Victoria's Secret & Co. (VSXY) FY 2024 MD&A

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

We caution that any forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or made by us, our management, or our spokespeople involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, our future performance and financial results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such forward-looking statements, and any future performance or financial results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding our future operating results, the implementation and impact of our strategic plans, and our ability to meet environmental, social, and governance goals. Words such as “estimate,” “commit,” “will,” “target,” “goal,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “strive,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “continue,” “potential” and any similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Risks associated with the following factors, among others, could affect our results of operations and financial performance and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements:

•we may not realize all of the expected benefits of the spin-off from our Former Parent;

•general economic conditions, inflation and changes in consumer confidence and consumer spending patterns;

•market disruptions including pandemics or significant health hazards, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist activities, financial crises, political crises or other major events, or the prospect of these events;

•our ability to successfully implement our strategic plan;

•difficulties arising from turnover in company leadership or other key positions;

•our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified associates and manage labor-related costs;

•our dependence on traffic to our stores and the availability of suitable store locations on satisfactory terms;

•our ability to successfully operate and expand internationally and related risks;

•the operations and performance of our franchisees, licensees, wholesalers, and joint venture partners;

•our ability to successfully operate and grow our direct channel business;

•our ability to protect our reputation and the image and value of our brands;

•our ability to attract customers with marketing, advertising and promotional programs;

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•the highly competitive nature of the retail industry and the segments in which we operate;

•consumer acceptance of our products and our ability to manage the life cycle of our brands, remain current with fashion trends, and develop and launch new merchandise, product lines and brands successfully;

•our ability to realize the potential benefits and synergies sought with the acquisition of Adore Me;

•our ability to incorporate artificial intelligence into our business operations successfully and ethically while managing associated risks;

•our ability to source materials and produce, distribute and sell merchandise on a global basis, including risks related to:

•political instability and geopolitical conflicts;

•environmental hazards and natural disasters;

•significant health hazards and pandemics;

•delays or disruptions in shipping and transportation and related pricing impacts; and

•disruption due to labor disputes;

•our geographic concentration of production and distribution facilities in central Ohio and Southeast Asia;

•the ability of our vendors to manufacture and deliver products in a timely manner, meet quality standards and comply with applicable laws and regulations;

•fluctuations in freight, product input and energy costs;

•our and our third-party service providers’ ability to implement and maintain information technology systems and to protect associated data and system availability;

•our ability to maintain the security of customer, associate, third-party and company information;

•stock price volatility;

•shareholder activism matters;

•our ability to maintain our credit rating;

•our ability to comply with regulatory requirements; and

•legal, tax, trade and other regulatory matters.

Except as may be required by law, we assume no obligation and do not intend to make publicly available any update or other revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to reflect circumstances existing after the date of this 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. Additional information regarding these and other factors can be found in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The following discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon our Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) as codified in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). The following information should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Our operating results are generally impacted by economic changes and, therefore, we monitor the retail environment using, among other things, certain key industry performance indicators including competitor performance and mall traffic data. These can provide insight into consumer spending patterns and shopping behavior in the current retail environment and assist us in assessing our performance as well as the potential impact of industry trends on our future operating results. Additionally, we evaluate a number of key performance indicators including comparable sales, gross profit, operating income and other performance metrics such as sales per average selling square foot and inventory per selling square foot in assessing our performance.

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Executive Overview

Victoria’s Secret & Co. is an iconic global brand of women’s intimate and other apparel, personal care and beauty products. We sell our products through three brands, Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Adore Me. Victoria’s Secret is a market leading global lingerie brand with a history of serving women across the globe. PINK is a fashion and lifestyle brand for young women built around a strong intimates core. We also sell beauty products under both the Victoria’s Secret and PINK brands. Adore Me is a technology-led, digital first innovative intimates brand serving women of all sizes and budgets at all phases of life. Together, Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Adore Me strive to provide the best products to help women express their confidence, sexiness and power and use our platform to create connection and community while celebrating the extraordinary diversity of women's experiences.

Victoria’s Secret, PINK and Adore Me merchandise is sold online through e-commerce platforms, through retail stores located in the U.S., Canada and China, and through international stores and websites operated by partners under franchise, license, wholesale and joint venture arrangements. We have a presence in nearly 70 countries and we believe we benefit from global brand awareness, a wide and compelling product assortment and a powerful, deep connection with our customers.

We are committed to optimizing our performance by focusing on what is within our control, and we are confident in our strategic direction and remain committed to delivering long-term sustainable value for our stockholders.

Financial Impacts of the Adore Me Acquisition

We consolidate Adore Me's financial information on an approximate one-month reporting lag. Accordingly, given the acquisition closing date of December 30, 2022, the operating results of Adore Me for the period subsequent to the acquisition date are recorded in our results beginning in 2023.

In 2023, we recognized the financial impact of purchase accounting items and additional acquisition-related costs, including recognition in gross profit of the fair value adjustment to acquired inventories as it is sold, recognition of changes in the estimated fair value of contingent consideration and Contingent Compensation Payments, as well as amortization of acquired intangible assets. For additional information, see Note 2, “Acquisition.”

Basis of Presentation

Our financial statements for periods through the Separation date of August 2, 2021 are combined financial statements prepared on a “carve-out” basis, which reflects the business as historically managed within the Former Parent. The balance sheets and cash flows for the periods prior to the Separation include only those assets and liabilities directly related to the Victoria’s Secret business, and the statements of income include the historically reported results of the Victoria’s Secret business along with allocations of a portion of the Former Parent's total corporate expenses. Our financial statements for the period from August 3, 2021 through February 3, 2024 are consolidated financial statements based on our reported results as a standalone company. For additional information on the “carve-out” basis of accounting, see Note 1, “Description of Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.”

