85.1) $ 566.7 (115.0)% (1.9)% * 9.8 % *
Operating margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1.9)% 9.8 %
Currency translation affected total operating income in fiscal year 2020 unfavorably by approximately $8 million as
compared to the prior year.
57
Interest expense
Interest expense was $82.2 million for the year ended November 29, 2020, as compared to $66.2 million in the prior year.
The increase in interest expense was primarily related to additional borrowings from senior notes.
Our weighted-average interest rate on average borrowings outstanding for fiscal year 2020 was 4.75%, as compared to
5.31% for fiscal year 2019.
58
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity outlook
We believe we will have adequate liquidity over the next 12 months and in the longer term to operate our business and to
meet our cash requirements . We remain committed to increasing total shareholder returns through deploying capital across all
three of our capital allocation priorities: (1) to invest in high growth investment opportunities and initiatives to grow our
business organically, (2) to return capital to our stockholders in the form of cash dividends, as well as stock repurchases to
offset dilution that would otherwise be introduced from stock-based incentive compensation grants, and (3) to pursue
acquisitions, both organic and inorganic, that support our current strategies. We continue to concentrate our capital investments
in new stores, distribution capacity and technology.
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 the 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 $850.0 million, of which $800.0 million is available to us for revolving loans in U.S. Dollars
and $50.0 million is available to us for revolving loans either in U.S. Dollars or Canadian Dollars.
As of November 28, 2021, we did not have any borrowings under the credit facility, unused availability under the facility
was $794.3 million, and our total availability of $806.6 million, based on collateral levels as defined by the agreement, was
reduced by $12.3 million of stand-by letters of credit and other credit-related instruments. We also had cash and cash
equivalents totaling approximately $810.3 million and short-term investments of $91.5 million resulting in a total liquidity
position (unused availability and cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments) of approximately $1.7 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, payment of
taxes resulting from net settlement of shares issued under our 2016 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended to date ("2016 Plan") and
our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan as amended to date ("2019 Plan"), 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 Plan.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, we completed the acquisition of Beyond Yoga ®, funded entirely by cash on hand. We
believe that this acquisition will allow us to enter into the activewear category, complementing our growing women's business
and enabling us to allocate global resources and infrastructure to significantly expand Beyond Yoga ®, building on its largely
digital ecosystem. We also used cash on hand to redeem the remaining $200.0 million of the 5.00% Senior Notes due 2025.
In October 2021, the Board reinstated its share repurchase program, which authorizes the repurchase of up to
$200 million of the Company's Class A common stock with the intention to offset dilution from employee incentive grants.
During the three months ended November 28, 2021, 3.4 million shares were repurchased for $88.4 million, plus broker's
commissions, in the open market.
Subsequent to year end, 1.8 million shares were repurchased for $43.6 million, plus broker's commissions, in the open
market. This equates to an average repurchase price of approximately $24.68 per share.
In January 2022, the Board declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share to holders of record of its Class A and Class B
common stock at the close of business on February 9, 2022, for a total quarterly dividend of approximately $40 million. Total
dividends are expected to be approximately $160 million for fiscal year 2022 and to be paid out quarterly.
59
Cash requirements for fiscal 2022 are expected to consist primarily of capital expenditures for investments in new stores,
distribution capacity and technology. Total capital expenditures for fiscal 2022 are expected to be approximately $270 million.
The following table summarizes current and long-term material cash requirements as of November 28, 2021:
(Dollars in millions)
Short-term and long-term debt obligations $ 1,038 $ 6 $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 1,032
Interest ………………………………….
(1)
263 38 37 37 37 36 78
Future minimum payments …………….. (2)
1,292 263 233 194 155 121 326
Inventory purchase commitments ……… (3)
738 738 — — — — —
Purchase obligations(4)…………………… 378 92 65 62 37 26 96
Postretirement obligations ……………...
(5)
51 7 7 6 6 5 20
Pension obligations ……………………..
(6)
140 14 14 14 14 14 70
Long-term employee related benefits(7)….. 121 13 8 8 6 5 81
Total…………………………………….. $ 4,021 $ 1,171 $ 364 $ 321 $ 255 $ 207 $ 1,703
(1) Interest obligations are computed using constant interest rates until maturity.
(2) Amounts reflect contractual obligations relating to our existing leased facilities as of November 28, 2021, and therefore do not reflect our planned future
openings of company-operated retail stores. For more information, see "Item 2 – Properties."
(3) Inventory purchase commitments represent agreements to purchase fixed or minimum quantities of goods, including fabric commitments, at determinable
prices.
(4) Amounts reflect estimated commitments of $153 million for sponsorship, naming rights and related benefits with respect to the Levi's® Stadium, and
$225 million for human resources, advertising, information technology and other professional services.
(5) The amounts presented in the table represent an estimate for the next ten years of our projected payments, based on information provided by our plans'
actuaries, and have not been reduced by estimated Medicare subsidy receipts, the amounts of which are not material. Our policy is to fund postretirement
benefits as claims and premiums are paid. For more information, see Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
(6) The amounts presented in the table represent an estimate of our projected contributions to the plans for the next ten years based on information provided
by our plans' actuaries. For U.S. qualified plans, these estimates can exceed the projected annual minimum required contributions in an effort to level out
potential future funding requirements and provide annual funding flexibility. The 2022 contribution amounts will be recalculated at the end of the plans'
fiscal years, which for our U.S. pension plan is at the beginning of our third fiscal quarter. Accordingly, actual contributions may differ materially from
those presented here, based on factors such as changes in discount rates and the valuation of pension assets. For more information, see Note 10 to our
audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
(7) Long-term employee-related benefits primarily relate to the current and non-current portion of deferred compensation arrangements and workers'
compensation. We estimated these payments based on prior experience and forecasted activity for these items. For more information, see Note 11 to our
audited consolidated financial statements included in this report.
The above table does not include amounts related to our uncertain tax positions of $30.7 million. We do not anticipate a
material effect on our liquidity as a result of payments in future periods of liabilities for uncertain tax positions. Based on the
fair value of the Company's stock and the number of shares outstanding as of November 29, 2020, future payments related to
shares surrendered for employee tax withholding on the exercise or vesting of outstanding equity awards could range up to
approximately $100 million, which could become payable in 2022.
Information in the above table reflects our estimates of future cash payments. These estimates and projections are based
upon assumptions that are inherently subject to significant economic, competitive, legislative and other uncertainties and
contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, our actual expenditures and liabilities may be materially
higher or lower than the estimates and projections reflected in the above table. The inclusion of these projections and estimates
should not be regarded as a representation by us that the estimates will prove to be correct.
60
Cash flows
The following table summarizes, for the periods indicated, selected items in our consolidated statements of cash flows:
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Cash provided by operating activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 737.3 $ 469.6 $ 412.2
Cash used for investing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (571.8) (188.6) (243.3)
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (840.9) 286.0 55.0
Cash and cash equivalents as of fiscal year end . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810.3 1,497.2 934.2
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Indebtedness
The borrower of substantially all of our debt is Levi Strauss & Co., the parent and U.S. operating company. Of our total
debt of $1.0 billion as of November 28, 2021, 100% was fixed-rate debt, net of capitalized debt issuance costs. As of
November 28, 2021, our required aggregate debt principal payments of $1.0 billion begin in 2027. Short-term borrowings of
$5.9 million at various foreign subsidiaries were expected to be either paid over the next 12 months or refinanced at the end of
their applicable terms.
Our long-term debt agreements contain customary covenants restricting our activities as well as those of our subsidiaries.
We were in compliance with all of these covenants as of November 28, 2021.
Adjusted Gross Profit, Adjusted Gross Margin, Adjusted SG&A, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBIT Margin,
Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Net Income Margin, and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share
We define Adjusted gross profit, as gross profit excluding COVID-19 and acquisition related inventory costs. We define
Adjusted gross margin, as Adjusted gross profit as a percentage of net revenues. We define Adjusted SG&A as SG&A
excluding changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based compensation, COVID-19 related charges, acquisition and
integration related charges, and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net. We define Adjusted EBIT as net income
(loss) excluding income tax expense (benefit), interest expense, other (income) expense, net, underwriter commission paid on
behalf of selling stockholders, loss on early extinguishment of debt, impact of changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based
compensation, COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges, acquisition and integration related charges, and
restructuring and related charges, severance and other, net. We define Adjusted EBIT margin as Adjusted EBIT as a percentage
of net revenues. We define Adjusted EBITDA as Adjusted EBIT excluding depreciation and amortization expense. We define
Adjusted net income as net income (loss) excluding underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders, loss on
early extinguishment of debt, charges related to the impact of changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based compensation,
COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges, acquisition and integration related charges, and restructuring and
restructuring related charges, severance and other, net, pension settlement losses, and re-measurement of our deferred tax assets
and liabilities based on the lower rates as a result of the Tax Act, adjusted to give effect to the income tax impact of such
adjustments. To calculate the income tax impact of such adjustments on a year-to-date basis, we utilize an effective tax rate
equal to our income tax expense excluding material discrete costs and benefits, with any impacts of changes in effective tax rate
being recognized in the current period. We define Adjusted net income margin as Adjusted net income as a percentage of net
revenues. We define Adjusted diluted earnings per share as Adjusted net income per weighted-average number of diluted
common shares outstanding. We believe Adjusted gross profit, Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted SG&A, Adjusted EBIT,
Adjusted EBIT margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income, Adjusted net income margin and Adjusted diluted earnings
per share are useful to investors because they help identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by
certain expenses that we include in calculating net income (loss) but that can vary from company to company depending on its
financing, capital structure and the method by which its assets were acquired, and can also vary significantly from period to
period. Our management also uses Adjusted EBIT in conjunction with other GAAP financial measures for planning purposes,
including as a measure of our core operating results and the effectiveness of our business strategy, and in evaluating our
financial performance.
Adjusted gross profit, Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted SG&A, Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBIT margin, Adjusted
EBITDA, Adjusted net income, Adjusted net income margin and Adjusted diluted earnings per share have limitations as
analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of our results prepared and presented
in accordance with GAAP. Some of these limitations include:
• Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBIT margin and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect income tax payments that reduce cash
available to us;
• Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBIT margin and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect interest expense, or the cash
requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our indebtedness, which reduces cash available
to us;
• Adjusted EBIT, Adjusted EBIT margin and Adjusted EBITDA exclude other (income) expense net, which includes
pension settlement losses as well as realized and unrealized gains and losses on our forward foreign exchange
contracts and transaction gains and losses on our foreign exchange balances, although these items affect the amount
and timing of cash available to us when these gains and losses are realized;
• Adjusted net income, Adjusted net income margin and Adjusted diluted earnings per share exclude pension
settlement losses;
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• all of these non-GAAP financial measures exclude underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders in
connection with our IPO that reduces cash available to us;
• all of these non-GAAP financial measures exclude the expense resulting from the impact of changes in fair value on
our cash-settled stock-based compensation awards, even though, prior to March 2019, such awards were required to
be settled in cash;
• all of these non-GAAP financial measures exclude COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges, acquisition
and integration charges, and restructuring and related charges, severance and other, net which can affect our current
and future cash requirements;
• all of these non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain other SG&A items, which include severance, transaction
and deal related costs, including acquisition and integration costs which can affect our current and future cash
requirements;
• the expenses and other items that we exclude in our calculations of all of these non-GAAP financial measures may
differ from the expenses and other items, if any, that other companies may exclude from all of these non-GAAP
financial measures or similarly titled measures;
• Adjusted EBITDA excludes the recurring, non-cash expenses of depreciation of property and equipment and,
although these are non-cash expenses, the assets being depreciated may need to be replaced in the future; and
• Adjusted net income, Adjusted net income margin and Adjusted diluted earnings per share do not include all of the
effects of income taxes and changes in income taxes reflected in net income (loss).
Because of these limitations, all of these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with net income
(loss) and other operating and financial performance measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Most comparable GAAP measure:
Gross profit…………………………………………………………………… $ 3,346.7 $ 2,352.9 $ 3,101.4
Non-GAAP measure:
Gross profit…………………………………………………………………… 3,346.7 2,352.9 3,101.4
COVID-19 related inventory costs(1)…………………………………………. (15.1) 69.3 —
A cquisition related charges (2)………………………………………………… 3.9 — —
Adjusted gross profit…………………………………………………….. $ 3,335.5 $ 2,422.2 $ 3,101.4
Adjusted gross margin………………………………………………………….. 57.9 % 54.4 % 53.8 %
(1) For the fiscal year ended November 28, 2021, the reductions in COVID-19 related inventory charges is primarily related to reductions in our estimate of
adverse fabric purchase commitments, initially recorded in the second quarter of 2020. For the fiscal year ended November 29, 2020, COVID-19 related
inventory costs include $42.3 million of incremental inventory reserves and the recognition of adverse fabric purchase commitments of $26.2 million.
(1) Acquisition related charges include the inventory markup above historical carrying value associated with the Beyond Yoga acquisition.
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Adjusted SG&A:
The following table presents a reconciliation of SG&A, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in
accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted SG&A for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Most comparable GAAP measure:
Selling, general and administrative expenses………………………………… $ 2,652.2 $ 2,347.6 $ 2,534.7
Non-GAAP measure:
Selling, general and administrative expenses………………………………… 2,652.2 2,347.6 2,534.7
(1)
Impact of changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based compensation .. (4.2) (7.1) (34.1)
COVID-19 related charges(2)…………………………………………………. (5.4) (90.3) —
Acquisition and integration related charges………………………………….. (3.8) — —
Restructuring related charges, severance and other, net(3)……………………. (16.2) (9.1) (9.8)
Adjusted SG&A………………………………………………………….. $ 2,622.6 $ 2,241.1 $ 2,490.8
(1) Includes the impact of the changes in fair value of Class B common stock following the grant date on awards that were granted as cash-settled and
subsequently replaced with stock-settled awards concurrent with the IPO.
(2) For the year ended November 28, 2021, the COVID-19 related charges primarily include reductions in allowances related to customer receivables
partially offset with impairment charges of certain retail store related assets. For the year ended November 29, 2020, COVID-19 related charges primarily
consist of $44.3 million in impairment of certain operating lease right-of-use assets and $21.7 million in impairment of property and equipment related to
certain retail locations and other corporate assets, $17.7 million of charges related to customer receivables and other incremental costs incurred in
connection with COVID-19.
(3) Other charges included in restructuring related charges, severance and other, net include charges related to an international customs audit and transaction
and deal related costs.
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Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted EBITDA:
The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure
calculated in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted EBITDA for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Most comparable GAAP measure:
Net income (loss)…………………………………………………………….. $ 553.5 $ (127.1) $ 395.0
Non-GAAP measure:
Net income (loss)…………………………………………………………….. 553.5 (127.1) 395.0
Income tax expense (benefit)…………………………………………………. 26.7 (62.6) 82.6
Interest expense………………………………………………………………. 72.9 82.2 66.2
Other (income) expense, net(1)……………………………………………….. (3.4) 22.4 (2.0)
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders…………….. — — 24.9
Loss on early extinguishment of debt………………………………………… 36.5 — —
Impact of changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based compensation(2)... 4.2 7.1 34.1
COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges(3)……………………… (9.7) 159.6 —
Acquisition and integration related charges …………………………………
(4)
7.7 — —
Restructuring and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net(5)… 24.5 99.5 9.8
Adjusted EBIT……………………………………………………………. $ 712.9 $ 181.1 $ 610.6
Depreciation and amortization(6)……………………………………………… 142.0 136.6 123.9
Adjusted EBITDA………………………………………………………... $ 854.9 $ 317.7 $ 734.5
Adjusted EBIT margin………………………………………………………... 12.4 % 4.1 % 10.6 %
(1) Includes $14.7 million in pension settlement losses related to the voluntary lump-sum, cash-out program offered to vested deferred U.S. pension plan
participants during the year ended November 29, 2020. See Note 10 to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this report for further
information.
