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Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2021
Extraordinary And Unusual Items [Abstract]  
Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic

2. Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Impact on Fiscal 2021

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel strain of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) a global pandemic and recommended containment and mitigation measures worldwide. On March 14, 2020, the Company announced that it temporarily closed all stores, offices and showrooms globally. The Company’s distribution and fulfillment centers remained open to support the digital business and the Wholesale segment operations but did so with additional safety procedures and enhanced cleaning measures in place to protect the health of employees. All other corporate and showroom employees are working remotely.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company took many measures to protect its financial position and increase financial flexibility. For details of all such material measures taken during fiscal 2021, refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on April 1, 2021. See Note 6, “Debt,” for discussion of the Company’s borrowings and subsequent repayments under its Amended Credit Facility during fiscal 2021.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, during fiscal 2021, the Company recorded certain additional reserves, including inventory obsolescence reserves and allowance for doubtful accounts for Wholesale segment customer accounts receivables, and non-cash charges, primarily store impairment charges. For further discussion of such reserves and non-cash charges for the first quarter of fiscal 2021, see the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2020, filed with the SEC on June 29, 2020, and the impact of the remainder of fiscal 2021 in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021.

Beginning April 25, 2020, the Company reopened stores in select states and countries in accordance with local government guidelines. As of July 31, 2020, substantially all of the Company’s stores had reopened. Where

opening was permitted, the Company followed newly established health protocols, provided personal protective equipment to its employees, and implemented social distancing working practices. Additionally, the Company implemented occupancy limits, reduced operating hours, and instituted new cleaning regimens. As a result, the Company incurred incremental costs for personal protective equipment and additional payroll and other costs associated with implementing these health protocols in its stores, distribution and fulfillment centers, and corporate offices. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, certain store operations were again impacted by an additional round of temporary store closures and occupancy restrictions, primarily in Europe and Canada.

 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain governments implemented programs (some of which expired in fiscal 2021) to encourage companies to retain and pay employees that are unable to work or are limited in the work that they can perform in light of closures or a significant decline in sales. The Company qualified for certain of these programs during fiscal 2021, which partially offset related expenses. The Company recorded the benefit of the government assistance programs as an offset to selling, general and administrative expenses or store occupancy expenses in cost of sales based on the nature of the related expenses offset by such programs. The Company did not record any amounts in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 but did throughout the remainder of fiscal 2021.

 

Impact on Fiscal 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to negatively impact the Company’s store operations during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 due to reduced store traffic as closures and occupancy restrictions continued primarily in Europe and Canada. During the first quarter of fiscal 2022, however, the Company decreased a portion of its inventory obsolescence reserves as a result of disciplined inventory control and better than planned product performance and reduced a portion of the allowance for doubtful accounts for Wholesale segment customer accounts receivables due to the collection of certain outstanding accounts receivables.

 

The Company continued to qualify for certain government assistance programs that partially offset related expenses in locations impacted by closures during fiscal 2022. The Company recorded the benefit of the government assistance programs as an offset to selling, general and administrative expenses or store occupancy expenses in cost of sales based on the nature of the related expenses offset by such programs.

 

Impact on Future Operations

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Company’s operations and related government and private sector responsive actions could continue to affect its business operations. The Company cannot reasonably estimate the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had and may continue to have a material impact on its business. As a result, current financial information may not be necessarily indicative of future operating results and the Company’s plans to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may change.