Growth Strategies

Our goal is to be the world's leading fashion retailer of intimate apparel. Our strategic direction is guided by three priorities: 1) accelerating our core; 2) igniting growth; and 3) transforming the foundation of our company. We are evolving the positioning of Victoria's Secret and PINK to drive profitable growth and are focused on accelerating the core of our business by leading with a customer-first approach and rewarding customer loyalty, advancing technology to improve and enhance the customer experience, delivering best-in-class products across all categories and focusing on being “best at bras”. We will focus on igniting growth through maintaining an innovative product pipeline, evolving our store fleet of the future, and through channel expansion and international growth within existing and new markets. We continue to take actions to transform the foundation of our company by making foundational changes to modernize and make our operating model more efficient to help us deliver long-term sustainable value for our stockholders.

We have a multi-year goal to increase sales and operating income by focusing on these key business priorities:

•Invest in our brands, business and new opportunities to drive growth;

•Continue optimizing the customer experience through elevated and profitable company-operated stores;

•Drive penetration and growth in our digital channel and provide an enhanced omni-channel experience; and

•Expand our international business.

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The following is a discussion regarding certain of our key business priorities.

Invest in our Brands, Business and New Opportunities to Drive Growth

We continue to make significant investments in our iconic brands, our physical and digital business channels, our customer experience and our organizational capabilities in order to support the growth of our business. We believe our success is significantly enabled by frequent and innovative product launches, which include bra launches and new beauty fragrances. We are making targeted investments in technology related to our strategic initiatives to drive growth, including our new Victoria's Secret and PINK customer loyalty program, and to maintain our high digital penetration and to expand the omni-channel offering for our customers. We are also working to increase our distribution capacity and efficiency in order to make decisions close to market, deliver orders to customers more quickly and provide the best and widest assortment across product categories and sizes across all channels. Our management team is committed to a diverse and inclusive corporate culture and we have a world class team to support the execution of our growth strategies. Additionally, we will continue to search for new growth opportunities, including new brands we may develop as well as partnerships with existing brands that help us attract new customers and better meet the needs of existing ones.

Continue Optimizing the Customer Experience through Elevated and Profitable Company-Operated Stores

We believe we can further optimize our existing base of stores within North America to continue to deliver an elevated retail experience and to meet our customers’ evolving channel preferences. We believe our stores channel is important to engaging with existing and new customers and, accordingly, see it as a key part of our strategy and focus to provide flexibility and convenience to our customers through omni-channel capabilities. We are investing in our stores through refreshing existing stores and expanding our store of the future concept that will include smaller, more flexible space in off-mall locations with a unique dual-brand layout to meet the needs of our customer and accommodate shifting consumer preferences for omni-channel shopping. We also continue to focus on appropriate space allocation within the store and right-sizing the overall size of the North American stores, which we believe will lead to sales transference to other stores and our digital channel. In addition to our initiatives related to our physical stores, we plan to continue to invest in store talent and labor optimization. These initiatives are designed to increase productivity in our stores measured through improved sales per selling square foot, as well as overall store profitability.

Drive Penetration and Growth in our Digital Channel and Provide an Enhanced Omni-Channel Experience

Investing in our digital channel continues to be a key priority and we believe that our global brands and our scaled retail footprint in North America is a unique platform to grow our digital business. Omni-channel initiatives and an increased focus on mobile and application interactions will continue to provide flexibility and convenience to our customers. Our shopping and services initiatives are aimed at modernizing the customer’s digital shopping experience through features like digital selling guides, virtual try-on, digital appointments, improved checkout performance and alternative payment options. Further, with our customer at the core of our strategy, we are also increasing the personalization of our digital platforms through site experience and marketing designed for our customer. Our ongoing digital investments are designed to create a seamless shopping experience between online and in stores and bolster our performance in the digital channel. In addition, we are scaling the distribution capacity of our digital business in order to support our growth and our omni-channel offerings. These strategies are aimed at increasing our digital channel mix and driving margin accretion.

Expand our International Business

Growing our international business is a key strategy. We plan to drive strong sales growth in franchise, travel retail and joint venture-operated stores through continued improved product offerings and assortments to reflect local preferences. We plan to increase our international store count, enabled by a new store design, lower costs and flexible store formats, which are designed to provide a pathway to profitable growth. Additionally, we expect to continue growing the digital components of our international business, including through country-specific web platforms tailored to local languages and preferences and through additional regional expansion. We believe our joint venture partnership with Regina Miracle in China will continue to allow us to grow the China business through joint investment in product development, distribution and marketing, and also positively impacts the speed and agility of the business due to Regina Miracle's established production base in China.

2023 Overview

We utilize the retail calendar for financial reporting. As such, our results for 2023 represent the 53-week period ended February 3, 2024, and the results for 2022 represent the 52-week period ended January 28, 2023. We estimate the extra week in 2023 represented approximately $80 million in incremental net sales and approximately $20 million in incremental operating income.

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In 2023, we remained committed to our strategic priorities: 1) Accelerate Our Core; 2) Ignite Growth; and 3) Transform the Foundation. We have made progress on our strategic initiatives to ignite growth and transform the foundation, including progress around our supply chain initiative and international business. Progress related to accelerating our core business in North America was challenged throughout 2023 as the macroeconomic environment continued to put pressure on the consumer and the overall intimates market in North America was pressured throughout the year. We continue to focus on delivering on multiple initiatives in support of our strategic priorities, such as our multi-tender loyalty program, new customer experience enhancements in our digital business, product improvements and launches to enhance the Victoria's Secret brand and a reimagined merchandise strategy for our PINK brand. In 2023, we invested $125 million to repurchase 3.7 million shares of our common stock. We also paid down our senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the “ABL Facility”), ending 2023 with an outstanding balance of $145 million, down significantly from $295 million outstanding at the end of 2022.