(2) Includes the impact of the changes in fair value of Class B common stock following the grant date on awards that were granted as cash-settled and
subsequently replaced with stock-settled awards concurrent with the IPO.
(3) For the year ended November 28, 2021, the net reduction in COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges recognized mainly represents reductions
in COVID-19 related inventory charges, as a result of reductions in our estimate of adverse fabric purchase commitments and allowances related to
customer receivables partially offset with impairment charges of certain retail store related assets. For the year ended November 29, 2020, COVID-19
related inventory costs and other charges primarily include $42.3 million of incremental inventory reserves, $26.2 million of adverse fabric purchase
commitments, $44.3 million and $21.7 million in impairment of operating lease right-of-use assets and property and equipment related to certain retail
locations and other corporate assets, respectively, and $17.7 million of charges related to customer receivables. The remainder relates to other incremental
costs incurred in response to the global pandemic.
(4) Acquisition and integration related charges includes the inventory markup above historical carrying value as well as SG&A expenses associated with the
Beyond Yoga acquisition.
(5) Other charges included in Restructuring and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net include charges related to an international customs
audit and transaction and deal related costs.
(6) Depreciation and amortization amount net of amortization included in Restructuring and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net.
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Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share:
The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure
calculated in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted net income for each of the periods presented and the calculation of Adjusted
diluted earnings per share for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)
Most comparable GAAP measure:
Net income (loss)……………………………………………………………... $ 553.5 $ (127.1) $ 395.0
Non-GAAP measure:
Net income (loss)…………………………………………………………….. 553.5 (127.1) 395.0
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders…………….. — — 24.9
Loss on early extinguishment of debt………………………………………… 36.5 — —
Impact of changes in fair value on cash-settled stock-based compensation(1).. 4.2 7.1 34.1
COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges ……………………… (2)
(9.7) 159.6 —
Acquisition and integration related charges(3)………………………………... 7.7 — —
Restructuring and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net(4)…. 24.5 99.5 9.8
Pension settlement losses(5)…………………………………………………... — 14.7 —
Tax impact of adjustments(6)...................................................................................................................... (15.8) (70.2) (7.6)
Adjusted net income……………………………………………………... $ 600.9 $ 83.6 $ 456.2
(1) Includes the impact of the changes in fair value of Class B common stock following the grant date on awards that were granted as cash-settled and
subsequently replaced with stock-settled awards concurrent with the IPO.
(2) For the year ended November 28, 2021, the net reduction in COVID-19 related inventory costs and other charges recognized mainly represents reductions
in COVID-19 related inventory charges, as a result of reductions in our estimate of adverse fabric purchase commitments and allowances related to
customer receivables partially offset with impairment charges of certain retail store related assets. For the year ended November 29, 2020, COVID-19
related inventory costs and other charges primarily include $42.3 million of incremental inventory reserves, $26.2 million of adverse fabric purchase
commitments, $44.3 million and $21.7 million in impairment of operating lease right-of-use assets and property and equipment related to certain retail
locations and other corporate assets, respectively, and $17.7 million of charges related to customer receivables. The remainder relates to other incremental
costs incurred in response to the global pandemic.
(3) Acquisition and integration related charges includes the inventory markup above historical carrying value as well as SG&A expenses associated with the
Beyond Yoga acquisition.
(4) Other charges included in Restructuring and restructuring related charges, severance and other, net include charges related to an international customs
audit and transaction and deal related costs.
(5) Pension settlement losses relate to the voluntary lump-sum, cash-out program offered to vested deferred U.S. pension plan participants. See Note 10 for
further information.
(6) Tax impact calculated using the annual effective tax rate, excluding discrete costs and benefits. Please refer to Note 20 for more information on the
effective tax rate.
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Net Debt and Leverage Ratio:
We define net debt, as total debt, excluding capital leases, less cash and cash equivalents. We define leverage ratio, as the
ratio of total debt to the last 12 months Adjusted EBITDA. Our management believes that net debt and leverage ratio are
important measures to monitor our financial flexibility and evaluate the strength of our balance sheet. Net debt and leverage
ratio have limitations as analytical tools and may vary from similarly titled measures used by other companies. Net debt and
leverage ratio should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for an analysis of our results prepared and presented in
accordance with GAAP.
The following table presents a reconciliation of total debt, excluding capital leases, the most directly comparable financial
measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to net debt for each of the periods presented.
Non-GAAP measure:
Total debt, excluding capital leases……………………………………………………………. $ 1,026.6 $ 1,564.3
Cash and cash equivalents……………………………………………………………………... (810.3) (1,497.2)
Short-term investments in marketable securities………………………………………………. (91.5) (96.5)
Net debt…………………………………………………………………………………….. $ 124.8 $ (29.4)
The following table presents a reconciliation of total debt, excluding capital leases, the most directly comparable financial
measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to leverage ratio for each of the periods presented.
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The following table presents a reconciliation of net cash flow from operating activities, the most directly comparable
financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted free cash flow for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Most comparable GAAP measure:
Net cash provided by operating activities……………………………………. $ 737.3 $ 469.6 $ 412.2
Net cash used for investing activities………………………………………… (571.8) (188.6) (243.3)
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities…………………………. (840.9) 286.0 55.0
Non-GAAP measure:
Net cash provided by operating activities……………………………………. $ 737.3 $ 469.6 $ 412.2
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders…………….. — — 24.9
Purchases of property, plant and equipment…………………………………. (166.9) (130.4) (175.4)
(Payments) proceeds on settlement of forward foreign exchange contracts
not designated for hedge accounting…………………………………………. (17.9) 12.5 12.2
Payment of debt extinguishment costs……………………………………….. (23.3) — —
Repurchase of common stock………………………………………………… (85.9) (56.2) (3.1)
Shares surrendered for tax withholdings on equity award exercises…………. (109.3) (90.6) (40.9)
Dividend to stockholders……………………………………………………... (104.4) (63.6) (113.9)
Adjusted free cash flow…………………………………………………... $ 229.6 $ 141.3 $ 116.0
Constant-Currency:
We report our operating results in accordance with GAAP, as well as on a constant-currency basis in order to facilitate
period-to-period comparisons of our results without regard to the impact of fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates. The
term foreign currency exchange rates refers to the exchange rates we use to translate our operating results for all countries
where the functional currency is not the U.S. Dollar into U.S. Dollars. Because we are a global company, foreign currency
exchange rates used for translation may have a significant effect on our reported results. In general, our reported financial
results are affected positively by a weaker U.S. Dollar and are affected negatively by a stronger U.S. Dollar as compared to the
foreign currencies in which we conduct our business. References to our operating results on a constant-currency basis mean our
operating results without the impact of foreign currency translation fluctuations.
We believe disclosure of constant-currency results is helpful to investors because it facilitates period-to-period
comparisons of our results by increasing the transparency of our underlying performance by excluding the impact of fluctuating
foreign currency exchange rates. However, constant-currency results are non-GAAP financial measures and are not meant to be
considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Constant-currency
results have no standardized meaning prescribed by GAAP, are not prepared under any comprehensive set of accounting rules
or principles and should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP.
Constant-currency results have limitations in their usefulness to investors and may be calculated differently from, and therefore
may not be directly comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.
We calculate constant-currency amounts by translating local currency amounts in the prior-year period at actual foreign
exchange rates for the current period. Our constant-currency results do not eliminate the transaction currency impact, which
primarily include the realized and unrealized gains and losses recognized from the measurement and remeasurement of
purchases and sales of products in a currency other than the functional currency and of forward foreign exchange contracts.
Additionally, gross margin and Adjusted gross margin are impacted by gains and losses related to the procurement of inventory,
primarily products sourced in EUR and USD, by our global sourcing organization on behalf of our foreign subsidiaries.
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Constant-Currency Net Revenues:
The table below sets forth the calculation of net revenues for each of our operating segments on a constant-currency basis
for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
% Increase % Decrease
November 28, (Over Prior November 29, (Over Prior November 24,
2021 Year) 2020 Year) 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Total revenues
As reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763.9 29.5 % $ 4,452.6 (22.7)% $ 5,763.1
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . — * 82.2 * (55.9)
Constant-currency net revenues . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763.9 27.1 % $ 4,534.8 (22.0)% $ 5,707.2
Americas
As reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,934.8 34.1 % $ 2,187.9 (21.0)% $ 2,771.1
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . — * 7.7 * (38.1)
Constant-currency net revenues - Americas $ 2,934.8 33.7 % $ 2,195.6 (19.9)% $ 2,733.0
Europe
As reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,704.0 22.4 % $ 1,391.8 (18.5)% $ 1,707.5
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . — * 52.5 * (0.3)
Constant-currency net revenues - Europe . . $ 1,704.0 18.0 % $ 1,444.3 (18.5)% $ 1,707.2
Asia
As reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 834.6 25.8 % $ 663.4 (28.4)% $ 926.1
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . — * 20.1 * (11.1)
Constant-currency net revenues - Asia . . . . $ 834.6 22.1 % $ 683.5 (27.5)% $ 915.0
Other Brands
As reported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 290.4 38.6 % $ 209.6 (41.5)% $ 358.4
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . — * 1.7 * (6.5)
Constant-currency net revenues - Other
Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 290.4 37.5 % $ 211.3 (40.4)% $ 351.9
* Not meaningful
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Constant-Currency Adjusted EBIT:
The table below sets forth the calculation of Adjusted EBIT on a constant-currency basis for each of the periods
presented.
Year Ended
% Decrease % Increase
November 28, (Over Prior November 29, (Over Prior November 24,
2021 Year) 2020 Year) 2019
(Dollars in millions)
Adjusted EBIT(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 712.9 * $ 181.1 (70.3)% $ 610.6
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . . . — * 2.2 * (8.1)
Constant-currency Adjusted EBIT . . . . . . . . $ 712.9 * $ 183.3 (69.9)% $ 602.5
Constant-currency Adjusted EBIT margin(2) . 12.4 % 4.0 % 10.6 %
(1) Adjusted EBIT is reconciled from net income (loss) which is the most comparable GAAP measure. Refer to Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted EBITDA table
for more information.
(2) We define constant-currency Adjusted EBIT margin as constant-currency Adjusted EBIT as a percentage of constant-currency net revenues.
* Not meaningful
Constant-Currency Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share:
The table below sets forth the calculation of Adjusted net income and Adjusted diluted earnings per share on a constant-
currency basis for each of the periods presented.
Year Ended
% Increase % Decrease
November 28, (Over Prior November 29, (Over Prior November 24,
2021 Year) 2020 Year) 2019
(Dollars in millions, except per sh are amounts)
Adjusted net income(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 600.9 * $ 83.6 (81.7)% $ 456.2
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates . . . — * 2.8 * (5.9)
Constant-currency Adjusted net income . . . . $ 600.9 * $ 86.4 (81.4)% $ 450.3
Constant-currency Adjusted net income
margin(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.4 % 1.9 % 7.9 %
(1) Adjusted net income is reconciled from net income (loss) which is the most comparable GAAP measure. Refer to Adjusted net income table for more
information.
(2) We define constant-currency Adjusted net income margin as constant-currency Adjusted net income as a percentage of constant-currency net revenues.
* Not meaningful
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Critical Accounting Estimates and Assumptions
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the related notes. Critical accounting
estimates refers to those assumptions and approximations that may have a material impact on the amounts reported in the
consolidated financial statements and the related notes due to the level of subjectivity involved in developing the estimate.
We believe that the following discussion addresses our critical accounting estimates, which are those that are most
important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and require management's most difficult,
subjective and complex judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently
uncertain. Changes in such estimates, based on newly available information, or different assumptions or conditions, may affect
amounts reported in future periods.
We summarize our critical accounting estimates and assumptions below.
Revenue recognition. Revenue is recorded net of an allowance for estimated returns, discounts and retailer promotions
and other similar incentives. We recognize allowances for estimated returns in the period in which the related sale is recorded.
We recognize allowances for estimated discounts, retailer promotions and other similar incentives at the later of the period in
which the related sale is recorded or the period in which the sales incentive is offered to the customer. We estimate non-volume
based allowances based on historical rates as well as customer and product-specific circumstances. The determination of sales
allowances is considered a critical accounting estimate. Actual allowances may differ from estimates due to changes in sales
volume based on retailer or consumer demand and changes in customer and product-specific circumstances.
Inventory valuation. We value inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value. The determination of inventory
reserves is considered a critical accounting estimate. In determining inventory net realizable value, substantial consideration is
given to the expected product selling price. We estimate expected selling prices based on our historical recovery rates for sale of
slow-moving and obsolete inventory and other factors, such as market conditions, expected channel of disposition, and current
consumer preferences. Estimates may differ from actual results due to changes in resale or market value, avenues of disposition,
consumer and retailer preferences and economic conditions.
Business Combination. We account for business combinations using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the
acquisition method, the consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of an acquired business starting from the closing
date of the acquisition.
All assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at fair value as of the acquisition date. We allocate the purchase
price of an acquired business to the fair values of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed,
with any excess purchase price recorded as goodwill. Contingent consideration, if any, is included within the purchase price and
is recognized at its fair value on the acquisition date. The application of the acquisition method of accounting for business
combinations and determination of fair value requires management to make judgments and may involve the use of significant
estimates, including assumptions related to estimated future revenues, growth rates, cash flows, discount rates and royalty rates,
among other items. Management generally evaluates fair value at acquisition using three valuation techniques - the
replacement cost, market and income methods - and weights the valuation methods based on what is most appropriate in the
circumstances. The process of assigning fair values, particularly to acquired intangible assets, is highly subjective. Management
also typically utilizes third party valuation specialists to assist in the determination of the fair value of assets acquired and
liabilities assumed. Fair value estimates are based on assumptions believed to be reasonable, but are inherently uncertain and
unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. If the actual results differ from the estimates and
judgments used, the amounts recorded in the consolidated financial statements may be exposed to potential impairment of the
intangible assets and goodwill as discussed in the "Impairment" section below. The determination of fair value is considered a
critical accounting estimate because the valuation techniques mentioned use significant estimates and assumptions, including
projected future revenues, a hypothetical royalty rate, the expected economic life of the asset, tax rates and a discount rate that
reflects the level of risk associated with the future earnings attributable to the asset.
During the measurement period, which is up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments to the assets acquired and
liabilities assumed may be recorded, with the corresponding offset to goodwill.
Impairment. We review goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually in the fourth quarter of
our fiscal year, or more frequently as warranted by events or changes in circumstances which indicate that the carrying amount
may not be recoverable. We may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value
of a reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount. If, based on the results of the qualitative
assessment, it is concluded that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit or indefinite-lived asset
exceeds its carrying value, a quantitative test is performed. Under the quantitative test, we compare the carrying value of the
reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible asset to its fair value, which we estimate using a discounted cash flow analysis or by
71
comparison to the market values of similar assets. If the carrying value exceeds its fair value, we record an impairment charge
equal to the excess of the carrying value over the related fair value. The assumptions used in such valuations such as projected
future cash flows, discount rates, growth rates, and determination of appropriate market comparables and recent transactions,
are subject to volatility and may differ from actual results. Under a qualitative assessment, we assess various factors including
industry and market conditions, macroeconomic conditions and performance of our businesses.
