Ralph Lauren Corporation
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| Type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Traded as | NYSE: RL S&P 500 Component |
| Industry | Apparels, accessories |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | 650 Madison Avenue New York City 10022 United States |
| Number of locations | 631 (April 2010)[1] |
| Area served | Various locations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania[2] |
| Key people | Ralph Lauren (Chairman & CEO)[1] Roger N. Farah (President, COO, and Director)[1] Tracey Thomas Travis (CFO, Principle Accounting Officer, Senior VP of Finance)[1] Jackwyn L. Nemerov (Executive VP of Wholesale Brands, Licensed Products, Sourcing, Merchandising, Home and Asia Pacific and Director)[1] Mr. Mitchell A. Kosh (Senior VP of Human Resources & Legal)[1] |
| Products | Footwear Fragrances Housewares |
| Services | Customized formalwear Foodservice |
| Revenue |  US$ 4.979 billion (FY 2010)[3] |
| Operating income |  US$ 707 million (FY 2010)[3] |
| Net income | US$ 480 million (FY 2010)[3] |
| Total assets | US$ 4.649 billion (FY 2010)[3] |
| Total equity | US$ 3.117 billion (FY 2010)[3] |
| Employees | 19,000 (April 2010)[3] |
| Divisions | Ralph Lauren Media, LLC. |
| Subsidiaries | Club Monaco |
| Website | ralphlauren.com |
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is an upscale American lifestyle company and fashion retailer founded by American designer Ralph Lauren. The company focuses on high-end clothes for men and women, as well as accessories, footwear, fragrances, home (bedding, towels) and housewares; presents media content of its lifestyle; and it also runs a line of restaurants. Widely recognized for its Polo Ralph Lauren flagship label, RL Corporation also manages several other brands, based on the Ralph Lauren concept, under which it retails its merchandise. It also carries its subsidiary, Club Monaco. The company's media content is presented by its division, Ralph Lauren Media, LLC. RL Corporation is headquartered on the Upper East Side of New York City.[4]
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History [edit]
The origins of the RL Corporation lay with launch of Ralph Lauren's collection of men's ties – Polo Ralph Lauren – in 1967. Born in 1939 as Ralph Lifshitz (he later became known as Ralph Lauren) in The Bronx, New York, to Ashkenazi Jewish parents from Eastern Europe (Belarus), Ralph Lauren pursued a career in menswear and had gained background working for Datrian Riser. He received a US$50,000 loan to realize his vision for men's ties. By 1969, he had a boutique store within the Manhattan department store Bloomingdale's. Around that same time, he released a line of suits for women that were tailored in a classic men's style; and this was when the first Polo emblem was seen. The logo was on the cuff of the women's suit. In 1971, Polo Ralph Lauren launched its first women's collection of apparel and the first stand-alone store was opened in Beverly Hills, California. The company entered the European market, and went international, in 1981 with the opening of a store on New Bond Street in the West End of London, England. The Polo Sport line was introduced in 1993. In 1997, the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange. By now, the company was structured to operate as an umbrella for its brands and other ventures and would be named the Ralph Lauren Corporation by the early-21st century. It was originally named Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, but in subsequent years the Polo in the name was dropped to reflect the company's presence in other concepts beyond the Polo line. The original Polo line remained as the flagship brand of the company. The company's official web site, and online shop, was launched in 2000 as polo.com by RL Media (a cooperation between Ralph Lauren and NBC). A more youthful line – Rugby Ralph Lauren – was introduced in 2004. By 2007, Ralph Lauren had over 35 boutiques in the United States and other international locations in London, Milan, Tokyo, and Moscow. Also in that year, Ralph Lauren Corporation acquired the NBC share of RL Media and the web site was relaunched as ralphlauren.com. By then, company revenue reached US$4.2 billion.[5] In 2010, Ralph Lauren opened in Paris.
Branding, merchandise, and licensing [edit]
Today, Ralph Lauren Corporation produces clothing, accessories, footwear, fragrances, and furniture all marketed under its portfolio of various brands.
Under the Ralph Lauren umbrella:
- Mens brands: Polo Ralph Lauren, Black Label, Purple Label, RLX (launched in 2008), RRL, Denim & Supply; and there is also Big & Tall, Golf sportswear (launched in 1998),[6] and Tennis sportswear.
- Women's brands: Collection (a high-end line presented on the runway during New York Fashion Week), Black Label, Blue Label (launched in 2002), RLX (launched in 2008), Lauren Ralph Lauren, Denim & Supply; and there is also Golf and Tennis sportswear.