In 2023, our net sales decreased $162 million, or 3%, to $6.182 billion compared to $6.344 billion in 2022 and comparable sales decreased 9% in 2023. Our North America store sales decreased 11%, or $429 million, to $3.480 billion compared to $3.909 billion in 2022, primarily driven by a decrease in traffic, average unit retail (which we define as the average price per unit purchased) and conversion (which we define as the percentage of customers who visit our stores and make a purchase). Our direct channel sales increased by 9%, or $172 million, to $2.015 billion compared to $1.843 billion in 2022, primarily driven by the inclusion of Adore Me sales in our results beginning in 2023. On a comparable basis, our direct channel sales decrease was driven by a decrease in average unit retail, conversion and traffic compared to 2022. Operating income was $246 million compared to operating income of $478 million in 2022, and our operating income rate decreased to 4.0% compared to 7.5% last year. The operating income decrease in 2023 was primarily driven by an increase in general, administrative and store operating expenses and a decrease in net sales.

For additional information related to our 2023 financial performance, see “Results of Operations – 2023 Compared to 2022.” For a discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for 2022 compared to 2021, refer to “Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 17, 2023.

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Non-GAAP Financial Information

In addition to our results provided in accordance with GAAP above and throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, provided below are non-GAAP financial measures that present operating income, net income attributable to Victoria's Secret & Co. and net income per diluted share attributable to Victoria's Secret & Co. in 2023 and 2022 on an adjusted basis, which remove certain non-recurring, infrequent or unusual items that we believe are not indicative of the results of our ongoing operations due to their size and nature. The intangible asset amortization excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures is excluded because the amortization, unlike the related revenue, is not affected by operations of any particular period unless an intangible asset becomes impaired or the estimated useful life of an intangible asset is revised. We use adjusted financial information as key performance measures of our results of operations for the purpose of evaluating performance internally. These non-GAAP measurements are not intended to replace the presentation of our financial results in accordance with GAAP. Instead, we believe that the presentation of adjusted financial information provides additional information to investors to facilitate the comparison of past and present operations. Further, our definition of non-GAAP financial measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by other companies. The table below reconciles the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to each non-GAAP financial measure.

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(a)In 2023, we recognized pre-tax charges of $50 million ($42 million after-tax) within net income, $29 million included in costs of goods sold, buying and occupancy expense, $16 million included in general, administrative and store operating expense and $5 million included in interest expense, related to the financial impact of purchase accounting items and professional service costs related to the acquisition of Adore Me. In the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized a pre-tax charge of $15 million ($14 million after-tax), included in general, administrative and store operating expense, related to professional services and other transaction-related costs associated with the acquisition of Adore Me. For additional information, see Note 2, “Acquisition” included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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(b)In 2023, we recognized $25 million ($19 million after-tax) included in general, administrative and store operating expense related to the acquisition of Adore Me. For additional information, see Note 2, “Acquisition” and Note 10, “Intangible Assets” included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(c)In the first quarter of 2023, we recognized a pre-tax charge of $11 million ($8 million after-tax), $8 million included in general, administrative and store operating expense and $3 million included in buying and occupancy expense, related to restructuring activities to continue to reorganize and improve our organizational structure. In 2022, we recognized pre-tax charges of $35 million ($26 million after-tax), $21 million included in general, administrative and store operating expense and $14 million included in buying and occupancy expense, related to restructuring activities to continue to reorganize and improve our organizational structure. For additional information, see Note 6, “Restructuring Activities” included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(d)In the first quarter of 2022, we recognized a pre-tax charge of $22 million ($16 million after-tax), included in buying and occupancy expense, related to a legal matter with a landlord regarding a high-profile store that we surrendered to the landlord prior to the Separation. For additional information, see Note 16, “Commitments and Contingencies” included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(e)In the fourth quarter of 2022, we recognized a $16 million charge ($12 million after-tax), $15 million included in costs of goods sold, buying and occupancy expense and $1 million included in general, administrative and store operating expense, for inventory and other costs related to restructuring actions associated with Happy Nation.

Company-Operated Store Data

The following table compares 2023 U.S. company-operated store data to the comparable period for 2022:

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(a)Sales per average selling square foot and sales per average store, which are indicators of store productivity, are calculated based on store sales for the period divided by the average, including the beginning and end of period, of total square footage and store count, respectively.

The following table represents store data for 2023:

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(a)    Includes thirteen partner-operated stores at February 3, 2024.

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The following table represents store data for 2022:

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(a)    Includes thirteen partner-operated stores at January 28, 2023.

(b)    For additional information, see Note 2, “Acquisition” included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Results of Operations — 2023 Compared to 2022

The following information summarizes our results of operations for 2023 compared to 2022.

Operating Income

For 2023, operating income decreased $232 million, to $246 million, compared to operating income of $478 million in 2022, and the operating income rate (expressed as a percentage of net sales) decreased to 4.0% from 7.5%. The drivers of the operating income results are discussed in the following sections.

Net Sales

The following table provides net sales for 2023 in comparison to 2022:

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(a)Results in 2023 include Adore Me sales.

(b)Results include consolidated joint venture sales in China, royalties associated with franchised stores and wholesale sales.

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The following table provides a reconciliation of net sales from 2022 to 2023:

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(a)Results in 2023 include Adore Me sales.

(b)Results include consolidated joint venture direct sales in China.

The following table compares 2023 comparable sales to 2022:

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(a)The percentage change in comparable sales represents direct and comparable store sales. The percentage change in comparable store sales represents the change in sales at comparable stores only and excludes the change in sales from our direct channels. The change in comparable sales provides an indication of period over period growth (decline). A store is typically included in the calculation of comparable sales when it has been open 12 months or more and it has not had a change in selling square footage of 20% or more. Closed stores are excluded from the comparable sales calculation if they have been closed for four consecutive days or more. Upon re-opening, the stores are included in the calculation. Additionally, stores are excluded if total selling square footage in the mall changes by 20% or more through the opening or closing of a second store. The percentage change in comparable sales is calculated on a comparable calendar period as opposed to a fiscal basis. Therefore, the percentage change in comparable sales for 2023 was calculated on a 53-to-53-week basis and the percentage change in comparable sales for 2022 was calculated on a 52-to-52-week basis. Comparable sales attributable to our international stores are calculated on a constant currency basis.