We review other long-lived assets, including ROU assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances
indicate the carrying amount of an asset or an asset group may not be recoverable. In evaluating long-lived assets for
recoverability, we estimate the future cash flows at the individual store level that are expected to result from the use of each
store's assets. Impairment losses are measured and recorded for the excess of an asset's carrying value over its fair value. To
determine the fair value of long-lived assets, included ROU assets, we utilize the valuation technique or techniques deemed
most appropriate based on the nature of the asset or asset group, which may include the use of quoted market prices, prices for
similar assets or other valuation techniques such as discounted future cash flows or earnings.
The determination of fair value is considered a critical accounting estimate because the valuation techniques mentioned
use significant estimates and assumptions, including projected future cash flows, discount rates and growth rates.
Income tax. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide income tax provision. The determination of
our income tax provision is considered a critical accounting estimate. In the ordinary course of a global business, there are
many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain. Some of these uncertainties arise from
examinations in various jurisdictions and assumptions and estimates used in evaluating the need for a valuation allowance.
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. We compute our provision for
income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected
future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities and for
operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates
that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or
settled. Significant judgments are required in order to determine the realizability of these deferred tax assets. In assessing the
need for a valuation allowance, we evaluate all significant available positive and negative evidence, including historical
operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the existence of prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. Changes
in the expectations regarding the realization of deferred tax assets could materially impact income tax expense in future periods.
We continuously review issues raised in connection with all ongoing examinations and open tax years to evaluate the
adequacy of our tax liabilities. We evaluate uncertain tax positions under a two-step approach. The first step is to evaluate the
uncertain tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not
that the position will be sustained upon examination based on its technical merits. The second step is, for those positions that
meet the recognition criteria, to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than fifty percent likely of being
realized. We believe our recorded tax liabilities are adequate to cover all open tax years based on our assessment. This
assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and involves significant judgments about future events. To the extent that our
view as to the outcome of these matters changes, we will adjust income tax expense in the period in which such determination is
made. We classify interest and penalties related to income taxes as income tax expense.
72
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
73
The following table presents the currency, average forward exchange rate, notional amount and fair values for our
outstanding forward contracts as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020. The average forward exchange rate is the
weighted average of the forward rates of the contracts for the indicated currency. The notional amount represents the U.S.
Dollar equivalent amount of the foreign currency at the inception of the contracts, and is the net sum of all buy and sell
transactions for the indicated currency. A net positive notional amount represents a position to buy the U.S. Dollar versus the
exposure currency, while a net negative notional amount represents a position to sell the U.S. Dollar versus the exposure
currency. All transactions will mature before the end of February 2023.
74
Interest rate risk
The following table provides information about our financial instruments that may be sensitive to changes in interest rates.
The table presents principal (face amount) outstanding balances of our debt instruments and the related weighted-average
interest rates for the years indicated based on expected maturity dates. All amounts are stated in U.S. Dollar equivalents.
(Dollars in thousands)
Debt Instruments
Fixed Rate (US$) . . . . . $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 500,000 $ 500,000 $ 1,000,000
Average Interest Rate . — — — — — 3.50 % 3.50 % 5.00 %
Fixed Rate (Euro 475
million) . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — — — — 532,285 532,285 565,820
Average Interest Rate . — — — — — 3.375 % 3.375 % 3.375 %
Variable Rate (US$) . . . — — — — — — — —
Average Interest Rate . — — — — — — — —
Total Principal (face
amount) of our debt
instruments(1) . . . . . . . . $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 1,032,285 $ 1,032,285 $ 1,565,820
(1) Excluded from this table are other short-term borrowings of $5.9 million as of November 28, 2021, consisting of term loans and revolving credit facilities
at various foreign subsidiaries which we expect to either pay over the next twelve months or refinance at the end of their applicable terms. All of the $5.9
million was fixed-rate debt.
75
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Levi Strauss & Co. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as
of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive
income (loss), of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended November 28, 2021,
including the related notes and schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for each of the three years in the period ended
November 28, 2021 appearing under Item 15 (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have
audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of November 28, 2021, based on criteria established in
Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position of the Company as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for each of the three years in the period ended November 28, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal
control over financial reporting as of November 28, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated
Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for
leases and certain stranded income tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) as of November 25, 2019.
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal
control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included
in Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to
express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial
reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S.
federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the
audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement,
whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement
of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks.
Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated
financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal
control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the
risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based
on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the
circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures
76
that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and
dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and
expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the
company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or
disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also,
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate
because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial
statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relate to accounts or
disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or
complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated
financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate
opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
As described in Notes 1 and 20 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has deferred tax assets from foreign tax
credit carryforwards of $147.8 million as of November 28, 2021. Significant judgments are required in order to determine the
realizability of these deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, the Company's management evaluates
all significant available positive and negative evidence, including historical operating results, estimates of future taxable income
and the existence of prudent and feasible tax planning strategies.
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the realizability of deferred tax assets
from foreign tax credit carryforwards is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management when assessing
the realizability of deferred tax assets, including a high degree of estimation uncertainty relative to the estimates of future
taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning strategies, (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in
performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence related to the estimates of future taxable income and the feasibility of tax
planning strategies related to the realizability of deferred tax assets, and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals
with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall
opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the
realizability of foreign tax credit carryforwards. These procedures also included, among others, testing management's process
for assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets from foreign tax credit carryforwards. This included (i) evaluating the
appropriateness of the calculation used, (ii) testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the calculation,
and (iii) evaluating the reasonableness of significant assumptions used in the calculation related to the estimates of future
taxable income and the feasibility of tax planning strategies. Evaluating management's assumptions related to the estimates of
future taxable income involved evaluating whether the assumptions used by management were reasonable considering (i) the
current and past performance of affiliates, (ii) the consistency with external market and industry data, and (iii) whether these
assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Evaluating the feasibility of tax planning
strategies involved evaluating whether the assumptions used by management were reasonable considering the relevant
jurisdictional tax laws. Professionals with specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating the reasonableness
of the Company's assumptions and the appropriateness of the calculation used for assessing the realizability of deferred tax
assets from foreign tax credit carryforwards, including the mechanics and application of tax law to the projected foreign tax
credit calculation, which incorporated the impact of tax planning strategies.
As described in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company completed the
acquisition of Beyond Yoga. Management assigned a fair value to the intangible assets acquired. The Beyond Yoga trademark
has been valued at $216.0 million using the relief-from-royalty method. The relief-from-royalty method requires the use of
significant estimates and assumptions, including projected future revenues, a hypothetical royalty rate, the expected economic
life of the asset, tax rates, and a discount rate that reflects the level of risk associated with the future earnings attributable to the
asset.
77
The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the valuation of the trademark
intangible asset from the Beyond Yoga acquisition is a critical audit matter are (i) the significant judgment by management
when determining the fair value of the trademark intangible asset, (ii) a high degree of auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort
in performing procedures and evaluating management's significant assumptions related to future revenues, royalty rate, and
discount rate, and (iii) the audit effort involved the use of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall
opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the
acquisition accounting, including controls over management's valuation of the trademark intangible asset. These procedures
also included, among others (i) reading the purchase agreement, (ii) testing management's process for determining the fair value
of the trademark intangible asset, (iii) evaluating the appropriateness of the relief-from-royalty method, (iv) testing the
completeness and accuracy of the underlying data used in the method, and (v) evaluating the reasonableness of significant
assumptions used by management related to future revenues, royalty rate, and discount rate. Evaluating management's
assumptions related to future revenues involved evaluating whether the assumptions used by management were reasonable
considering (i) the current and past performance of Beyond Yoga, (ii) the consistency with external market and industry data,
and (iii) whether the assumptions were consistent with evidence obtained in other areas of the audit. Professionals with
specialized skill and knowledge were used to assist in evaluating (i) the appropriateness of the relief-from-royalty method and
(ii) the reasonableness of the royalty rate and discount rate significant assumptions.
78
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
November 28, November 29,
2021 2020
(Dollars in thousands)
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 810,266 $ 1,497,155
Short-term investments in marketable securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91,550 96,531
Trade receivables, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707,625 540,227
Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 897,950 817,692
Other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202,510 174,636
Total current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,709,901 3,126,241
Property, plant and equipment, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502,562 454,532
Goodwill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386,880 264,768
Other intangible assets, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291,332 47,426
Deferred tax assets, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573,114 497,556
Operating lease right-of-use assets, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,103,705 988,801
Other non-current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332,575 261,917
Total assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,900,069 $ 5,641,241
Stockholders’ Equity:
Levi Strauss & Co. stockholders’ equity
Common stock — $0.001 par value; 1,200,000,000 Class A shares authorized; 97,567,627 shares
and 74,352,481 shares issued and outstanding as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020,
respectively; and 422,000,000 Class B shares authorized, 302,209,813 shares and 323,547,674 shares
issued and outstanding, as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, respectively . . . . . . . . . . . 400 398
Additional paid-in capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584,774 626,243
Accumulated other comprehensive loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (394,387) (441,446)
Retained earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,474,874 1,114,280
Total stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,665,661 1,299,475
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,900,069 $ 5,641,241
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
79
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands, except per share
amounts)
Net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763,936 $ 4,452,609 $ 5,763,087
Cost of goods sold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,417,225 2,099,685 2,661,714
Gross profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,346,711 2,352,924 3,101,373
Selling, general and administrative expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,652,213 2,347,628 2,534,698
Restructuring charges, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,287 90,415 —
Operating income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686,211 (85,119) 566,675
Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (72,902) (82,190) (66,248)
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (24,860)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (36,521) — —
Other income (expense), net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,452 (22,474) 2,017
Income (loss) before income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580,240 (189,783) 477,584
Income tax expense (benefit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,699 (62,642) 82,604
Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553,541 (127,141) 394,980
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (368)
Net income (loss) attributable to Levi Strauss & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 553,541 $ (127,141) $ 394,612
Earnings (loss) per common share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1.38 $ (0.32) $ 1.01
Diluted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1.35 $ (0.32) $ 0.97
Weighted-average common shares outstanding: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401,634,760 397,315,117 389,082,277
Diluted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409,778,169 397,315,117 408,365,902
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
80
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 553,541 $ (127,141) $ 394,980
Other comprehensive income (loss), before related income taxes: . . . . . . . . . . .
Pension and postretirement benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,059 60,915 10,248
Derivative instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69,735 (55,242) 19,026
Foreign currency translation (losses) gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (51,016) 10,493 (7,250)
Unrealized gains on marketable securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,662 9,758 4,362
Total other comprehensive income, before related income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . 59,440 25,924 26,386
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income (loss) . . . . (12,381) (7,940) (6,476)
Comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600,600 (109,157) 414,890
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (680)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Levi Strauss & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 600,600 $ (109,157) $ 414,210
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
81
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Levi Strauss & Co. Stockholders
Class A Accumulated
& Class B Additional Other Total
Common Paid-In Retained Comprehensive Noncontrolling Stockholders'
Stock Capital Earnings Loss Interest Equity
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at November 25, 2018 . . . . . . . $ 376 $ — $ 1,084,321 $ (424,584) $ 7,346 $ 667,459
Net income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — 394,612 — 368 394,980
Other comprehensive income, net of tax . — — — 19,598 312 19,910
Stock-based compensation and
dividends, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 55,278 (93) — — 55,189
Employee stock purchase plan . . . . . . . . — 2,062 — — — 2,062
Reclassification to temporary equity . . . . — (506) (23,339) — — (23,845)
Repurchase of common stock . . . . . . . . . — (165) (2,923) — — (3,088)
Tax withholdings on equity awards . . . . — (40,894) — — — (40,894)
Reclassification from temporary equity
in connection with initial public offering — 351,185 (28,200) — — 322,985
Issuance of Class A common stock in
connection with initial public offering . . 14 234,569 — — — 234,583
Cancel liability-settled awards and
replace with equity-settled awards in
connection with initial public offering . . — 56,130 — — — 56,130
Cash dividends paid ($0.30 per share) . . — — (113,914) — — (113,914)
Balance at November 24, 2019 . . . . . . . 394 657,659 1,310,464 (404,986) 8,026 1,571,557
Net loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (127,141) — — (127,141)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax . — — — 17,984 — 17,984
Stock-based compensation and
dividends, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 51,162 (222) — — 50,947
Employee stock purchase plan . . . . . . . . — 8,050 — — — 8,050
Repurchase of common stock . . . . . . . . . (3) — (56,240) — — (56,243)
Tax withholdings on equity awards . . . . — (90,628) — — — (90,628)
Changes in ownership of noncontrolling
interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (8,809) — (8,026) (16,835)
Cumulative effect of adoption of new
accounting standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — 59,867 (54,444) — 5,423
Cash dividends paid ($0.16 per share) . . — — (63,639) — — (63,639)
Balance at November 29, 2020 . . . . . . . 398 626,243 1,114,280 (441,446) — 1,299,475
Net income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — 553,541 — — 553,541
Other comprehensive income, net of tax . — — — 47,059 — 47,059
Stock-based compensation and
dividends, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 60,131 (67) — — 60,069
Employee stock purchase plan . . . . . . . . — 7,674 — — — 7,674
Repurchase of common stock . . . . . . . . . (3) — (88,449) — — (88,452)
Tax withholdings on equity awards . . . . — (109,274) — — — (109,274)
Cash dividends paid ($0.26 per share) . . — — (104,431) — — (104,431)
Balance at November 28, 2021 . . . . . . . $ 400 $584,774 $ 1,474,874 $ (394,387) $ — $ 1,665,661
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
82
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 553,541 $ (127,141) $ 394,980
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Property, plant, equipment, and right-of-use asset impairments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,871 66,987 2,388
Depreciation and amortization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143,167 141,795 123,942
Stock-based compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60,069 50,947 55,188
Benefit from provision for deferred income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (87,945) (95,244) (14,963)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36,375 — —
Other, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,958 49,592 14,449
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade receivables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (181,547) 234,217 (82,344)
Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (84,670) 93,096 (22,434)
Accounts payable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150,507 12,507 8,887
Accrued salaries, wages and employee benefits and long-term employee related
benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,647 (71,137) (55,363)
Right-of use operating lease assets and current and non-current operating lease
liabilities, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (5,870) 25,999 —
Other current and non-current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (28,318) (82,271) (43,764)
Other current and long-term liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,479 170,239 31,222
Net cash provided by operating activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737,264 469,586 412,188
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (166,944) (130,383) (175,356)
Payments for business acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (390,915) (54,570) —
(Payments) proceeds on settlement of forward foreign exchange contracts not
designated for hedge accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (17,899) 12,531 12,166
Payments to acquire short-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (122,981) (109,663) (114,247)
Proceeds from sale, maturity and collection of short-term investments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126,929 93,526 34,094
Net cash used for investing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (571,810) (188,559) (243,343)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net of issuance costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489,281 496,041 —
Repayments of long-term debt including extinguishment costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1,023,334) — —
Proceeds from senior revolving credit facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — 300,000 —
Repayments of senior revolving credit facility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — (300,000) —
Short-term credit facilities and borrowings, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (12,180) 10,045 (23,268)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock and employee stock purchase . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,674 8,050 256,391
Payments for underwriter commission and other offering costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (19,746)
Repurchase of common stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (85,864) (56,243) (3,088)
Shares surrendered for tax withholdings on equity awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (109,274) (90,628) (40,894)
Dividend to stockholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (104,431) (63,639) (113,914)
Other financing, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2,760) (17,631) (463)
Net cash (used for) provided by financing activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (840,888) 285,995 55,018
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash . . . . . . (11,634) (4,127) (2,808)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash . . . . . . . (687,068) 562,895 221,055
Beginning cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,497,648 934,753 713,698
Ending cash and cash equivalents, and restricted cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810,580 1,497,648 934,753
Less: Ending restricted cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (314) (493) (516)
Ending cash and cash equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 810,266 $ 1,497,155 $ 934,237
Noncash Investing Activity:
Property, plant and equipment acquired and not yet paid at end of period . . . . . . . . $ 72,326 $ 35,994 $ 30,512
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest during the period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 54,350 $ 73,667 $ 54,000
Cash paid for income taxes during the period, net of refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109,568 50,068 96,540
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
83
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Nature of Operations
Levi Strauss & Co. (the "Company") is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies. The Company designs,
markets and sells – directly or through third parties and licensees – products that include jeans, casual and dress pants,
activewear, tops, shorts, skirts, jackets, footwear and related accessories, for men, women and children around the world under
the Levi's®, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™, Denizen®, Dockers® and Beyond Yoga® brands.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company acquired Beyond Yoga ®, which has been consolidated since the date of
acquisition. Beyond Yoga® generates revenue from the sale of activewear in the United States. Please refer to Note 4 for more
information.