- Ralph Lauren Childrenswear
- Baby Ralph Lauren
- Ralph Lauren Home (an extensive collection of bedding and bath textiles and other home accessories)
- Denim & Supply
Subsidiary fashion brands of Ralph Lauren Corporation:
- Club Monaco
- Chaps
- American Living
Retired lines:
- Polo Sport
- Polo Denim
- Ralph Lauren Jeans Co.
- Blue Label (mens)
- Rugby Ralph Lauren (for younger consumers)
The company also operates the restaurants under the RL branding and under the Rugby Ralph Lauren branding.
Fragrances [edit]
Ralph Lauren corporation has launched various fragrances and related body care products for men and women since 1978. The products are manufactured under license by L'Oreal.
In 1978, Ralph Lauren Polo partnered with L’oreal and introduced his first two fragrances, Polo and Lauren by Ralph Lauren. This marked the first time a designer launched two fragrances for men and women, both went on to become international classics. Since then, Ralph Lauren has introduced several wonderful, award-winning fragrances, each expressing a distinct personality and lifestyle in the designer’s tradition. . The next two scents in the line, Chaps for Men and Tuxedo for Women, both introduced in 1979, also became beloved classics.
Ralph Lauren fragrances were made in collaboration with perfumers Yves Cassar, Harry Fremont, Richard Herpin, Olivier Gillotin, Carlos Benaim, Pierre Negrin, Christophe Laudamiel, Ellen Molner, Honorine Blanc, James Krivda, Annie Buzantian, Firmenich, Alain Alchenberger, David Apel, Jim Krivda, Linda Kramer, Antoine Lie and Dominique Ropion. The company continues to produce popular fragrances for men and women, from the iconic 1990s Safari perfumes for men and women through newer offerings under its other labels in the 21st century. There are 17389 fragrances. Cologne and Perfumes has a price range from $100 to $200. You will be able to find fragrances and colognes at many stores, and also online.
Licenses [edit]
To gain better control of the various brands Ralph Lauren has bought back in recent years many licenses granted in previous years. The company claims that all Ralph Lauren products, whether in-house produced or licensed, have been designed by Mr. Lauren and/or his design staff. As of 2009 product licensing partners for the U.S. market include L'Oreal (perfume and cosmetics), Peerless, Inc. (Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Ralph, Chaps and American Living tailored menswear), Warnaco Group (Chaps sportswear), HanesBrands (mens Ralph Lauren underwear) and Luxottica Group (eyewear). All of the 'home' products in the various Ralph Lauren lines are produced by licensing partners. Internationally, entire regions have been provided with the right to sell Ralph Lauren merchandise and operate branded stores: Australia/New Zealand (Oroton Group), Central America (PRL Enterprises), Korea (Doosan Corporation) and Hong Kong / Southeast Asia (Dickson Concepts). All domestic Ralph Lauren stores are operated by Ralph Lauren. Internationally some RL stores are operated by Ralph Lauren, about 90 are operated by licensing partners.
Stores [edit]
As of April 2010, the Ralph Lauren Corporation operated a total of 179 full-price stores, 171 factory stores, and 281 "concessions-based shop-within-shops" – a total of 631 locations worldwide.[1] The figure reflects retail operations for all of the company's brands across various locations throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.[2]
Ralph Lauren operates its representative flagship stores in New York City on Madison Avenue – for menswear in the former Rhinelander Mansion, and for womenswear and home in another structure, across the street, which opened in 2011. The company also manages flagships, for retailing Ralph Lauren collections, in Chicago, Greenwich (USA), London, Milan, Tokyo, Moscow, and Paris.[7]
Sports sponsorships [edit]
- Wimbledon
In 2006, Polo Ralph Lauren became the first Official Outfitter of Wimbledon, redesigning the outfits for ball boys and girls, line and court judges. The Wimbledon logo was adapted for this purpose. Ralph Lauren's Polo brand and style was used and a range of clothing for men and women was launched on June 26.[8]
- USTA
In 2005, Polo Ralph Lauren and the USTA signed a four year partnership making Polo the official apparel sponsor of the US Open throughout 2008. All ball boys and girls, and on-court officials, were dressed in specially designed Ralph Lauren apparel.[9]
- Golf
The company also sponsors US professional golfers Webb Simpson, Tom Watson, Jonathan Byrd, Davis Love III and Luke Donald; as well as LPGA golfer Morgan Pressel.[10]
- U.S. Olympic Team
In April 2008, Polo Ralph Lauren won the U.S. Olympic contract to outfit the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team.[11] Roots Canada Ltd. announced its end as the official clothing supplier to the US Olympic team on April 7, 2008.