Net sales in 2023 decreased $162 million, or 3%, to $6.182 billion compared to $6.344 billion in 2022. We estimate the extra week in 2023 represented approximately $80 million in incremental net sales.

In the stores channel, our North America net sales decreased $429 million, or 11%, to $3.480 billion compared to 2022 driven by a decrease in traffic, average unit retail and conversion, partially offset by incremental net sales from the extra week in 2023.

In the direct channel, net sales increased $172 million, or 9%, to $2.015 billion driven by the inclusion of Adore Me sales in our results beginning in 2023 and the incremental net sales from the extra week in 2023. On a comparable basis, our direct channel sales decrease was driven by a decrease in average unit retail, conversion and traffic.

In the international channel, net sales increased $95 million, or 16%, to $687 million compared to 2022, as stores and online sales increased in many countries outside of North America driven by new full assortment store growth, comparable store sales growth driven in part by increased traffic and strong e-commerce performance, positive customer acceptance of our product assortment and the incremental net sales from the extra week in 2023.

Gross Profit

For 2023, our gross profit decreased $16 million to $2.242 billion, and our gross profit rate (expressed as a percentage of net sales) increased to 36.3% from 35.6%.

For 2023, the decrease in gross profit dollars was primarily due to the decrease in merchandise margin dollars driven by the decrease in net sales and an increase in promotional activity, partially offset by a decrease in supply chain costs, reductions in costs of goods sold related to our supply chain initiative and incremental profit related to the extra week in 2023. Buying and occupancy expenses were down compared to 2022, primarily driven by a legal reserve of $22 million related to a landlord matter in the first quarter of 2022 and restructuring charges of $14 million in 2022, partially offset by the inclusion of Adore Me buying and occupancy expenses beginning in 2023. Additionally, the decrease in gross profit dollars was driven by the recognition in gross profit of the $29 million inventory fair value step-up adjustment related to acquired inventory from Adore Me.

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The gross profit rate increase was driven by a decrease in supply chain costs, reductions in costs of goods sold related to our supply chain initiative, partially offset by increased promotional activity.

General, Administrative and Store Operating Expenses

For 2023, our general, administrative and store operating expenses increased $216 million, or 12%, to $1.996 billion. The increase in general, administrative and store operating expenses compared to 2022 was primarily due to the inclusion of Adore Me general, administrative and store operating expenses beginning in 2023 and strategic marketing investments including the Victoria’s Secret World Tour in 2023. The increase in general, administrative and store operating expenses in 2023 was also due to the amortization of intangible assets acquired from Adore Me of $25 million, incremental expenses in the extra week in 2023, recognition of $8 million of restructuring charges to continue to reorganize and improve our organizational structure in the first quarter of 2023, partially offset by restructuring charges of $21 million in 2022.

The general, administrative and store operating expense rate (expressed as a percentage of net sales) increased to 32.3% from 28.1% due to the inclusion of Adore Me general, administrative and store operating expenses beginning in 2023, strategic marketing investments including the Victoria’s Secret World Tour and deleverage driven by the decrease in sales compared to 2022.

Interest Expense

For 2023, our interest expense increased $39 million to $99 million compared to 2022, primarily driven by the increase in our outstanding debt due to the borrowings from the ABL Facility during 2023 and a higher average borrowing rate for our Term Loan Facility and ABL Facility.

Provision for Income Taxes

For 2023, the Company's effective tax rate was 21.4% compared to 19.0% in 2022. The 2023 rate differed from the Company's combined estimated federal and state statutory rate primarily due to foreign earnings taxed at a rate lower than our combined estimated federal and state statutory rate and due to the resolution of certain tax matters. The 2022 rate was lower than the Company's combined estimated federal and state statutory rate primarily due to the recognition of excess tax benefits related to shared-based compensation awards that vested in 2022.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity, or access to cash, is an important factor in determining our financial stability. We are committed to maintaining adequate liquidity. Cash generated from our operating activities provides the primary resources to support current operations, growth initiatives, seasonal funding requirements and capital expenditures. Net cash provided by our operating activities is impacted by our net income and working capital changes. Our net income is impacted by, among other things, sales volume, seasonal sales patterns, success of new product introductions, profit margins and income taxes. Historically, sales are higher during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year due to seasonal and holiday-related sales patterns. Generally, our need for working capital peaks during the summer and fall months as inventory builds in anticipation of the holiday period.

Our ability to fund our operating needs is primarily dependent upon our ability to continue to generate positive cash flow from operations, as well as borrowing capacity under our ABL Facility, which we rely on to supplement cash generated by our operating activities, particularly when our need for working capital peaks in the summer and fall months as discussed above. Management believes that our cash balances and funds provided by operating activities, along with the borrowing capacity under our ABL Facility, taken as a whole, provide (i) adequate liquidity to meet all of our current and long-term obligations when due, (ii) adequate liquidity to fund capital expenditures, and (iii) flexibility to consider investment opportunities that may arise. However, certain investment opportunities or seasonal funding requirements may require us to seek additional debt or equity financing, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, if at all, in the future.

We expect to utilize our cash flows to continue to invest in our brands, talent and capabilities, and growth strategies as well as to repay our indebtedness over time. We believe that our available short-term and long-term capital resources are sufficient to fund our working capital and other cash flow requirements over the next 12 months.

Working Capital and Capitalization

Based upon our cash balances and net cash provided by our operating activities, along with the borrowing capacity under our ABL Facility, we believe we will be able to continue to meet our working capital needs.

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The following table provides a summary of our working capital position and capitalization as of February 3, 2024 and January 28, 2023:

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(a)Amounts shown represent the fifty-three-week period ended February 3, 2024 and the fifty-two-week period ended January 28, 2023.

(b)For the period ended February 3, 2024, the availability under the ABL Facility was limited by our borrowing base of $587 million, less outstanding borrowings of $145 million and letters of credit of $19 million. For the period ended January 28, 2023, the availability was limited by our borrowing base of $596 million, less outstanding borrowings of $295 million and letters of credit of $42 million.