Segments
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company changed its segment reporting as a result of operational changes in support of
the ongoing efforts to globally integrate its Levi's Brands business, which includes Levi's, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™
and Denizen® brands, and is defined geographically in three reportable segments: Americas, Europe and Asia. The Dockers ®
business, which is managed separately, is no longer reported in the geographical regions of Americas, Europe and Asia. The
newly acquired Beyond Yoga® business, along with the Dockers® business, do not meet the quantitative thresholds for
reportable segments and therefore are presented under the caption of Other Brands. While this reporting change did not impact
consolidated results, the segment data for previously reported periods has been recast to be consistent for all periods presented
throughout the financial statements and accompanying footnotes. For additional information, including the financial results of
our reportable segments, see Note 23.
COVID-19 Update
In fiscal year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic materially impacted the Company's business and results of operations.
During the second quarter of fiscal year 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and
government authorities around the world imposed lockdowns and restrictions. Total charges of $250.0 million were recognized
during fiscal year 2020, consisting of $90.4 million of restructuring charges, COVID-19 related inventory costs of $68.5
million, and charges for customer receivables, asset impairments and other related charges of $91.1 million. For more
information on asset impairments, restructuring charges, inventory and other related charges, refer to Notes 3, 13, 14 and 15,
respectively. For more information on charges for customer receivables and COVID-19 related inventory costs, see "Accounts
Receivable, Net" and "Inventory Valuation" sections below.
During fiscal year 2021, company-operated stores and third-party retail locations have been, and continue to be, impacted
by temporary closures, reduced hours and reduced occupancy levels as the result of the pandemic. The Company continues to
experience differing levels of disruption and volatility, market by market. As of year end, approximately 99% of company-
operated stores were open globally.
Initial Public Offering
In March 2019, the Company completed its initial public offering, in which it issued and sold 14,960,557 shares of
Class A common stock at a public offering price of $17.00 per share (the "IPO"). The Company received net proceeds of
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LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
$234.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $13.6 million and other direct and incremental
offering expenses of $6.1 million. The Company 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, the Company
incurred $3.5 million of other costs associated with the IPO that were recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses.
In connection with the IPO, on March 19, 2019 the Company's Board of Directors approved the cancellation of the
majority of the outstanding unvested cash-settled restricted stock units ("RSUs") and their concurrent replacement with similar
equity-settled RSUs ("Replacement Awards"), pursuant to the Company's 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2016 Plan"). RSUs
for certain foreign affiliates continue to be cash-settled. Other than the form of settlement, all other terms of the awards
(including their vesting schedules) are the same. Prior to this modification, the cash-settled awards were classified as liabilities
and stock-based compensation expense was measured using the fair value at the end of each reporting period. After the
modification, the stock-based compensation expense for these awards was measured using the modification date fair value. As a
result of the modification, accrued stock-based compensation expense of $45.8 million and $10.3 million were reclassified on
the Company's consolidated balance sheets from accrued salaries, wages and employee benefits and other long-term liabilities,
respectively, to additional paid in capital. Refer to Note 12 for more information.
Prior to the IPO, the holders of shares issued under the 2016 Plan could require the Company to repurchase such shares at
the then-current market value pursuant to a contractual put right. Equity-classified stock-based awards that may be settled in
cash at the option of the holder were presented on the Company's consolidated balance sheets outside of permanent equity.
Accordingly, temporary equity on the Company's consolidated balance sheets included the redemption value of these awards
generally related to the elapsed service period since the grant date reflecting patterns of compensation cost recognition, as well
as the fair value of the Company's common stock issued pursuant to the 2016 Plan. Upon the completion of the IPO, this
contractual put right was terminated and these awards are no longer presented as temporary equity. As a result, the balance in
temporary equity as of immediately prior to the IPO of $351.2 million was reclassified to additional paid in capital. Refer to
Note 12 for more information.
On February 12, 2019, the Company's stockholders also approved the adoption of an amended and restated certificate of
incorporation (the "IPO Certificate") and amended and restated bylaws, which took effect upon the closing of the IPO. The IPO
Certificate provides for two classes of common stock: Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and Class B common
stock, par value $0.001 per share. All common stock outstanding at the time of the closing of the IPO converted automatically
into Class B common stock, each having ten votes per share. Shares of Class A common stock, each having one vote per share,
were sold in the IPO. Shares of Class B common stock sold by selling stockholders in the IPO automatically converted into
shares of Class A common stock in connection with such sale. Holders of Class B common stock can voluntarily convert their
shares into Class A common stock if and when they wish to do so in order to sell their shares to the public.
On February 12, 2019, the Company's stockholders approved the Company's 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2019
Plan") and the Company's 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "2019 ESPP"), each of which became effective on March
20, 2019, the effective date of the IPO registration statement. The maximum number of shares of the Company's Class A
common stock that may be issued under the 2019 Plan is 40,000,000. The 2019 ESPP authorizes the issuance of 12,000,000
shares of the Company's Class A common stock and is subject to automatic annual increases.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and the related notes to the consolidated
financial statements. Estimates are based upon historical factors, current circumstances and the experience and judgment of the
Company's management. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been considered within these estimates. Management
evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis and may employ outside experts to assist in its evaluations.
Changes in such estimates, based on more accurate future information, or different assumptions or conditions, may affect
amounts reported in future periods. In particular, significant uncertainty remains about the duration and extent of the impact of
the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting impact on global economic conditions. If economic conditions caused by the
pandemic do not recover as currently estimated by management, the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of
operations may be further materially impacted. As a result of uncertainty and frequently changing information regarding the
COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on global economic conditions, estimates may change frequently and in the near term.
85
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
86
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Inventory Valuation
The Company values inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory cost is determined using the first-in
first-out method. The Company includes product costs, labor and related overhead, inbound freight, internal transfers, and the
cost of operating its remaining manufacturing facilities, including the related depreciation expense, in the cost of inventories.
The Company estimates quantities of slow-moving and obsolete inventory, by reviewing on-hand quantities, outstanding
purchase obligations and forecasted sales. The Company determines inventory net realizable value by estimating expected
selling prices based on the Company's historical recovery rates for slow-moving and obsolete inventory and other factors, such
as market conditions, expected channel of distribution and current consumer preferences.
Net realizable value is determined by estimating expected selling prices based on anticipated recovery rates for slow-
moving and obsolete inventory and other factors, such as market conditions, expected channel of distribution and current
consumer demand and preferences. During fiscal year 2021, there was a $2.3 million net reduction in COVID-19 related
inventory reserves recognized due to the overall improvement in operations since when the initial estimates were made. During
fiscal year 2020, the Company recognized $42.3 million in net incremental inventory reserves upon the onset of COVID-19. All
COVID-19 related impacts on inventory valuation were recorded within "Cost of goods sold" in the accompanying consolidated
statements of operations.
Income Tax
Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-02, Income Statement -
Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220). ASU 2018-02 addresses certain stranded income tax effects in accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act") enacted on December 22, 2017.
Stranded income tax effects unrelated to the Tax Act are generally released from accumulated other comprehensive income
(loss) when an entire portfolio of the type of item related to the stranded income tax effect is liquidated, sold or extinguished.
Significant judgment is required in determining the Company's global income tax provision. In the ordinary course of a
global business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain. Some of these
uncertainties arise from examinations in various jurisdictions and assumptions and estimates used in evaluating the need for
valuation allowances.
The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. The Company computes
its provision for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized
for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and
liabilities and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. All deferred income taxes are classified as non-current on the
Company's consolidated balance sheets. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates
that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or
settled. Significant judgments are required in order to determine the realizability of these deferred tax assets. In assessing the
need for a valuation allowance, the Company's management evaluates all significant available positive and negative evidence,
including historical operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the existence of prudent and feasible tax planning
strategies.
87
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The Company continuously reviews issues raised in connection with all ongoing examinations and open tax years to
evaluate the adequacy of its tax liabilities. The Company evaluates uncertain tax positions under a two-step approach. The first
step is to evaluate the uncertain tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it
is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination based on its technical merits. The second step, for
those positions that meet the recognition criteria, is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than fifty
percent likely to be realized. The Company believes that its recorded tax liabilities are adequate to cover all open tax years
based on its assessment. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and involves significant judgments about future
events. To the extent that the Company's view as to the outcome of these matters change, the Company will adjust income tax
expense in the period in which such determination is made. The Company classifies interest and penalties related to income
taxes as income tax expense.
88
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Restructuring Liabilities
Upon approval of a restructuring plan, the Company records restructuring liabilities for employee severance and related
termination benefits when they become probable and estimable for recurring arrangements. The Company records other costs
associated with exit activities as they are incurred. The long-term portion of restructuring liabilities is included in “Other long-
term liabilities” in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. See Note 13 for more information.
Operating Leases
Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic
842).
The Company primarily leases retail store space, certain distribution and warehouse facilities, office space and
equipment. The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception and begins recording lease activity at the
commencement date, which is generally the date in which the Company takes possession of or controls the physical use of the
asset. Right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of lease payments over the
lease term with lease expense recognized on a straight-line basis. Incremental borrowing rates are used to determine the present
value of future lease payments unless the implicit rate is readily determinable. Incremental borrowing rate reflects the rate the
lessee would pay to borrow on a secured basis an amount equal to the lease payments and incorporates the term and economic
environment of the lease. ROU assets include amounts for scheduled rent increases and are reduced by the amount of lease
incentives. The lease term includes the non-cancelable period of the lease and options to extend or terminate the lease when it is
reasonably certain the Company will exercise those options. Certain lease agreements include variable lease payments, which
are based on a percent of retail sales over specified levels or adjust periodically for inflation as a result of changes in a
published index, primarily the Consumer Price Index.
The Company has elected to account for lease and non-lease components together as a single lease component in the
measurement of ROU assets and lease liabilities. Variable lease payments are not included in the measurement of ROU assets
and lease liabilities.
For leases with a lease term of 12 months or less, fixed lease payments are recognized on a straight-line basis over such
term and are not recognized on the consolidated balance sheet. See Note 15 for further discussion of the Company's leases.
89
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company has stock-based incentive plans that allow for the issuance of cash or equity-settled awards to certain
employees and non-employee directors. The Company recognizes compensation expense for share-based awards that are
classified as equity based on the grant date fair value of the awards over the requisite service period, adjusted for estimated
forfeitures. The cash-settled awards are classified as liabilities and compensation expense is measured using fair value at the
end of each reporting period until settlement.
The grant date fair value of the Company's stock appreciation right awards is estimated using the Black-Scholes valuation
model. The grant date fair value of the Company's service based restricted stock units ("RSUs") and non-market based
performance RSUs is determined based on the fair value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant, adjusted to
reflect the absence of dividend equivalents during vesting. The grant date fair value of the Company's market based
performance RSUs is estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation valuation model.
Compensation expense for all performance based RSUs is recognized over the requisite service period when attainment of
the performance goal is deemed probable, net of estimated forfeitures. Compensation expense for market based RSUs, net of
estimated forfeitures, is recognized over the requisite service period regardless of whether, and the extent to which, the market
condition is ultimately satisfied. For RSU awards with cliff vesting terms, compensation expense is recognized on a straight-
line basis. For awards granted to retirement-eligible employees, or employees who will become retirement-eligible prior to the
end of the awards' respective stated vesting periods, the related stock-based compensation expense is recognized on an
accelerated basis over a term commensurate with the period that the employee is required to provide service in order to vest in
the award.
Due to the job function of the award recipients, the Company has included stock-based compensation expense in "Selling,
general and administrative expenses" in the consolidated statements of operations.
90
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Self-Insurance
Up to certain limits, the Company self-insures various loss exposures primarily relating to workers' compensation
risk and employee and eligible retiree medical health benefits. The Company carries insurance policies covering claim
exposures which exceed predefined amounts, per occurrence and/or in the aggregate. Accruals for losses are made based on the
Company's claims experience and actuarial assumptions followed in the insurance industry, including provisions for incurred
but not reported losses.
Foreign Currency
The functional currency for most of the Company's foreign operations is the applicable local currency. For those
operations, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. Dollars using period-end exchange rates; income and expenses are
translated at average monthly exchange rates; and equity accounts are translated at historical rates. Net changes resulting from
such translations are recorded as a component of translation adjustments in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" on the
Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Foreign currency transactions are transactions denominated in a currency other than the entity's functional currency. At
each balance sheet date, each entity remeasures the recorded balances related to foreign-currency transactions using the period-
end exchange rate. Unrealized gains or losses arising from the remeasurement of these balances are recorded in "Other income
(expense), net" in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. In addition, at the settlement date of foreign currency
transactions, the realized foreign currency gains or losses are recorded in "Other income (expense), net" in the Company's
consolidated statements of operations to reflect the difference between the rate effective at the settlement date and the historical
rate at which the transaction was originally recorded.
Share Repurchases
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") reinstated its share
repurchase program, which authorizes the repurchase of up to $200 million of the Company's Class A common stock, which
had been previously suspended in the second quarter of fiscal 2020.
During fiscal 2021, 3.4 million shares were repurchased for $88.4 million, plus broker's commissions, in the open market.
This equates to an average repurchase price of approximately $25.78 per share. In fiscal 2020, 3.0 million shares were
repurchased for $56.2 million, plus broker's commissions, in the open market. This equates to an average repurchase price of
approximately $18.73 per share.
The Company accounts for share repurchases by charging the excess of repurchase price over the repurchased Class A
common stock's par value entirely to retained earnings. All repurchased shares are retired and become authorized but unissued
shares. The Company accrues for the shares purchased under the share repurchase plan based on the trade date. The Company
may terminate or limit the share repurchase program at any time.
Subsequent to year end, the Company repurchased 1.8 million shares for $43.6 million, plus broker's commissions, in the
open market. This equates to an average repurchase price of approximately $24.68 per share.
Noncontrolling Interest
In fiscal 2020, the Company completed its all cash tender offer for the acquisition of the remaining 16.4% minority
interest shares of Levi Strauss Japan common stock at a purchase price of ¥1,570 per share for a total purchase price of $13.6
million US dollars, plus transaction costs. As a result, Levi Strauss Japan has become a wholly owned subsidiary. Prior to this
transaction, the noncontrolling interest included a 16.4% minority interest of third parties in Levi Strauss Japan K.K., the
Company's Japanese subsidiary.
91
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Revenue Recognition
Net sales includes sales within the wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. Wholesale channel revenues includes sales
to third-party retailers such as department stores, specialty retailers, third-party e-commerce sites and franchise locations
dedicated to the Company's brands. The Company also sells products directly to consumers, which are reflected in the direct-
to-consumer ("DTC") channel, through a variety of formats, including 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.