In July 2009, it was announced Ralph Lauren would continue its partnership with the U.S. Olympic team for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[12]
The 2012 US Olympic team uniforms for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics were designed by Ralph Lauren. The uniforms were manufactured in China, setting off a bipartisan backlash from the United States Congress protesting American manufacturing not being showcased in America's greatest athletes.[13] On July 13, 2012, six Democratic U.S. Senators announced they have co-sponsored legislation to require the 2012 U.S. Olympic team to wear American-made uniforms. The co-sponsors of the "Team USA Made In America Act of 2012" are: Senators Robert Menendez and Frank R. Lautenberg both of New Jersey, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.[14]
Controversies [edit]
- Levi Strauss lawsuit
Levi Strauss & Co. filed a lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch and the RL Corporation in July 2007 for trademark infringement. It alleged that the separate retailers used Levi's trademarked pocket design of connected arches in the design of some of their respective products.[15]
- South African Polo trademark issues
The Polo brand sold in South Africa is not affiliated with the Ralph Lauren brand. An independent South African company trademarked the Polo name and logo in South Africa.[16]
- Filippa Hamilton photo controversy
In 2009, Ralph Lauren apologized for digitally retouching a photograph of model Filippa Hamilton to make her look thinner.[17] Hamilton also claims that she was fired by Ralph Lauren a few days later.[18] Another model's photo was also digitally retouched[19] adding to the row of models.
- Bribes in Argentina to clear prohibited merchandise from customs
In 2012, Ralph Lauren agreed to pay $1.6 million to the DOJ and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in order to avoid prosecution under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a US bill that punishes bribery to foreign government agents.[20] [21] Since the case went public in local newspapers, the Argentine tax agency suspended Ralph Laurens' operations in the country, blamed the firms management board and private customs brokers for the bribery, and asked the US Embassy for evidence and names in order to locally prosecute everyone involved. [22] [23] [24]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ralph Lauren Corporation – Yahoo Finance profile". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ a b "Ralph Lauren stores". Ralph Lauren Media, LLC. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "2010 Form 10-K, Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation". United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
- ^ "Contact US". Ralph Lauren Media, LLC. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
- ^ "Please create a screen name to access this feature". CNN.
- ^ "RL To Present Fall 2008 Golf Collections at PGA Merchandise Show". golfbusinesswire.com.
- ^ "Our Flagships". Ralph Lauren Media, LLC. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ Los Angeles Times p.D4
- ^ Appelbaum p.40
- ^ Business Wire
- ^ reportonbusiness.com: Marketing
- ^ Eddie Pells (July 2, 2009). "US team to wear Ralph Lauren again at Olympic. SWAGg ceremonies". Associated Press. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
- ^ Lawmakers furious over China-made U.S. Olympic uniform, Retrieved July 12, 2012
- ^ Langell, Sean. "Bill calls for Olympians to wear U.S.-made gear". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ^ "Levi's says Abercrombie pick pocketed design (Denim maker files another lawsuit, this time against teen clothier Abercrombie & Fitch, over theft of its trademarked back-pocket design)". CNN. July 26, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
- ^ "South Africa". Buildingipvalue.com. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
- ^ Ralph Lauren apologizes for digitally retouching slender model to make her head look bigger than her waist, Retrieved 2011-10-25
- ^ Filippa Hamilton, Ralph Lauren's Retouched Model: I Was Fired For Being Too Fat, huffingtonpost Retrieved 2011-10-25
- ^ dailymail.co.uk, Second Ralph Lauren model in Photoshop row as she's airbrushed to become impossibly skinny, Retrieved 2011-10-25
- ^ reuters.com, Ralph Lauren to pay $1.6 million to resolve Argentine bribery case, Retrieved 2013-04-23
- ^ businessoffashion.com, Ralph Lauren Pays Fine to SEC Following Argentinian Bribery Scandal, Retrieved 2013-04-23
- ^ Buenos Aires Herald, Government suspends Ralph Lauren operations in Argentina, Retrieved 2013-04-23
- ^ euronews.com, Argentina questions Ralph Lauren bribery case, Retrieved 2013-04-23
- ^ lanacion.com.ar, Tras las supuestas coimas, la AFIP suspendió el CUIT de Ralph Lauren, Retrieved 2013-04-23
- Appelbaum, Michael (2005-03-14). "Tennis Apparel, Anyone?". Brandweek. p. 40
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ralph Lauren Corporation |
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