The following table provides certain measures of liquidity and capital resources as of February 3, 2024 and January 28, 2023:

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(a)Long-term debt divided by total capitalization.

Cash Flow

The following table provides a summary of our cash flow activity for the fiscal years ended February 3, 2024 and January 28, 2023:

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities reflects net income adjusted for non-cash items, including depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense and deferred tax expense, as well as changes in working capital. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $389 million, a decrease in net cash flows provided by operating activities of $48 million compared to 2022. The decrease in net cash flows provided by operating activities in 2023 was primarily driven by a decrease in net income of $222 million, partially offset by lower operating cash outflows associated with working capital changes of $115 million compared to 2022. The most significant working capital driver resulting in lower net operating cash outflows this year compared to last year was the timing of payments related to the increased inventory levels throughout last year, which were primarily driven by modal mix changes and longer in-transit shipment times. The other significant working capital driver resulting in lower net operating cash outflows this year is related to income taxes paid of $74 million in 2023 compared to $161 million paid in 2022.

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Investing Activities

Net cash used for investing activities in 2023 was $254 million, consisting of capital expenditures of $256 million. The capital expenditures were primarily related to our store capital program and investments in technology related to our strategic initiatives to drive growth and technology investments relating to separation activities from our Former Parent.

Net cash used for investing activities in 2022 was $555 million, consisting primarily of our $369 million cash payment, net of cash acquired, in connection with the Adore Me acquisition and capital expenditures of $164 million. The capital expenditures were primarily related to our store capital program, along with investments in technology, distribution and logistics to support our retail capabilities.

We are estimating 2024 capital expenditures to be approximately $230 million. We expect that our capital expenditures will continue to be focused on our store capital program along with investments in technology related to our strategic initiatives to drive growth.

Financing Activities

Net cash used for financing activities in 2023 was $291 million, consisting primarily of $615 million of repayments under the ABL Facility and $125 million of share repurchases, partially offset by borrowings of $465 million from the ABL Facility.

Net cash provided by financing activities in 2022 was $58 million, consisting primarily of borrowings of $295 million from the ABL Facility and $55 million of cash received from Regina Miracle in connection with the joint venture agreement completed in the first quarter of 2022. Those proceeds were partially offset by $250 million of share repurchases and $42 million of payments for payroll taxes relating to the vesting of share-based compensation awards.

Common Stock Share Repurchases & Treasury Stock Retirements

Our Board of Directors determines share repurchase authorizations, giving consideration to our levels of profit and cash flows, capital requirements, current and forecasted liquidity, the restrictions placed upon us by our borrowing arrangements and the Tax Matters Agreement with our Former Parent, as well as financial and other conditions existing at the time. We use cash flows provided by our operating activities to fund our share repurchases. Once authorized by our Board of Directors, the timing and amount of any share repurchases are made at our discretion, taking into account a number of factors, including market conditions.

March 2024 Share Repurchase Program

In March 2024, subsequent to the end of fiscal year 2023, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program (“March 2024 Share Repurchase Program”), authorizing the repurchase of up to $250 million of our common stock, subject to market conditions and other factors, through open market, accelerated share repurchase or privately negotiated transactions, including pursuant to one or more Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. The March 2024 Share Repurchase Program is open-ended in term, eligible to begin immediately and will continue until exhausted.

January 2023 Share Repurchase Program

In January 2023, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program (“January 2023 Share Repurchase Program”), authorizing the repurchase of up to $250 million of our common stock. The authorization, which expired at the end of 2023, was utilized in 2023 to repurchase shares in the open market and under the accelerated share repurchase agreement described below.

In February 2023, as part of the January 2023 Share Repurchase Program, we entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement (“ASR Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“Goldman Sachs”) to repurchase $125 million of our common stock. In February 2023, we made an initial payment of $125 million to Goldman Sachs and received an initial delivery of 2.4 million shares of our common stock. As a result of the initial share delivery, there was an additional $1 million increase in Treasury Stock, which reflects the excise tax liability recorded related to the share repurchase in accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

In May 2023, upon final settlement of the ASR Agreement, we received an additional 1.3 million shares of our common stock from Goldman Sachs. The final number of shares received was based on the volume-weighted average price of our common stock during the term of the ASR Agreement, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms of the ASR Agreement.

We repurchased the following shares of our common stock under the January 2023 Share Repurchase Program during 2023:

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Shares repurchased under the January 2023 Share Repurchase Program were retired upon repurchase. As a result, we retired the 3.7 million shares repurchased in connection with the settlement of the ASR Agreement during 2023. The retirement resulted in a reduction of $126 million in Treasury Stock, less than $1 million in the par value of Common Stock, $9 million in Paid-in Capital and $117 million in Retained Earnings during 2023.

March 2022 Share Repurchase Program

In March 2022, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program (“March 2022 Share Repurchase Program”), providing for the repurchase of up to $250 million of our common stock. The $250 million authorization was utilized in 2022 to repurchase shares in the open market.

We repurchased the following shares of our common stock under the March 2022 Share Repurchase Program during 2022:

Shares of our common stock repurchased under the March 2022 Share Repurchase Program were retired upon repurchase. As a result, we retired all the shares repurchased under the March 2022 Share Repurchase Program during 2022, which resulted in reductions of less than $1 million in the par value of Common Stock, $12 million in Paid-in Capital and $238 million in Retained Earnings.

December 2021 ASR Agreement

In December 2021, we entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement (“December 2021 ASR Agreement”) with Goldman Sachs to repurchase $250 million of our common stock. In December 2021, we made an initial payment of $250 million to Goldman Sachs and received an initial delivery of 4.1 million shares of our common stock. The $250 million payment to Goldman Sachs was recognized as a reduction to shareholders’ equity, consisting of a $200 million increase in Treasury Stock, which reflects the value of the initial 4.1 million shares received upon initial settlement, and a $50 million decrease in Paid-in Capital, which reflects the value of the stock held back by Goldman Sachs pending final settlement of the December 2021 ASR Agreement. During 2021, we retired the 4.1 million shares repurchased under the December 2021 ASR Agreement. The retirement resulted in a reduction of $200 million in Treasury Stock, less than $1 million in the par value of Common Stock, $8 million in Paid-in Capital and $192 million in Retained Earnings.