Revenue transactions generally comprise of a single performance obligation, which consists of the sale of products to
customers either through wholesale or direct-to-consumer channels. The Company satisfies the performance obligation and
records revenues when transfer of control has passed to the customer, based on the terms of sale. Transfer of control passes to
wholesale customers upon shipment or upon receipt depending on the agreement with the customer. Within the Company's
DTC channel, control generally transfers to the customer at the time of sale within company-operated retail stores and upon
delivery to the customer with respect to e-commerce transactions.
Licensing revenues are included in the Company's wholesale channel and represent approximately 2% of total revenues
which are recognized over time based on the contractual term with variable amounts recognized only when royalties exceed
contractual minimum royalty guarantees.
Payment terms for wholesale transactions depend on the country of sale or agreement with the customer, and payment is
generally required after shipment or receipt by the wholesale customer. Payment is due at the time of sale for retail store and e-
commerce transactions.
Net sales to the Company's ten largest customers for fiscal year 2021, fiscal year 2020, and fiscal year 2019, totaled 32%,
29% and 26% of net revenues for those fiscal years, respectively. No customer represented 10% or more of net revenues in any
of these years.
The Company treats all shipping to the Company's customers, handling and certain other distribution activities as a
fulfillment cost and recognizes these costs as SG&A. Sales and value-added taxes collected from customers and remitted to
governmental authorities are presented on a net basis in the consolidated statements of operations.
Reclassification
Certain amounts on the consolidated statements of cash flow have been conformed to the November 28, 2021
presentation.
92
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
• In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The ASU is
intended to enhance and simplify aspects of the income tax accounting guidance in ASC 740 as part of the FASB's
simplification initiative. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning
after December 15, 2020 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance
may have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
• In March 2020 and January 2021, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform
on Financial Reporting and ASU 2021-01, Reference Rate Reform: Scope, respectively. Together, the ASUs provide
temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the U.S. GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge
accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank
Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. This guidance is effective
beginning on March 12, 2020, and the Company may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December
31, 2022. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance may have on its consolidated financial
statements and related disclosures.
93
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
NOTE 2: INVENTORIES
The following table presents the Company's inventory balances:
(Dollars in thousands)
(Dollars in thousands)
Depreciation expense for the years ended November 28, 2021, November 29, 2020, and November 24, 2019, was $142.1
million, $136.6 million and $123.9 million, respectively.
During fiscal year 2021, the Company recorded $11.0 million in charges primarily related to the impairment of leasehold
improvements and other property and equipment. During fiscal year 2020, the Company recorded $23.6 million in charges
primarily related to the impairment of certain store assets, buildings and leasehold improvements as well as the impairment of
other property and equipment, primarily within capitalized internal-use software in response to the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. An immaterial amount of impairment charges were recognized during fiscal year 2019. The impairment charges are
included in selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.
94
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
NOTE 4: ACQUISITIONS
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of Beyond Yoga®, a body positive, premium
athleisure apparel brand focused on quality, fit and comfort for all shapes and sizes. The acquisition was funded entirely by cash
on hand. The results of operations, financial position and cash flows of Beyond Yoga ® have been included in the Company's
financial statements from the date of acquisition.
The Company accounted for the acquisition following FASB ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, and the related
assets acquired, and liabilities assumed were recorded at fair value on the acquisition date. The aggregate purchase price was
allocated to the major categories of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their respective fair values at the
acquisition date.
The purchase price allocation is preliminary and based upon valuation information available to determine the fair value of
certain assets and liabilities, including goodwill, and is subject to change, primarily for final adjustments to net working capital
as additional information is obtained about the facts and circumstances that existed at the valuation date. The Company expects
to finalize the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed over the one-year measurement period.
The following table summarizes the preliminary estimated fair values of the Beyond Yoga ® assets acquired and liabilities
assumed at the date of acquisition:
September 21,
2021
(Dollars
in thousands)
Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,491
Accounts receivable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,028
Inventory(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,706
Prepaid expenses and other current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Property, plant and equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 760
Operating lease right-of-use assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,877
Goodwill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123,658
Intangible assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245,507
Other non-current assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
Total assets acquired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401,999
(1) Includes $5.9 million of inventory markup above historical carrying value.
The goodwill is attributable to the Company's ability to expand the Beyond Yoga ® brand to more consumers through
direct-to-consumer expansion, including brick-and-mortar retail, gender and category growth, and further development of the
wholesale footprint with premium partners. All of the goodwill will be deductible for tax purposes.
95
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The Company assigned a fair value to and estimated useful lives for intangible assets acquired as part of the Beyond
Yoga® acquisition. The fair value of the separately identifiable intangible assets, and their estimated useful lives as of the
acquisition date were as follows:
Weighted
Average
Estimated
Estimated Useful Life
Fair Value (years)
(Dollars in thousands)
Intangible Assets:
Trademark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 215,969 Indefinite
Customer Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29,538 8.2 years
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 245,507
The Beyond Yoga® trademark, which is estimated to have an indefinite life, has been valued at $216.0 million using the
relief-from-royalty method. The relief-from-royalty method requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including
projected future revenues, a hypothetical royalty rate, the expected economic life of the asset, tax rates and a discount rate that
reflects the level of risk associated with the future earnings attributable to the asset.
The Company has not disclosed pro forma information of the combined business as the transaction is not material to
revenue or net income.
In connection with the acquisition, the Company recognized certain acquisition-related expenses which are expensed as
incurred. These expenses are recognized within SG&A in the Company's consolidated statements of operations and include the
following amounts:
• transaction and integration costs, including fees for advisory and professional services incurred as part of the
acquisition and integration costs subsequent to the acquisition; and
• acquisition-related compensation, including amounts due to sellers that are contingent upon continuing employment.
The following table summarizes the acquisition-related expenses recognized during fiscal year 2021:
November 28,
2021
(Dollars in
thousands)
Acquisition-related expenses:
Transaction and integration costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,835
Acquisition-related compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 962
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,797
The Company will recognize a total expense of $15.0 million for deferred consideration that is due to certain continuing
Beyond Yoga® employees, subject to the continued employment of those individuals through various vesting dates up to three
years from the acquisition date. This acquisition-related compensation is expensed over the vesting periods as service is
provided, and consists of cash payments, which are included within "accrued salaries, wages and employee benefits" within the
Company's consolidated balance sheets until payments are made.
96
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The total fair value of assets acquired was $52.2 million and included goodwill, inventory, intangible and fixed assets.
The goodwill and intangibles recognized as a result of the acquisition were $22.8 million and $9.2 million, respectively. In
addition, based on materiality, pro forma results are not presented.
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance, November 24, 2019 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 207,749 $ 26,535 $ 1,504 $ — $ 235,788
Additions(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,445 207 1,710 — 24,362
Foreign currency fluctuation . . . . . . . . . . . 2,782 1,928 (92) — 4,618
Balance, November 29, 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232,976 28,670 3,122 — 264,768
Additions(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — 1,761 — 123,658 125,419
Foreign currency fluctuation . . . . . . . . . . . (1,597) (1,639) (71) — (3,307)
Balance, November 28, 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 231,379 $ 28,792 $ 3,051 $ 123,658 $ 386,880
(1) Additions to goodwill in fiscal year 2020 relate to business acquisitions, primarily the South American distributor TJC. Refer to Note 4 for more
information.
(2) Additions to Other Brands goodwill in fiscal year 2021 relates to the acquisition of Beyond Yoga®. Refer to Note 4 for more information.
(Dollars in thousands)
Customer relationships and other are amortized over five to eleven years. Amortization expense for the years ended
November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020 was $1.1 million and $5.2 million, respectively. Amortization expense for the
year ended November 24, 2019 is immaterial.
97
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years is as follows:
November 28,
2021
(Dollars in
thousands)
2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4,400
2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,400
2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,400
2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,400
2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,043
Thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,977
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 32,620
The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment assessment for reporting units. The fair values of the reporting
units were estimated using the income approach. The annual assessment concluded that the fair values of the reporting units
were in excess of their respective carrying values.
The Company performed its annual impairment assessment over material indefinite-lived intangible assets. The annual
assessment concluded that the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets were in excess of their respective carrying
values.
98
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Financial assets carried at fair value
Rabbi trust assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 80,188 $ 80,188 $ — $ 71,184 $ 71,184 $ —
Short-term investments in marketable
securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91,550 91,550 96,531 — 96,531
(3)
Derivative instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,512 — 27,512 4,904 — 4,904
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 199,250 $ 80,188 $ 119,062 $ 172,619 $ 71,184 $ 101,435
Financial liabilities carried at fair value
Derivative instruments(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,255 — 13,255 10,735 — 10,735
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 13,255 $ — $ 13,255 $ 10,735 $ — $ 10,735
(1) Fair values estimated using Level 1 inputs are inputs which consist of quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company
has the ability to access at the measurement date. Rabbi trust assets consist of a diversified portfolio of equity, fixed income and other securities. See Note
11 for more information on rabbi trust assets.
(2) Fair values estimated using Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than quoted prices, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly and
include among other things, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are active or inactive as well as inputs other than quoted prices
that are observable. For forward foreign exchange contracts, inputs include foreign currency exchange and interest rates and, where applicable, credit
default swap prices.
(3) The Company's cash flow hedges are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. master agreements. These agreements permit the
net settlement of these contracts on a per-institution basis. Refer to Note 7 for more information.
The following table presents the amortized cost, gross unrealized gains (losses) and fair values of the Company's
available for sale investments:
99
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The following table presents the carrying value, including related accrued interest, and estimated fair value of the
Company's financial instruments that are carried at adjusted historical cost:
(Dollars in thousands)
(1) Fair values are estimated using Level 1 inputs and incorporate mid-market price quotes. Level 1 inputs are inputs which consist of quoted prices in active
markets for identical liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
100
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
As of November 28, 2021, the Company had forward foreign exchange contracts derivatives that were not designated as
hedges in qualifying hedging relationships, of which $952.4 million were contracts to buy and $394.1 million were contracts to
sell various foreign currencies. These contracts are at various exchange rates and expire at various dates through February 2023.
The table below provides data about the carrying values of derivative instruments and non-derivative instruments:
(Dollars in thousands)
Derivatives designated as hedging
instruments
Foreign exchange risk cash flow
hedges(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 24,858 $ — $ 24,858 $ 1,489 $ — $ 1,489
Foreign exchange risk cash flow
hedges(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — (2,030) (2,030) — (5,036) (5,036)
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 24,858 $ (2,030) $ 1,489 $ (5,036)
Derivatives not designated as hedging
instruments
Forward foreign exchange contracts(1) $ 27,512 $ (24,858) $ 2,654 $ 4,902 $ (1,487) $ 3,415
Forward foreign exchange contracts(2) 2,030 (13,255) (11,225) 5,035 (10,734) (5,699)
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 29,542 $ (38,113) $ 9,937 $ (12,221)
Non-derivatives designated as hedging
instruments
Euro senior notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ — $ (532,285) $ — $ (565,820)
(1) Included in "Other current assets" or "Other non-current assets" on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
(2) Included in "Other accrued liabilities" or "Other long-term liabilities" on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
101
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The Company's over-the-counter forward foreign exchange contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives
Association, Inc. master agreements. These agreements permit the net-settlement of these contracts on a per-institution basis;
however, the Company records the fair value on a gross basis on its consolidated balance sheets based on maturity dates,
including those subject to master netting arrangements.
The table below presents the gross and net amounts of these contracts recognized on the Company's consolidated balance
sheets by type of financial instrument:
Gross Gross
Amounts of Amounts of
Assets / Gross Assets / Gross
(Liabilities) Amounts (Liabilities) Amounts
Presented in Not Offset in Net Amounts Presented in Not Offset in Net Amounts
the Balance the Balance of Assets / the Balance the Balance of Assets /
Sheet Sheet (Liabilities) Sheet Sheet (Liabilities)
(Dollars in thousands)
Foreign exchange risk
contracts and forward foreign
exchange contracts
Financial assets . . . . . . . . . . $ 54,400 $ (10,152) $ 44,248 $ 11,426 $ (6,578) $ 4,848
Financial liabilities . . . . . . . . (40,143) 10,152 (29,991) (17,257) 6,578 (10,679)
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 14,257 $ (5,831)
The table below provides data about the amount of gains and losses related to derivative instruments and non-derivative
instruments designated as cash flow and net investment hedges included in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" ("AOCI")
on the Company's consolidated balance sheets, and in "Other income (expense), net" in the Company's consolidated statements
of operations:
(Dollars in thousands)
(1) Amounts reclassified from AOCI were classified as net revenues or costs of goods sold on the consolidated statements of operations.
(2) Prior to and during 2005, the Company used foreign exchange currency swaps to hedge the net investment in its foreign operations. For hedges that
qualified for hedge accounting, the net gains were included in AOCI and are not reclassified to earnings until the related net investment position has been
liquidated.
There was no hedge ineffectiveness for the year ended November 28, 2021. Within the next 12 months, $16.4 million of
gains from cash flow hedges are expected to be reclassified from AOCI into net income (loss).
102
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The table below presents the effects of the Company's cash flow hedges of foreign exchange risk contracts on the
Consolidated statements of operations for the year ended November 28, 2021:
Year ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Amount of (Loss) Gain on Cash Flow Hedge Activity:
Net revenues .......................................................................................................... $ (4,323) $ 1,814 $ (3,908)
Cost of goods sold……………………………………………………………… (14,954) 11,368 7,326
The table below provides data about the amount of gains and losses related to derivative instruments included in "Other
income (expense), net" in the Company's consolidated statements of operations:
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
(1) The realized loss in fiscal year 2021 is primarily driven by losses on contracts to buy various currencies, mainly the Euro, and losses on contracts to sell
various currencies, in particular the British Pound, Canadian Dollar and Mexican Peso a result of the U.S. Dollar strengthening throughout the year
against original contract rates. The realized gain in fiscal year 2020 is primarily driven by gains on contracts to buy various currencies, mainly the Euro,
as a result of the U.S. Dollar weakening throughout the year against original contract rates. The realized gain in fiscal year 2019 is driven by gains on
contracts to sell various currencies, mainly the Euro, as a result of the U.S. Dollar strengthening throughout the year against lower original contract rates.
(2) The unrealized loss in fiscal year 2021 is primarily driven by losses on contracts to sell various foreign currencies, mainly the Euro, Mexican Peso and
Japanese Yen, as a result of the U.S. Dollar strengthening against the original contract rates at year end. The unrealized loss in fiscal year 2020 is
primarily driven by losses on contracts to sell various foreign currencies, mainly the Euro, as a result of the U.S. Dollar weakening against the original
contract rates at year end. The unrealized loss in fiscal year 2019 is driven by losses on contracts to sell various foreign currencies, mainly the Euro, as a
result of the U.S. Dollar weakening against the original contract rates at year end.
103
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
NOTE 9: DEBT
The following table presents the Company's debt:
(Dollars in thousands)
Long-term debt
5.00% senior notes due 2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ — $ 986,252
3.375% senior notes due 2027 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527,644 560,448
3.50% senior notes due 2031 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493,056 —
Total long-term debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,020,700 $ 1,546,700
Sh ort-term debt
Short-term borrowings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,862 17,631
Total debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,026,562 $ 1,564,331
104
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The Company's unused availability under its Credit Facility was $794.3 million at November 28, 2021, as the Company's
total availability of $806.6 million, based on the collateral levels discussed above, was reduced by $9.7 million of stand-by
letters of credit and by $2.6 million of other credit-related instruments. The Company has stand-by letters of credit with various
international banks under the Company's credit facility serving as guarantees to cover U.S. workers' compensation claims and
working capital requirements for certain subsidiaries, primarily in India.
The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement also provides that the Company may increase the availability under
the Company's credit facility up to the greater of (i) $1.6 billion in the aggregate and (ii) an amount that would not cause the
Company's secured leverage ratio (as defined in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement) to exceed 3.25 to 1.00,
in each case if certain conditions are met.
Guarantees and security. The Company's obligations under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are
guaranteed by its domestic subsidiaries. The obligations under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement are secured
by specified domestic assets, including certain U.S. trademarks associated with the Levi's ® brand and accounts receivable,
goods and inventory in the United States. Additionally, the obligations of Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc. under the credit
agreement are secured by Canadian accounts receivable, goods, inventory and other Canadian assets. The lien on the U.S.
Levi's® trademarks and related intellectual property may be released at the Company's discretion subject to certain conditions,
and such release would reduce the borrowing base.
Covenants. The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement contains customary covenants restricting the
Company's activities, as well as those of the Company's subsidiaries, including limitations on the ability to sell assets, engage in
mergers, or other fundamental changes, enter into capital leases or certain leases not in the ordinary course of business, enter
into transactions involving related parties or derivatives, incur or prepay indebtedness, grant liens or negative pledges on the
Company's assets, make loans or other investments, pay dividends or repurchase stock or other securities, guarantee third-party
obligations, engage in sale leasebacks and make changes in the Company's corporate structure. There are exceptions to these
covenants, and some are only applicable when unused availability falls below specified thresholds. In addition, the Second
Amended and Restated Credit Agreement includes, as a financial covenant, a springing fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.0 to
1.0, which arises when availability falls below a specified threshold. As of November 28, 2021, the Company was in
compliance with these covenants.
Events of default. The Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including
payment failures, breaches of representations and warranties, failure to comply with covenants, failure to satisfy other
obligations under the credit agreements or related documents, defaults in respect of other indebtedness, bankruptcy, insolvency
and inability to pay debts when due, material judgments, pension plan terminations or specified underfunding, substantial stock
ownership changes, failure of certain provisions of any guarantee or security document supporting the Company's credit facility
to be in full force and effect, change of control and specified changes in the composition of the Board. The cross-default
provisions in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement apply if a default occurs on other indebtedness of the
Company or the guarantors in excess of $50.0 million and the applicable grace period in respect of the indebtedness has
expired, such that the lenders of or trustee for the defaulted indebtedness have the right to accelerate. If an event of default
occurs under the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, subject to any applicable grace period, the lenders may
terminate their commitments, declare immediately payable all borrowings under the credit facility and foreclose on the
collateral.
105
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
remaining Senior Notes due 2025 and recorded a net loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $6.2 million, which included
$3.3 million of call premium on the retired debt.
106
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
in arrears on March 1 and September 1, commencing on September 1, 2021. Costs of associated with the issuance of the notes,
representing underwriting fees and other expenses, were capitalized and will be amortized to interest expense over the term of
the notes.
Ranking. The Senior Notes due 2031 are not guaranteed by any of the Company's subsidiaries and are unsecured
obligations. Accordingly, they:
• rank equal in right of payment with all of the Company's other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated debt;
• rank senior in right of payment to the Company's future debt and other obligations that are, by their terms, expressly
subordinated in right of payment to the Senior Notes due 2031;
• are effectively subordinated in right of payment to all of the Company's existing and future senior secured debt and
other obligations (including the credit facility) to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such debt; and
• are structurally subordinated to all obligations of each of the Company's subsidiaries.
Optional redemption. The Company may redeem some up to 40% of the original aggregate principal amount of the Senior
Notes due 2031 prior to March 1, 2026, at a price equal to 103.5% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if
any, to the date of redemption, and a "make-whole" premium. On or after March 1, 2026, the Company may redeem some or all
of the Senior Notes due 2031, at once or over time, at redemption prices specified in the indenture governing the Senior Notes
due 2031, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption.
Mandatory redemption, Offer to Purchase and Open Market Purchases. The Company is not required to make any
sinking fund payments with respect to the Senior Notes due 2031. However, under certain circumstances in the event of an asset
sale or as described under "Change of Control" below, the Company may be required to offer to purchase the Senior Notes due
2031. The Company may from time to time purchase the Senior Notes due 2031 in the open market or otherwise.
Covenants. The indenture contains covenants that limit, among other things, the Company's and certain of the
Company's subsidiaries' ability to incur liens, other than permitted liens, the Company's subsidiaries ability to incur additional
debt, and the Company's ability to merge or consolidate with another person, and sell, assign, transfer, lease convey or
otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Company's assets or the assets or its subsidiaries. The indenture provides for
customary events of default (subject in certain cases to customary grace and cure periods), which include payment failures,
failure to comply with covenants, failure to satisfy other obligations under the agreement or related documents, defaults in
respect of other indebtedness, bankruptcy, insolvency and ability to pay debts when due, material judgments, pension plan
terminations or specified underfunding, and substantial stock ownership changes. Generally, if an event of default occurs, the
trustee under the indenture or holders of the Senior Notes due 2031 may declare all the Senior Notes due 2031 to be due and
payable immediately. Upon the occurrence of a change in control (as defined in the indenture), each holder of notes may require
the Company to repurchase all or a portion of the notes in cash at a price equal to 101% of the principal amount of notes to be
repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, thereon to the date of purchase. As of November 28, 2021, the Company
was in compliance with these covenants.
Change of control. Upon the occurrence of a change in control triggering event (as defined in the 2031 indenture), unless
the Company has exercised its right, if any, to redeem the Notes in full, each holder of the Senior Notes due 2031 may require
the Company to repurchase all or a portion of the Senior Notes due 2031 in cash at a price equal to 101% of the principal
amount of the Senior Notes due 2031 to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.
Short-term Borrowings
Short-term borrowings consist of term loans and revolving credit facilities at various foreign subsidiaries that the
Company expects to either pay over the next 12 months or refinance at the end of their applicable terms. Certain of these
borrowings are guaranteed by stand-by letters of credit issued under the Company's amended and restated senior secured
revolving credit facility.
107
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,862
2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —
2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —
2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . —
2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,032,285
Total future debt principal payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,038,147
108
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The following tables summarize activity of the Company's defined benefit pension plans and postretirement benefit plans:
(1) Fiscal year 2021 actuarial gains compared to 2020 actuarial losses in the Company's pension benefit plans resulted from changes in discount rate
assumptions.
(2) There were no settlement events in fiscal 2021. The increase in pension plan settlements in fiscal year 2020 was primarily due to a voluntary lump-sum,
cash-out program offered to vested, terminated U.S. pension plan participants in the last half of the fiscal year 2020. The extent of the funding from the
cash-out program exceeded the settlement accounting threshold, and as such in fiscal year 2020, these activities have been categorized as settlements.
Pension plan assets were utilized to settle pension obligations for deferred participants that elected to participate in the program.
109
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Amounts recognized in the Company's consolidated balance sheets as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020,
consist of the following:
(1) Included in "Other non-current assets" on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
(2) Included in "Accrued salaries, wages and employee benefits" or "Other long-term liabilities" on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit plans was $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion at November 28, 2021
and November 29, 2020, respectively. Information for the Company's defined benefit plans with an accumulated or projected
benefit obligation in excess of plan assets is as follows:
Pension Benefits
2021 2020
(Dollars in thousands)
Accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets:
Aggregate accumulated benefit obligation…………………………………………………. $ 158,815 $ 168,390
110
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The components of the Company's net periodic benefit cost were as follows:
Pension Benefits Postretirement Benefits
2021 2020 2019 2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Net periodic benefit (income) cost:
Service cost……………………………. $ 4,398 $ 4,026 $ 3,377 $ 21 $ 48 $ 65
Interest cost……………………………. 19,349 30,643 41,341 829 1,665 3,042
Expected return on plan assets………… (36,635) (41,189) (42,098) — — —
Amortization of prior service benefit…. (65) (62) (61) — — —
Amortization of actuarial loss…………. 10,428 13,407 13,306 476 324 465
Curtailment loss (gain)………………… 37 (650) 13 — — —
Net settlement loss (gain)……………… 29 14,699 (56) — — —
Net periodic benefit (income) cost…. (2,459) 20,874 15,822 1,326 2,037 3,572
Changes in accumulated other
comprehensive loss:
Actuarial (gain) loss…………………… (21,132) (34,821) 6,309 (3,059) 1,531 (2,903)
Amortization of prior service benefit…. 65 62 61 — — —
Amortization of actuarial loss…………. (10,428) (13,407) (13,306) (476) (324) (465)
Curtailment gain………………………. — 742 — — — —
Net settlement (loss) gain……………… (29) (14,699) 56 — — —
Total recognized in accumulated
other comprehensive loss………… (31,524) (62,123) (6,880) (3,535) 1,207 (3,368)
Total recognized in net periodic
benefit cost and accumulated other
comprehensive loss………………. $ (33,983) $ (41,249) $ 8,942 $ (2,209) $ 3,244 $ 204
Assumptions used in accounting for the Company's benefit plans were as follows:
111
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
For the Company's benefit plans, the discount rate used to determine the present value of the future pension and
postretirement plan obligations was based on a yield curve constructed from a portfolio of high quality corporate bonds with
various maturities. Each year's expected future benefit payments are discounted to their present value at the appropriate yield
curve rate, thereby generating the overall discount rate. The Company utilized a variety of country-specific third-party bond
indices to determine the appropriate discount rates to use for the benefit plans of its foreign subsidiaries.
The Company bases the overall expected long-term rate of return on assets on anticipated long-term returns of individual
asset classes and each pension plans' target asset allocation strategy based on current economic conditions. For the U.S. pension
plan, the expected long-term returns for each asset class are determined through a mean-variance model to estimate 20-year
returns for the plan.
Health care cost trend rate assumptions are not a significant input in the calculation of the amounts reported for the
Company's postretirement benefits plans. A one percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates would have no
significant effect on the total service and interest cost components or on the postretirement benefit obligation.
Consolidated pension plan assets relate primarily to the U.S. pension plan. The Company utilizes the services of
independent third-party investment managers to oversee the management of U.S. pension plan assets.
The Company's investment strategy is to invest plan assets in a diversified portfolio of domestic and international equity
securities, fixed income securities and real estate and other alternative investments with the objective to provide a regular and
reliable source of assets to meet the benefit obligation of the pension plans. Prohibited investments for the U.S. pension plan
include certain privately placed or other non-marketable debt instruments, letter stock, commodities or commodity contracts
and derivatives of mortgage-backed securities, such as interest-only, principal-only or inverse floaters. The current target
allocation percentages for the Company's U.S. pension plan assets are 15% for equity securities and real estate with an
allowable deviation of plus or minus 4% and 85% for fixed income securities with an allowable deviation of plus or minus 4%.
The fair value of the Company's pension plan assets by asset class are as follows:
112
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
(1) Primarily comprised of equity index funds that track various market indices.
(2) Predominantly includes bond index funds that invest in long-term U.S. government and investment grade corporate bonds.
(3) Primarily comprised of investments in U.S. Real Estate Investment Trusts.
(4) Represents holdings in a diversified portfolio of private equity funds and direct investments in companies located primarily in North America. Fair values
are determined by investment fund managers using primarily unobservable market data.
(5) Primarily invested in a diversified portfolio of equities, bonds, alternatives and cash with a low tolerance for capital loss.
(6) Primarily relates to accounts held and managed by a third-party insurance company for employee-participants in Belgium. Fair values are based on
accumulated plan contributions plus a contractually-guaranteed return plus a share of any incremental investment fund profits.
The fair value of plan assets are composed of U.S. plan assets of $909.4 million and non-U.S. plan assets of $219.7
million. The fair values of the substantial majority of the equity, fixed income and real estate investments are based on the net
asset value of commingled trust funds that passively track various market indices.
The Company's estimated future benefit payments to participants, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate
are anticipated to be paid as follows:
Pension Postretirement
Benefits Benefits Total
(Dollars in thousands)
At November 28, 2021, the Company's contributions to its pension plans for fiscal year 2022 are estimated to be
$12.2 million.
113
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
114
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
115
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Equity Awards
SARs. The Company grants SARs, which include service or performance conditions, to a small group of the Company's
senior executives and to select levels of the Company's management. SARs with service conditions ("Service SARs") vest from
three-and-a-half to four years, and have maximum contractual lives of ten years. SARs with performance conditions
("Performance SARs") were granted prior to fiscal 2017 and were fully vested prior to fiscal year 2020. SARs activity during
the year ended November 28, 2021 was as follows:
The aggregate intrinsic values are calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying SARs and the
fair value of the Company's common stock that were in-the-money at that date.
116
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The weighted-average grant date fair value of SARs was estimated using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. The
weighted-average grant date fair values and corresponding weighted-average assumptions used in the Black-Scholes option
valuation model were as follows:
Weighted-average assumptions:
Expected life (in years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1 7.0 5.0
Expected volatility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49.3 % 36.6 % 37.5 %
Risk-free interest rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 % 1.4 % 2.5 %
Expected dividend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 % 1.6 % 2.0 %
RSUs. The Company grants RSUs, which include service or performance conditions, to a small group of the Company's
senior executives and to select levels of the Company's management. RSUs with service conditions ("Service RSUs") granted
vest in four annual equal installments of 25% beginning on the first anniversary of the date granted subject to continued
employment. RSUs with performance conditions ("Performance RSUs") vest at varying unit amounts, up to 200% of those
awarded, based on the attainment of certain three-year cumulative performance goals over a three-year performance period
subject to continued employment. Service and Performance RSU activity during the year ended November 28, 2021 was as
follows:
(Units in thousands)
Outstanding at November 29, 2020 . . . . . . . 4,346 $ 16.71 2.2 3,163 $ 18.11 1.0
Granted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,790 21.78 840 27.33
Vested . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (1,689) 16.03 (1,336) 15.98
Performance adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — (43) 16.03
Forfeited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (352) 18.74 (189) 25.11
Outstanding at November 28, 2021 . . . . . . . 4,095 $ 19.02 2.4 2,435 $ 24.81 1.5
The total fair value of Service RSU awards vested during 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $35.5 million, $88.6 million and $1.6
million, respectively. The total fair value of Performance RSU awards vested during 2021 and 2020 was $28.4 million and
$49.0 million, respectively. Unrecognized future compensation cost as of November 28, 2021 of $42.1 million for Service
RSUs and $16.2 million for Performance RSUs is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.4 and 1.5,
respectively.
117
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The grant date fair value of Service and Performance RSUs was based on the fair value of the Company's common stock
at the time of grant, unless the awards were subject to market conditions, in which case the Monte Carlo simulation model was
utilized. During 2021, 2020 and 2019, the weighted-average grant date fair value for Service and Performance RSUs granted
without a market condition were $21.78, $18.80 and $15.56, respectively. The weighted-average grant date fair value and
corresponding weighted-average assumptions used in the Monte Carlo valuation models were as follows:
Weighted-average assumptions:
Expected life (in years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8 2.8 2.8
Expected volatility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.3 % 37.6 % 37.5 %
Risk-free interest rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.2 % 1.4 % 2.3 %
Expected dividend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 % 1.5 % 1.9 %
(1) The weighted-average information is presented for awards granted during 2019 without including replacement awards granted in connection with the IPO
in March 2019, where the Company's Board of Directors approved the cancellation of the majority of the outstanding unvested cash-settled RSUs and
their concurrent replacement with similar stock-settled RSUs. Refer to Note 1 for more information. The weighted-average grant date fair value for the
Performance RSUs granted as replacement awards is $28.78 and the weighted-average assumptions include an expected life of 1.5 years, an expected
volatility of 36.3%, a risk-free interest rate of 2.5% and an expected dividend of 1.7%.
RSUs to the Board of Directors. The Company grants RSUs to certain members of its Board ("Board RSUs"). The total
fair value of Board RSUs granted during the year ended November 28, 2021 of $2.0 million was estimated using the fair value
of the Company's common stock. The total fair value of RSUs outstanding, vested and expected to vest was $12.7 million and
$9.9 million as of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, respectively.