In February 2022, upon final settlement of the December 2021 ASR Agreement, we received an additional 0.3 million shares of our common stock from Goldman Sachs. The final number of shares received under the December 2021 ASR Agreement was based on the daily average of the volume-weighted average share price of our common stock over the term of the December 2021 ASR Agreement, less a discount and subject to other adjustments pursuant to the terms of the December 2021 ASR Agreement. In connection with the settlement of the December 2021 ASR Agreement, $50 million previously recorded in Paid-in Capital as of January 29, 2022, was reclassified to Treasury Stock in the first quarter of 2022. In 2022, we retired the additional 0.3 million shares repurchased in connection with the settlement of the December 2021 ASR Agreement. The retirement resulted in a reduction of $50 million in Treasury Stock, less than $1 million in the par value of Common Stock, less than $1 million in Paid-in Capital and nearly $50 million in Retained Earnings.

Dividend Policy and Procedures

We have not paid any cash dividends since becoming an independent, publicly traded company. We cannot guarantee that we will pay a dividend in the future or continue to pay any dividends if and when we commence paying dividends. The declaration and amount of any dividends to holders of our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon many factors, including our financial condition, earnings, cash flows, capital requirements of our business, covenants associated with our debt obligations, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice and any other factors the Board of Directors deems relevant. We would use net cash flow provided by operating and financing activities to fund our dividends.

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Long-term Debt and Borrowing Facilities

The following table provides our outstanding Long-term Debt balance, net of unamortized debt issuance costs and discounts and any current portion, as of February 3, 2024 and January 28, 2023:

Cash paid for interest was $87 million and $52 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Credit Facilities

In September 2023, we entered into a delayed draw term loan agreement, secured by certain real estate assets owned by us, to increase available liquidity in consideration of potential seasonal working capital needs. The delayed draw term loan had a maximum borrowing capacity of $75 million. We did not draw any amounts under this term loan and the agreement terminated in December 2023. During 2023, fees incurred in relation to this delayed draw term loan agreement were $1 million and were amortized over the life of the agreement.

On August 2, 2021, we entered into a term loan B credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of $400 million, which will mature in August 2028. The discounts and issuance costs from the Term Loan Facility are being amortized through the maturity date and are included within Long-term Debt on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Commencing in December 2021, we are required to make quarterly principal payments on the Term Loan Facility in an amount equal to 0.25% of the original principal amount of $400 million. We made principal payments for the Term Loan Facility of $4 million during both 2023 and 2022.

In May 2023, we amended our Term Loan Facility to allow for an early transition to using the Term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“Term SOFR”) as the applicable reference rate to calculate interest instead of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Prior to the amendment, interest under the Term Loan Facility was calculated by reference to LIBOR or an alternative base rate, plus an interest rate margin equal to (i) in the case of LIBOR loans, 3.25% and (ii) in the case of alternate base rate loans, 2.25%. The LIBOR rate applicable to the Term Loan Facility was subject to a floor of 0.50%. In accordance with the amendment, interest on Term SOFR loans under the Term Loan Facility is now calculated by reference to Term SOFR, plus an interest rate margin ranging from 3.36% to 3.68%. The obligation to pay principal and interest on the loans under the Term Loan Facility is jointly and severally guaranteed on a full and unconditional basis by certain of our wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. The loans under the Term Loan Facility are secured on a first-priority lien basis by certain assets of ours and guarantors that do not constitute priority collateral of the ABL Facility and on a second-priority lien basis by priority collateral of the ABL Facility, subject to customary exceptions. As of February 3, 2024, the interest rate on loans under the Term Loan Facility was 8.89%.

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On August 2, 2021, we also entered into a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility. The ABL Facility allows for borrowings and letters of credit in U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars, and has aggregate commitments of $750 million and an expiration date of August 2026. The availability under the ABL Facility is the lesser of (i) the borrowing base, determined primarily based on our eligible U.S. and Canadian credit card receivables, eligible accounts receivable, eligible inventory and eligible real property, and (ii) the aggregate commitment. In May 2023, we amended our ABL Facility to allow for an early transition to using Term SOFR as the applicable reference rate to calculate interest instead of LIBOR. Prior to the amendment, interest on the loans under the ABL Facility was calculated by reference to (i) LIBOR or an alternative base rate and (ii) in the case of loans denominated in Canadian dollars, Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR”) or a Canadian base rate, plus an interest rate margin based on average daily excess availability ranging from (x) in the case of LIBOR and CDOR loans, 1.50% to 2.00% and (y) in the case of alternate base rate loans and Canadian base rate loans, 0.50% to 1.00%. In accordance with the amendment, interest on Term SOFR loans under the ABL Facility is now calculated by reference to Term SOFR, plus an interest rate margin based on average daily excess availability ranging from 1.60% to 2.10%. Unused commitments under the ABL Facility accrue an unused commitment fee ranging from 0.25% to 0.30%. The obligation to pay principal and interest on the loans under the ABL Facility is jointly and severally guaranteed on a full and unconditional basis by certain of our wholly-owned domestic and Canadian subsidiaries. The loans under the ABL Facility are secured on a first-priority lien basis by our eligible U.S. and Canadian credit card receivables, eligible accounts receivable, eligible inventory and eligible real property and on a second-priority lien basis on substantially all other assets of ours, subject to customary exceptions.

We borrowed $465 million and $295 million from the ABL Facility during 2023 and 2022, respectively, and made payments of $615 million under the ABL Facility during 2023. As of February 3, 2024, there were borrowings of $145 million outstanding under the ABL Facility and the interest rate on the borrowings was 7.46%. We had $19 million of outstanding letters of credit as of February 3, 2024 that further reduced our availability under the ABL Facility. As of February 3, 2024, our remaining availability under the ABL Facility was $423 million.