Board RSUs vest in a series of three equal installments at 13 months, 24 months and 36 months following the date of
grant subject to continued service. However, if the recipient's continuous service terminates for a reason other than cause after
the first vesting installment, but prior to full vesting, then the remaining unvested portion of the award becomes fully vested as
of the date of such termination.
Liability Awards
In connection with the IPO, on March 19, 2019 the Company's Board of Directors approved the cancellation of the
majority of the outstanding unvested cash-settled restricted stock units ("RSU's") and their concurrent replacement with similar
stock-settled RSUs ("Replacement Awards"), pursuant to the Company's 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2016 Plan"). RSUs
for certain foreign affiliates will continue to be cash-settled. Upon vesting of a phantom restricted stock unit, the participant will
receive a cash payout in an amount equal to the vested units multiplied by the fair value of the Company's common stock at the
end of the service or performance period.
Phantom restricted stock units with service conditions ("Phantom Service RSUs") granted vest in four annual equal
installments of 25% beginning on the first anniversary of the date granted subject to continued employment. Phantom restricted
stock units with performance conditions ("Phantom Performance RSUs") vest at varying unit amounts, up to 200% of those
awarded, based on attainment of certain three-year cumulative performance goals and subject to continued employment.
118
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The total fair value of Phantom Service RSUs and Phantom Performance RSUs granted during the year ended
November 28, 2021 was $4.8 million and $0.5 million, respectively, at the grant date. The total fair value of Phantom Service
RSUs vested during 2021, 2020 and 2019 was $2.2 million, $6.3 million and $52.9 million, respectively. The total fair value of
Phantom Performance RSUs vested during 2021 and 2020 was $0.6 million and $0.3 million, respectively. The weighted-
average fair value of Phantom Service RSUs at the grant date was estimated based on the fair value of the Company's common
stock. The Company accrued $5.4 million for Phantom Service RSUs and Phantom Performance RSUs as of November 28,
2021.
Unrecognized future compensation cost as of November 28, 2021 of $5.8 million for Phantom Service RSUs and $0.5
million for Phantom Performance RSUs are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.5 and 1.3,
respectively.
(1) Excludes $2.6 million of pension and postretirement curtailment losses recorded in AOCI during the year ended November 28, 2021.
119
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
(1) Excludes $3.7 million of pension and postretirement curtailment losses recorded in AOCI during the year ended November 29, 2020.
120
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Inventory Purchase Commitments. The Company also has minimum inventory purchase commitments, including fabric
commitments, with suppliers that secure a portion of material needs for future seasons. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and
in response to decreased demand, some of the Company's orders were canceled and incremental liabilities for the estimated
adverse purchase commitments were recorded beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2020. As of November 28, 2021, an
immaterial amount of adverse purchase commitments, which primarily relate to fabric liabilities as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, were included in "Other accrued liabilities" in the Company's accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
November 28,
2021
(Dollars in
thousands)
2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 262,688
2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233,169
2024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194,119
2025 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,999
2026 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120,861
Thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326,225
Total undiscounted future cash flows related to lease payments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,292,061
Less: Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77,210
Present value of lease liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,214,851
121
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The following table includes the weighted average remaining lease terms, in years, and the weighted average discount
rate used to calculate the present value of operating lease liabilities:
November 28, November 29,
2021 2020
Weighted-average remaining lease term (years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.5 5.8
Weighted-average discount rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.00 % 2.16 %
The table below includes supplemental cash and non-cash information related to operating leases:
(1) November 29, 2020 amount excludes the amount initially capitalized in conjunction with the adoption of Topic 842.
122
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
123
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Noncontrolling
Levi Strauss & Co. Interest(1)
Translation Adjustments
Unrealized
Pension and Foreign Gain (Loss) on Foreign
Postretirement Derivative Currency Marketable Currency
Benefits Instruments Translation Securities Total Translation Totals
(Dollars in thousands)
Accumulated other
comprehensive (loss) income
at November 25, 2018 . . . . . . . $ (229,023) $ (39,887) $ (158,622) $ 2,948 $ (424,584) $ 9,304 $ (415,280)
Gross changes . . . . . . . . . . . 10,248 19,026 (7,562) 4,362 26,074 312 26,386
Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2,084) (4,097) 727 (1,022) (6,476) — (6,476)
Other comprehensive income
(loss), net of tax . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,164 14,929 (6,835) 3,340 19,598 312 19,910
Accumulated other
comprehensive (loss) income
at November 24, 2019 . . . . . . . (220,859) (24,958) (165,457) 6,288 (404,986) 9,616 (395,370)
Gross changes . . . . . . . . . . . 60,915 (55,242) 10,493 9,758 25,924 (9,616) 16,308
Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (15,088) 13,747 (3,677) (2,922) (7,940) — (7,940)
Cumulative effect of
adoption of new accounting
standards (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . (47,313) (8,003) — 872 (54,444) — (54,444)
Other comprehensive income
(loss), net of tax . . . . . . . . . . . . (1,486) (49,498) 6,816 7,708 (36,460) (9,616) (46,076)
Accumulated other
comprehensive (loss) income
at November 29, 2020 . . . . . . . (222,345) (74,456) (158,641) 13,996 (441,446) — (441,446)
Gross changes . . . . . . . . . . . 35,059 69,735 (51,016) 5,662 59,440 — 59,440
Tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8,195) (16,193) 12,894 (887) (12,381) — (12,381)
Other comprehensive (loss)
income, net of tax . . . . . . . . . . 26,864 53,542 (38,122) 4,775 47,059 — 47,059
Accumulated other
comprehensive (loss) income
at November 28, 2021 . . . . . . . $ (195,481) $ (20,914) $ (196,763) $ 18,771 $ (394,387) $ — $ (394,387)
(1) On January 9, 2020, Company completed an all cash tender offer for the acquisition of the remaining minority interest shares of Levi Strauss Japan K.K.
Refer to Note 1 for additional information.
(2) Impact relates to the adoption of ASU 2018-02 Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220).
No material amounts were reclassified out of "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" into net income (loss) other than
those that pertain to the Company's derivative instruments and pension and post retirement benefit plans. For additional
information, see Note 7 and Note 10, respectively.
124
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Disaggregated Revenue
The table below provides the Company's revenues disaggregated by segment and channel.
(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues by channel:
Wholesale ................................................................ $ 2,061,330 $ 1,003,844 $ 389,327 $ 206,901 $ 3,661,402
Direct-to-consumer………………………………. 873,496 700,174 445,322 83,542 2,102,534
Total net revenues… .............................................. $ 2,934,826 $ 1,704,018 $ 834,649 $ 290,443 $ 5,763,936
(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues by channel:
Wholesale ................................................................. $ 1,500,043 $ 776,947 $ 291,880 $ 154,435 $ 2,723,305
Direct-to-consumer………………………………. 687,856 614,817 371,511 55,120 1,729,304
Total net revenues… ............................................... $ 2,187,899 $ 1,391,764 $ 663,391 $ 209,555 $ 4,452,609
(1) For the year ended November 29, 2020, net revenues from both channels were adversely impacted by temporary store closures and reduced traffic and
consumer demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of the impact occurring in the second quarter when most company-operated
and wholesale customer doors were temporarily closed. See Note 1 for more information.
(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues by channel:
Wholesale ................................................................. $ 1,917,249 $ 958,633 $ 492,334 $ 292,303 $ 3,660,519
Direct-to-consumer………………………………. 853,834 748,836 433,786 66,112 2,102,568
Total net revenues… ............................................... $ 2,771,083 $ 1,707,469 $ 926,120 $ 358,415 $ 5,763,087
At November 28, 2021, the Company did not have any material contract assets and or contract liabilities recorded in the
consolidated balance sheets.
125
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
(1)
Foreign exchange management (losses) gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ (14,801) $ 2,299 $ 126
Foreign currency transaction gains (losses)(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,859 (18,057) (6,231)
Interest income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,542 8,390 17,190
Investment income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,499 1,243 1,509
Pension settlement losses(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — (14,737) —
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,353 (1,612) (10,577)
Total other income (expense), net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,452 $ (22,474) $ 2,017
(1) Gains and losses on forward foreign exchange contracts primarily result from currency fluctuations relative to negotiated contract rates. Losses in fiscal
year 2021 were primarily due to unfavorable currency fluctuations relative to negotiated contract rates on positions to sell the Euro and the Canadian
Dollar.
(2) Foreign currency transaction gains and losses reflect the impact of foreign currency fluctuation on the Company's foreign currency denominated balances.
Losses in fiscal year 2020 were primarily due to the U.S. dollar weakening against most currencies during the year.
(3) Pension settlement losses relate to the voluntary lump-sum, cash-out program offered to vested deferred U.S. pension plan participants. See Note 10 for
further information.
126
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Income tax expense at U.S. federal statutory rate . . $ 121,851 21.0 % $ (39,855) 21.0 % $ 100,293 21.0 %
State income taxes, net of U.S. federal impact . . . . 9,012 1.6 % (5,246) 2.8 % 4,496 1.0 %
Change in valuation allowance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,573 0.4 % 18,271 (9.6)% (81) —%
(1)
Impact of foreign operations, net (3,650) (0.6)% (8,868) 4.7 % 7,132 1.5 %
Foreign-derived intangible income benefit ("FDII") (65,955) (11.4)% — —% (11,918) (2.5)%
Reassessment of tax liabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (768) (0.1)% (1,531) 0.7 % (6,480) (1.4)%
Stock-based compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (36,871) (6.4)% (22,332) 11.8 % (15,730) (3.3)%
Other, including non-deductible expenses . . . . . . . . 507 0.1 % 1,547 (0.8)% 4,892 1.0 %
Change in tax law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — —% (4,628) 2.4 % — —%
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 26,699 4.6 % $ (62,642) 33.0 % $ 82,604 17.3 %
(1) Included in the Impact of foreign operations, net are foreign rate differential, Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") and the tax impact of actual
and deemed repatriations of foreign earnings net of foreign tax credits. Fiscal year 2021 also included $15.2 million of net tax benefits related to an
international intellectual property transaction.
Impact of foreign operations. The tax benefit in fiscal year 2021 decreased as compared to fiscal year 2020 primarily due
to a mix of lower foreign earnings and the U.S. tax cost from GILTI.
Change in valuation allowance. The $2.6 million tax charge in fiscal year 2021 is primarily due to net operating losses
generated in 2021 for which management concluded that it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized.
Foreign-derived intangible income benefit. The $66.0 million tax benefit is a result of earnings from the actual and
deemed royalty income eligible for FDII deduction in 2021.
Change in tax law. The $4.6 million tax benefit in fiscal year 2020 is comprised of a $38.5 million benefit for carrying
back fiscal year 2020 U.S. losses to prior years at a higher tax rate, partially offset by a $27.6 million write off of previously
used foreign tax credits that will expire un-utilized because of the aforementioned carryback. In addition, $6.3 million of
foreign tax credits expired in 2020 due to the fiscal year 2020 U.S. loss.
127
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The U.S. and foreign components of income before income taxes were as follows:
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Domestic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 197,460 $ (197,718) $ 120,692
Foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382,780 7,935 356,892
Total income before income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 580,240 $ (189,783) $ 477,584
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
U.S. Federal
Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 12,885 $ 8,396 $ 13,182
Deferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (25,454) (79,676) (22,319)
$ (12,569) $ (71,280) $ (9,137)
U.S. State
Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 7,845 $ 978 $ (2,939)
Deferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,167 (6,435) 1,002
$ 9,012 $ (5,457) $ (1,937)
Foreign
Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 93,914 $ 23,228 $ 87,324
Deferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (63,658) (9,133) 6,354
$ 30,256 $ 14,095 $ 93,678
Consolidated
Current . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 114,644 $ 32,602 $ 97,567
Deferred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (87,945) (95,244) (14,963)
Total income tax expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 26,699 $ (62,642) $ 82,604
128
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Foreign tax credit carryforwards. The foreign tax credit carryforwards at November 28, 2021, are subject to expiration
through 2030 if not utilized.
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards. As of November 28, 2021, the Company had a deferred tax asset of $53.3
million for foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $212.0 million. Of these operating losses, $97.3 million are subject to
expiration through 2031. The remaining $115.5 million are available as indefinite carryforwards under applicable tax law.
129
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Valuation Allowance. The following table details the changes in valuation allowance during the year ended
November 28, 2021:
(Dollars in thousands)
Foreign tax credit and U.S. state net operating loss
carryforwards .......................................................................... $ 8,048 $ 1,201 $ — $ 9,249
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards and other foreign
deferred tax assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,495 3,654 2,573 36,722
$ 38,543 $ 4,855 $ 2,573 $ 45,971
At November 28, 2021, the Company's valuation allowance primarily related to its gross deferred tax assets for state and
foreign net operating loss carryforwards which reduced such assets to the amount that will more likely than not be realized.
Unremitted earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries. The Company historically provided for U.S. income taxes on the
undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries unless they were considered indefinitely reinvested outside the United States. The
Company reevaluated its 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, as well as most of the additional
undistributed earnings generated through November 2021, are no longer considered to be indefinitely reinvested. The deferred
tax liability related to foreign and state tax costs associated with the future remittance of these undistributed earnings of foreign
subsidiaries was $7.8 million.
The Company evaluates all domestic and foreign audit issues and believes that it is reasonably possible that total gross
unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by as much as $0.2 million within the next twelve months.
As of November 28, 2021 and November 29, 2020, accrued interest and penalties primarily relating to non-U.S.
jurisdictions were $1.8 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
130
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
The Company files income tax returns in the United States and in various foreign (including Belgium, Hong Kong, India,
Mexico and Russia), state and local jurisdictions. With few exceptions, examinations have been completed by tax authorities or
the statute of limitations has expired for United States federal, foreign, state and local income tax returns filed by the Company
for years through 2008.
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Numerator:
Net income (loss) attributable to Levi Strauss & Co………………………. $ 553,541 $ (127,141) $ 394,612
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic….…………………. 401,634,760 397,315,117 389,082,277
Dilutive effect of stock awards……………………………………………... 8,143,409 — 19,283,625
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - diluted…….…………….. 409,778,169 397,315,117 408,365,902
Earnings (loss) per common share attributable to common stockholders:
Basic………………………………………………………………………... $ 1.38 $ (0.32) $ 1.01
Diluted……………………………………………………………………… $ 1.35 $ (0.32) $ 0.97
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from calculation of diluted earnings per
share attributable to common stockholders……………………………………. 12,973 — 174,923
Diluted net earnings (loss) per common share attributable to Levi Strauss & Co. for the year ended November 29, 2020
excluded all potentially dilutive securities because there was a net loss for the period and, as such, the inclusion of these
securities would have been anti-dilutive. Potentially dilutive securities excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings (loss)
per common share were 23.2 million shares for the year ended November 29, 2020.
131
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
132
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020(1) 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues:
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,934,826 $ 2,187,899 $ 2,771,083
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,704,018 1,391,764 1,707,469
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 834,649 663,391 926,120
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290,443 209,555 358,415
Total net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763,936 $ 4,452,609 $ 5,763,087
O perating income (loss):
Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 660,230 $ 318,738 $ 519,686
Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396,386 207,866 350,067
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,097 (21,392) 87,490
Other Brands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,431 (3,338) 7,172
Restructuring charges, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (8,287) (90,415) —
Corporate expenses(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (407,646) (496,578) (397,740)
Total operating income (loss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686,211 (85,119) 566,675
Interest expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (72,902) (82,190) (66,248)
Underwriter commission paid on behalf of selling stockholders . . . . . . . . . . — — (24,860)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (36,521) — —
Other income (expense), net(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,452 (22,474) 2,017
Income (loss) before income taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 580,240 $ (189,783) $ 477,584
(1) For the year ended November 29, 2020, the Company's business and results of operations were impacted by temporary store closures and reduced traffic
and consumer demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the majority of the impact occurring in the second quarter as most company-operated
and wholesale customer doors were temporarily closed. Refer to Note 1 for more information.