Our long-term debt and borrowing facilities contain certain financial and other covenants, including, but not limited to, the maintenance of financial ratios. The 2029 Notes and the Term Loan Facility include the maintenance of a consolidated coverage ratio and a consolidated total leverage ratio, and the ABL Facility includes the maintenance of a fixed charge coverage ratio and a debt to earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent (“EBITDAR”) ratio. The financial covenants could, within specific predefined circumstances, limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness, make certain investments, pay dividends or repurchase shares. As of February 3, 2024, we were in compliance with all covenants under our long-term debt and borrowing facilities.

We elected the optional expedient under Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform, in connection with amending our Term Loan Facility and ABL Facility agreements to replace the reference rate from LIBOR to Term SOFR to consider the amendments as a continuation of the existing contract without having to perform an assessment that would otherwise be required under GAAP.

Credit Ratings

The following table provides our credit ratings as of February 3, 2024:

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Contingent Liabilities and Contractual Obligations

The following table provides our contractual obligations, aggregated by type, including the maturity profile as of February 3, 2024:

________________

(a)Long-term debt obligations relate to our principal and interest payments for our outstanding debt. Interest payments have been estimated based on the coupon rate for fixed rate obligations. For variable interest rate obligations under the Term Loan Facility, the interest payments have been estimated based on an interest rate of 8.89%, which was the interest rate as of February 3, 2024. For variable interest rate obligations under the ABL Facility, the interest payments have been estimated based on an interest rate of 7.46%, which was the interest rate as of February 3, 2024. For additional information, see Note 13 to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(b)Future lease obligations primarily represent minimum payments due under store lease agreements. For additional information, see Note 9 to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(c)Purchase obligations primarily include purchase orders for merchandise inventory and other agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding and that specify all significant terms, including: fixed or minimum quantities to be purchased; fixed, minimum or variable price provisions; and the approximate timing of the transactions.

(d)Cash consideration related to the acquisition of Adore Me relates to a fixed payment and a contingent payment based on the achievement of specified strategic objectives. For additional information, see Note 2 to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

(e)Other liabilities also include future estimated payments associated with unrecognized tax benefits. The “Less Than 1 Year” category includes $20 million of these tax items because it is reasonably possible that the payments could change in the next 12 months due to audit settlements or resolution of uncertainties. The remaining portion totaling $12 million is included in the “Other” category because it is not reasonably possible that the payments could change in the next 12 months due to audit settlements or resolution of uncertainties. For additional information, see Note 12 to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Recently Issued Accounting and Reporting Pronouncements

We did not adopt any new accounting standards during 2023 that had a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

SEC Climate-Related Disclosures

In March 2024, the SEC adopted rules intended to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures in registration statements and annual reports. The new rules will require disclosure of material climate-related risks, including disclosure of Board of Directors' oversight and risk management activities, the material impacts of these risks to us and the quantification of material impacts to us as a result of severe weather events and other natural conditions. The rules also require disclosure of material greenhouse gas emissions and any material climate-related targets and goals. The new rules will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning in fiscal year 2025, except for the greenhouse gas emissions disclosures which will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning in fiscal year 2026. We are currently evaluating the impact of these new rules.

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Income Taxes

In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which is intended to enhance the transparency and decision-usefulness of income tax disclosures, primarily by requiring enhanced disclosure for income taxes paid and the effective tax rate reconciliation. This standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning in fiscal year 2025 and for interim periods beginning in fiscal year 2026, with early adoption permitted. The updates required by this standard should be applied prospectively, but retroactive application is permitted. We do not expect this standard to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

Segment Reporting

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosure, which is intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant segment expense categories that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker and included in each reported measure of a segment’s profit or loss. The update also requires all annual disclosures about a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets to be provided in interim periods and for entities with a single reportable segment to provide all the disclosures required by ASC 280, Segment Reporting, including the significant segment expense disclosures. This standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning in fiscal year 2024 and interim periods beginning in fiscal year 2025, with early adoption permitted. The updates required by this standard should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented in the financial statements. We do not expect this standard to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to adopt accounting policies related to estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period, as well as the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its accounting policies, estimates and judgments, including those related to inventories, long-lived assets, claims and contingencies, income taxes and revenue recognition. Management bases our estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Management has discussed the development and selection of our critical accounting policies and estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors and believes the following assumptions and estimates are most significant to reporting our results of operations and financial position.

Inventories

Inventories are principally valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, on an average cost basis. We record valuation adjustments to our inventories if the cost of inventory on hand exceeds the amount we expect to realize from the ultimate sale or disposal of the inventory. These estimates are based on management’s judgment regarding future demand and market conditions and analysis of historical experience. If actual demand or market conditions are different than those projected by management, future period merchandise margin rates may be unfavorably or favorably affected by adjustments to these estimates.

We also record inventory loss adjustments for estimated physical inventory losses that have occurred since the date of the last physical inventory. These estimates are based on management’s analysis of historical results, operating trends and consumer behavior. Management believes that the assumptions used in these estimates are reasonable and appropriate. A 10% increase or decrease in the inventory valuation adjustment would have impacted net income by approximately $2 million for 2023. A 10% increase or decrease in the estimated physical inventory loss adjustment would have impacted net income by approximately $3 million for 2023.

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Valuation of Long-lived Assets

Long-lived Store Assets

Long-lived store assets, which include leasehold improvements, store related assets and operating lease assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. Store assets are grouped at the lowest level for which they are largely independent of other assets or asset groups. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows related to the asset group are less than the carrying value, we recognize a loss equal to the difference between the carrying value and the estimated fair value, determined by the estimated discounted future cash flows of the asset group. For operating lease assets, we determine the fair value of the assets by comparing the contractual rent payments to estimated market rental rates. An individual asset within an asset group is not impaired below its estimated fair value. The fair value of long-lived store assets are determined using Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy. There were no long-lived store asset impairment charges in 2023, 2022 or 2021.