(2) Corporate expenses for the year ended November 29, 2020 includes incremental COVID-19 related charges that management does not attribute to any of
the operating segments in order to provide increased transparency and comparability of segment performance. These charges include $42.3 million of
incremental inventory reserves of which $26.3 million, $9.1 million and $6.9 million were related to the Americas, Europe and Asia segments,
respectively, and charges for adverse fabric purchase commitments of $1.2 million related to the Asia segment. Net charges related to incremental
allowance for doubtful accounts of $5.2 million were recognized, of which $5.0 million and $0.2 million were related to the Americas and Europe
segments, respectively. Additionally, the Company recognized $58.7 million in impairment of long-lived assets related to certain retail locations, of which
$50.0 million, $6.3 million and $2.4 million, were related to the Americas, Europe and Asia segments, respectively. Refer to Note 1 for additional
information.
(3) Includes $14.7 million in pension settlement losses in fiscal year 2020 related to the voluntary lump-sum, cash-out program offered to vested deferred
U.S. pension plan participants. See Note 10 for further information.
133
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 429,527 $ 175,732 $ 154,864 $ 137,827 $ 897,950
All other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — — 5,002,119 5,002,119
Total assets $5,900,069
(Dollars in thousands)
Assets:
Inventories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 352,648 $ 165,516 $ 162,244 $ 137,284 $ 817,692
All other assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . — — — 4,823,549 4,823,549
Total assets $5,641,241
134
LEVI STRAUSS & CO. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (continued)
FOR THE YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 28, 2021, NOVEMBER 29, 2020 AND NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Year Ended
November 28, November 29, November 24,
2021 2020 2019
(Dollars in thousands)
Net revenues:
United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,594,482 $ 1,943,522 $ 2,525,325
Foreign countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,169,454 2,509,087 3,237,762
Total net revenues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 5,763,936 $ 4,452,609 $ 5,763,087
Long-lived assets: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 358,497 $ 317,102 $ 376,883
Foreign countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174,097 168,437 194,762
Total long-lived assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 532,594 $ 485,539 $ 571,645
135
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
None.
None.
Not applicable.
136
PART III
Information required by this item regarding directors and director nominees, executive officers, the board of directors and
its committees, certain corporate governance matters, and compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act is incorporated
by reference to the information set forth in the definitive proxy statement for our 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the
“2022 Proxy Statement”).
Information required by this item regarding executive compensation is incorporated by reference to the information set
forth in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information required by this item regarding security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and
securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans is incorporated by reference to the information set forth
in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Information required by this item regarding certain relationships and related transactions and director independence is
incorporated by reference to the information set forth in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Information required by this item regarding principal accounting fees and services is incorporated by reference to the
information set forth in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
137
PART IV
1. Financial Statements
The following consolidated financial statements of the Registrant are included in Item 8:
All other schedules have been omitted because they are inapplicable, not required or the information is included in the
Consolidated Financial Statements or Notes thereto.
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Filed
Number Description of Document Form SEC File No. Exhibit Filing Date Herewith
3.1 Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation 8-K 001-06631 3.1 3/25/2019
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws 10-K 001-06631 3.2 1/27/2021
4.1 Reference is made to Exhibits 3.1 through 3.2
4.2 Form of Class A common stock certificate S-1/A 333-229630 4.1 3/11/2019
Indenture relating to the 5.00% Senior Notes due
2025, dated April 27, 2015, between the Registrant
4.3 and Wells Fargo, National Association, as trustee S-1 333-229630 4.2 2/13/2019
Indenture relating to the 3.375% Senior Notes due
2027, dated February 28, 2017, between the
Registrant and Wells Fargo, National Association,
4.4 as trustee S-1 333-229630 4.3 2/13/2019
Registration Rights Agreement, dated February 28,
2017, between the Registrant and Merrill Lynch
4.5 International S-1 333-229630 4.4 2/13/2019
U.S. Security Agreement, dated September 30,
2011, by the Registrant and certain subsidiaries
4.6 thereof in favor of JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. S-1 333-229630 4.5 2/13/2019
Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 6,
2019, among the Registrant and the stockholders
4.7 named therein S-1/A 333-229630 4.6 3/6/2019
4.8 Description of Securities X
138
First Supplemental Indenture, dated April 17, 2020,
between the Registrant and Wells Fargo Bank,
4.9 National Association, as Trustee 8-K 001-06631 4.1 4/17/2020
Registration Rights Agreement, dated April 17,
2020, between the Registrant and BofA Securities
4.10 Inc. 8-K 001-06631 4.2 4/17/2020
Indenture, dated as of February 19, 2021, by and
between Levi Strauss & Co. and Wells Fargo Bank,
4.11 National Association, as Trustee 8-K 001-06631 4.1 2/19/2021
10.1* Amended and Restated 2016 Equity Incentive Plan S-1 333-229630 10.3 2/13/2019
Form of Stock Appreciation Right Grant Notice
and Agreement under the 2016 Equity Incentive
10.2* Plan S-1 333-229630 10.4 2/13/2019
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Grant Notice
and Agreement under the 2016 Equity Incentive
10.3* Plan S-1 333-229630 10.5 2/13/2019
Form of Performance Vested Restricted Stock Unit
Award Grant Notice and Agreement under the
10.4* 2016 Equity Incentive Plan S-1 333-229630 10.6 2/13/2019
10.5* 2019 Equity Incentive Plan S-1 333-229630 10.7 2/13/2019
Form of Stock Option Grant Notice and Agreement
10.6* under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan S-1/A 333-229630 10.8 3/11/2019
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and
10.7* Agreement under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan S-1/A 333-229630 10.9 3/11/2019
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and
10.8 Agreement under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.8 1/30/2020
Form of Performance Vested Restricted Stock Unit
Award Grant Notice and Agreement under the
10.9 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.9 1/30/2020
Form of Stock Appreciation Right Grant Notice
and Agreement under the 2019 Equity Incentive
10.10 Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.10 1/30/2020
Form of Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice and
Agreement for Non-U.S. Participants under the
10.11 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.11 1/30/2020
Form of Performance Vested Restricted Stock Unit
Award Grant Notice and Agreement for Non-U.S.
10.12 Participants under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.12 1/30/2020
Form of Stock Appreciation Right Grant Notice
and Agreement for Non-U.S. Participants under the
10.13 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 10-K 001-06631 10.13 1/30/2020
10.14* 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan S-1 333-229630 10.10 2/13/2019
10.15* Excess Benefit Restoration Plan S-1 333-229630 10.11 2/13/2019
10.16* Supplemental Benefit Restoration Plan S-1 333-229630 10.12 2/13/2019
First Amendment to Supplemental Benefit
10.17* Restoration Plan S-1 333-229630 10.13 2/13/2019
Severance Plan for the Worldwide Leadership
10.18* Team, effective March 1, 2017 S-1 333-229630 10.14 2/13/2019
Senior Executive Severance Plan, effective January
10.19** 28, 2020 10-K 001-06631 10.19 1/30/2020
Annual Incentive Plan, effective November 25,
10.20* 2013 S-1 333-229630 10.15 2/13/2019
Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation
Plan for Executives and Outside Directors,
10.21* effective January 1, 2011 S-1 333-229630 10.16 2/13/2019
First Amendment to Amended and Restated
Deferred Compensation Plan for Executives and
10.22* Outside Directors, dated August 26, 2011 S-1 333-229630 10.17 2/13/2019
139
Rabbi Trust Agreement, effective January 1, 2003,
between the Registrant and Boston Safe Deposit
10.23* Trust Company S-1 333-229630 10.18 2/13/2019
Employment Agreement, dated June 9, 2011,
10.24* between the Registrant and Charles V. Bergh S-1 333-229630 10.19 2/13/2019
Amendment to Employment Agreement, effective
May 8, 2012, between the Registrant and Charles
10.25* V. Bergh S-1 333-229630 10.20 2/13/2019
Amendment to Employment Agreement, effective
January 30, 2018, between the Registrant and
10.26* Charles V. Bergh S-1 333-229630 10.21 2/13/2019
Employment Offer Letter, dated July 18, 2013, and
Extension of Assignment Letter, dated July 6,
10.27* 2016, between the Registrant and Seth Ellison S-1 333-229630 10.23 2/13/2019
Employment Offer Letter, dated December 10,
10.28* 2012, between the Registrant and Harmit Singh S-1 333-229630 10.25 2/13/2019
Form of Amended and Restated Indemnification
Agreement, between the Registrant and each of its
10.29* directors and executive officers S-1 333-229630 10.26 2/13/2019
Lease, dated July 31, 1979, between the Registrant
10.30 and Blue Jeans Equities West S-1 333-229630 10.27 2/13/2019
Amendment to Lease, dated January 1, 1998,
between the Registrant and Blue Jeans Equities
10.31 West S-1 333-229630 10.28 2/13/2019
Second Amendment to Lease, dated November 12,
2009, among the Registrant, Blue Jeans Equities
10.32 West, Innsbruck LP and Plaza GB LP S-1 333-229630 10.29 2/13/2019
Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement,
dated May 23, 2017, among the Registrant, Levi
Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc., certain other
subsidiaries of the Registrant party thereto,
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative
Agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Toronto
Branch, as Multicurrency Administrative Agent,
and the other financial institutions, agents and
10.33 arrangers party thereto S-1 333-229630 10.30 2/13/2019
Amendment No. 1 to Second Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement, dated October 23,
2018, among the Registrant, Levi Strauss & Co.
(Canada) Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as
Administrative Agent and JPMorgan Chase Bank,
N.A., Toronto Branch, as Multicurrency
10.34 Administrative Agent S-1 333-229630 10.31 2/13/2019
Form of Director Restricted Stock Unit Grant
Notice and Agreement under the 2019 Equity
10.35* Incentive Plan 10-Q 001-06631 10.5 7/9/2019
Form of Director Restricted Stock Unit Grant
Notice and Agreement under the 2016 Equity
10.36* Incentive Plan 10-Q 001-00631 10.1 10/8/2019
Amendment No. 2 to Second Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of January 5,
2021, by and among the Company, LS Canada,
certain other subsidiaries of the Company party
thereto, the Agents, and the other financial
10.37 institutions, agents and arrangers party thereto 8-K 001-00631 10.1 1/7/2021
Employment Agreement, dated October 27, 2020,
10.38* between the Registrant and Seth Ellison 10-K 001-06631 10.40 1/27/2021
Employment Offer Letter, dated October 27, 2020,
10.39* between the Registrant and Elizabeth O'Neill 10-Q 001-00631 10.2 4/8/2021
10.40* Director Compensation Policy 10-Q 001-00631 10.1 10/6/2021
140
Amendment No. 3 to Second Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement among the Registrant,
Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc., the lenders party
thereto, JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., as
Administrative Agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank,
N.A. Toronto Branch, as Multicurrency
10.41 Administrative Agent 10-Q 001-00631 10.2 10/6/2021
Amendment No. 4 to Second Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of September
20, 2021, among Levi Strauss & Co., a Delaware
corporation, Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) Inc., the
lenders party thereto, JP Morgan Chase Bank,
N.A., as Administrative Agent, and JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. Toronto Branch, as
10.42 Multicurrency Administrative Agent X
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant X
Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
23.1 independent registered public accounting firm X
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to
Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-
31.1 Oxley Act of 2002 X
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Exchange Act Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-
31.2 Oxley Act of 2002 X
Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section
1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the
32.1† Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 X
XBRL Instance Document - the instance document
does not appear in the Interactive Data File because
its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline
101.INS XBRL document X
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document X
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.CAL Document X
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.DEF Document X
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.LAB Document X
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
101.PRE Document X
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as
104 inline XBRL and contained within Exhibit 101). X
* Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
** Portions of this exhibit have been redacted and filed separately with the Commission, pursuant to a request for confidential
treatment granted by the Commission.
† The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K are not deemed filed with the
Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Levi Strauss & Co. under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
141
SCHEDULE II
Charges/
Balance at (Releases) Balance at
Beginning of to Tax (Additions)/ End of
Valuation Allowance Against Deferred Tax Assets Period Expense Deductions Period
(Dollars in thousands)
November 28, 2021…………………………………….. $ 38,543 4,855 (2,573) $ 45,971
November 29, 2020…………………………………….. $ 19,611 18,271 (661) $ 38,543
November 24, 2019…………………………………….. $ 21,970 (81) 2,278 $ 19,611
(1) The charges to the accounts are for the purposes for which the allowances were created.
(2) In accordance with ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, adopted in fiscal 2019, allowances for returns, discounts and incentives are
presented as current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. In previously issued financial statement schedules, the end of period balances were
included within Deductions, presented as additional deductions, to reflect ending balances for asset valuation accounts. The presentation has been updated
to reflect both asset valuation accounts and current liabilities associated with sales returns and sales discounts and incentives. This change in presentation
did not impact the Company's consolidated financial statements in any period.
142
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
None.
143
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
144
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and
appoints Charles V. Bergh, Harmit Singh and Seth R. Jaffe, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and
agents, with full power of substitution for him or her, and in his or her name in any and all capacities, to sign any and all
amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection
therewith, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of
them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done therewith, as
fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-
in-fact and agents, and either of them, his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title
/s/ ROBERT A. ECKERT Chairperson of the Board Date: January 26, 2022
Robert A. Eckert
/s/ CHARLES V. BERGH Director, President and Date: January 26, 2022
Charles V. Bergh Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ TROY ALSTEAD Director Date: January 26, 2022
Troy Alstead
/s/ JILL BERAUD Director Date: January 26, 2022
Jill Beraud
/s/ SPENCER C. FLEISCHER Director Date: January 26, 2022
Spencer C. Fleischer
/s/ DAVID A. FRIEDMAN Director Date: January 26, 2022
David A. Friedman
/s/ YAEL GARTEN Director Date: January 26, 2022
Yael Garten
/s/ CHRISTOPHER J. MCCORMICK Director Date: January 26, 2022
Christopher J. McCormick
/s/ JENNY MING Director Date: January 26, 2022
Jenny Ming
/s/ PATRICIA SALAS PINEDA Director Date: January 26, 2022
Patricia Salas Pineda
/s/ JOSHUA E. PRIME Director Date: January 26, 2022
Joshua E. Prime
/s/ ELLIOTT RODGERS Director Date: January 26, 2022
Elliott Rodgers
Vice President and Global Date: January 26, 2022
/s/ LISA STIRLING Controller
Lisa Stirling (Principal Accounting Officer)
Executive Vice President and Chief Date: January 26, 2022
/s/ HARMIT SINGH Financial Officer
Harmit Singh (Principal Financial Officer)
145
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This annual report contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future
revenue growth and sustainability goals. We have based these forward-looking statements on
our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. Words such as, but not
limited to, “believe,” “will,” “so we can,” “when,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “proj-
ect,” “could,” “plans” and “seeks” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements
are used. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates that involve a number of
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested
by the forward-looking statements. Investors should consider the information contained in our
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2021 enclosed herewith, especially in the “Management’s Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections. Other
unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on our future results,
performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the
forward-looking events discussed in this annual report may not occur. You are cautioned not
to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date
stated or, if no date is stated, as of the date of this annual report. We are not under any obli-
gation and do not intend to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements contained
in this annual report to reflect circumstances existing after the date of this annual report or to
reflect the occurrence of future events, even if experience or future events make it clear that any
expected results expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements will not be realized.