Our fair value estimates incorporate significant assumptions and judgments including, but not limited to, estimated future cash flows, discount rates and market rental rates. The use of different assumptions or judgments in our assessment could materially increase or decrease the fair value of our store assets and, accordingly, could materially increase or decrease any related impairment charge. Sustained declines in our business performance could result in a material impairment charge in a future period.

When a decision has been made to dispose of property and equipment prior to the end of the previously estimated useful life, depreciation estimates are revised to reflect the use of the asset over the shortened estimated useful life.

Goodwill

Goodwill is reviewed for impairment at the reporting unit level each year in the fourth quarter and may be reviewed more frequently if certain events occur or circumstances change. We have the option to either first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that each reporting unit's fair value is less than its carrying value (including goodwill), or to proceed directly to the quantitative assessment which requires a comparison of the reporting unit's fair value to its carrying value (including goodwill). If we determine that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, we recognize an impairment charge equal to the difference, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Our reporting units are determined in accordance with the provisions of ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other.

We considered the overall macroeconomic conditions and performed a quantitative impairment test for our reporting units with goodwill in the fourth quarter of 2023. The fair value of the reporting unit was determined using an income approach based on the discounted cash flow (“DCF”) model and a market approach based on earnings multiples of guideline public companies, with 50% of the value determined using the DCF model and 50% of the value determined using the guideline public company approach. The fair value of the reporting unit under both approaches is determined using Level 3 inputs within the fair value hierarchy. Under the DCF method, the fair value of a reporting unit is based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. Under the guideline public company method, the fair value is based upon market multiples of revenue and earnings derived from publicly-traded companies with similar business characteristics as the reporting unit.

Claims and Contingencies

We are subject to various claims and contingencies related to lawsuits, taxes, insurance, regulatory and other matters arising out of the normal course of business. Our determination of the treatment of claims and contingencies in the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements is based on management’s view of the expected outcome of the applicable claim or contingency. We consult with legal counsel on matters related to litigation and seek input from both internal and external experts with respect to matters in the ordinary course of business. We accrue a liability if the likelihood of an adverse outcome is probable and the amount is reasonably estimable. If the likelihood of an adverse outcome is only reasonably possible (as opposed to probable) or if an estimate is not reasonably determinable, disclosure of a material claim or contingency is disclosed in the Notes to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements included in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

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Income Taxes

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, taxes currently payable or refundable are accrued, and deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets are also recognized for realizable operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted income tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in income tax rates is recognized in our Consolidated and Combined Statement of Income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company treats the global intangible low-taxed income provisions enacted as part of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as a current period expense. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized.

Judgment is required in determining the provision for income taxes and related accruals, deferred tax assets and liabilities. In determining our provision for income taxes, we consider permanent differences between book and tax income and statutory income tax rates. Our effective income tax rate is affected by items including changes in tax law, the tax jurisdiction of new stores or business ventures and the level of earnings.

We follow the authoritative guidance included in ASC 740, Income Taxes, which contains a two-step approach to recognize and measure uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the available evidence indicates it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. We consider many factors when evaluating and estimating our tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments and for which actual outcomes may differ from forecasted outcomes. Our policy is to include interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.

Our income tax returns, like those of most companies, are periodically audited by domestic and foreign tax authorities. These audits include questions regarding our tax filing positions, including the timing and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. At any one time, multiple tax years are subject to audit by the various tax authorities. A number of years may elapse before a particular matter for which we have established an accrual is audited and fully resolved or clarified. We adjust our tax contingencies accrual and income tax provision in the period in which matters are effectively settled with tax authorities at amounts different from our established accrual, when the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position or when more information becomes available. We include our tax contingencies accrual, including accrued penalties and interest, in Other Long-term Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets unless the liability is expected to be paid within one year. Changes to the tax contingencies accrual, including accrued penalties and interest, are included in Provision for Income Taxes on the Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenue based on the amount we expect to receive when control of the goods or services is transferred to our customer. We recognize sales upon customer receipt of merchandise, which for direct channel revenues reflect an estimate of shipments that have not yet been received by our customer based on shipping terms and historical delivery times. Our shipping and handling revenues are included in Net Sales with the related costs included in Costs of Goods Sold, Buying and Occupancy in our Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income. We also provide a reserve for projected merchandise returns based on historical experience and recent information. Net Sales exclude sales and other similar taxes collected from customers.

We offer certain loyalty programs that allow customers to earn points based on purchasing activity. As customers accumulate points and reach point thresholds, they can use the points to purchase merchandise in stores or online. We allocate revenue to points earned on qualifying purchases and defer recognition until the points are redeemed. The amount of revenue deferred is based on the relative stand-alone selling price method, which includes an estimate for points not expected to be redeemed based on historical experience.

We sell gift cards with no expiration dates to customers. We do not charge administrative fees on unused gift cards. We recognize revenue from gift cards when they are redeemed by the customer. In addition, we recognize revenue on unredeemed gift cards where the likelihood of the gift card being redeemed is remote and there is no legal obligation to remit the unredeemed gift cards to relevant jurisdictions (gift card breakage). Gift card breakage revenue is recognized in proportion, and over the same period, as actual gift card redemptions. We determine the gift card breakage rate based on historical redemption patterns. Gift card breakage is included in Net Sales in our Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income.

Revenue earned in connection with our credit card arrangements is primarily recognized based on credit card sales and usage and is included in Net Sales in the Consolidated and Combined Statements of Income.

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We also recognize revenues associated with franchise, license, wholesale and sourcing arrangements. Revenue recognized under franchise and license arrangements generally consists of royalties earned and recognized upon sale of merchandise by franchise and license partners to retail customers. Revenue is generally recognized under wholesale and sourcing arrangements at the time the title of merchandise passes to the partner.