Macy's, Inc. - Annual Report: 2021 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended January 30, 2021

OR

For the transition period from           to

Commission file number: 1-13536

Macy's, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.  Yes ☐  No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes ☒  No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company,” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes ☐  No ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter (August 1, 2020) was approximately $1,880,068,605.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Unless the context requires otherwise, references to “Macy’s” or the “Company” are references to Macy’s and its subsidiaries and references to “2020,” “2019,” “2018,” “2017” and “2016” are references to the Company’s fiscal years ended January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019, February 3, 2018 and January 28, 2017, respectively. Fiscal year 2017 included 53 weeks; fiscal years 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2016 included 52 weeks.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report and other reports, statements and information previously or subsequently filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) contain or may contain forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon the beliefs and assumptions of, and on information available to, the management of the Company at the time such statements are made. The following are or may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: (i) statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “future,” “potential,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “think,” “estimate” or “continue” or the negative or other variations thereof, and (ii) statements regarding matters that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties relating to:

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In addition to any risks and uncertainties specifically identified in the text surrounding such forward-looking statements, the statements in the immediately preceding sentence and the statements under captions such as “Risk Factors” in reports, statements and information filed by the Company with the SEC from time to time constitute cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual amounts, results, events and circumstances to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

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General

The Company is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware in 1985. The Company and its predecessors have been operating department stores since 1830. The Company operates 727 store locations in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. As of January 30, 2021, the Company's operations were conducted through Macy's, Macy’s Backstage, Market by Macy’s, Bloomingdale's, Bloomingdale’s The Outlet, and bluemercury. In addition, Bloomingdale's in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Al Zahra, Kuwait are operated under license agreements with Al Tayer Insignia, a company of Al Tayer Group, LLC.

The Company sells a wide range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories (men’s, women’s and kids'), cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods. The specific assortments vary by size of store, merchandising assortments and character of customers in the trade areas. Most stores are located at urban or suburban sites, principally in densely populated areas across the United States.

Disaggregation of the Company's net sales by family of business for 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:

In 2020, the Company’s subsidiaries provided various support functions to the Company’s retail operations on an integrated, company-wide basis.

The Company’s principal executive office is located at 151 West 34th Street, New York, New York 10001, telephone number: (513) 579-7780. 

Seasonality

The retail business is seasonal in nature with a high proportion of sales and operating income generated in the months of November and December. Working capital requirements fluctuate during the year, increasing in mid-summer in anticipation of the fall merchandising season and increasing substantially prior to the months of November and December when the Company carries significantly higher inventory levels.

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Purchasing

The Company purchases merchandise from many suppliers, none of which accounted for more than 5% of the Company’s purchases during 2020. The Company has no material long-term purchase commitments with any of its suppliers, and believes that it is not dependent on any one supplier. The Company considers its relations with its suppliers to be good.

Private Label Brands and Related Trademarks

The principal private label brands currently offered by the Company include Alfani, Aqua, Bar III, Belgique, Charter Club, Club Room, Epic Threads, first impressions, Giani Bernini, Holiday Lane, Home Design, Hotel Collection, Hudson Park, Ideology, I-N-C, jenni, JM Collection, Karen Scott, lune+aster, M-61, Maison Jules, Martha Stewart Collection, Oake, Sky, Style & Co., Sun + Stone, Sutton Studio, Tasso Elba, Thalia Sodi, The Cellar, Tools of the Trade and Wild Pair.

The trademarks associated with the Company's private label brands, other than Martha Stewart Collection and Thalia Sodi, are owned by the Company. The Martha Stewart Collection and Thalia Sodi brands are owned by third parties, which license the trademarks associated with the brands to Company pursuant to agreements. The agreement for Thalia Sodi expired in January 2021, but the Company has a 180-day sell-off period, while the Martha Stewart agreement extends through 2022.

Competition

The retail industry is highly competitive. The Company’s operations compete with many retail formats on the national and local level, including department stores, specialty stores, general merchandise stores, manufacturers' outlets, off-price and discount stores, online retailers and catalogs, among others. The Company seeks to attract customers by offering compelling, high-quality products, great prices and trusted service across all channels, including its digital platforms. The Company’s stores are located in premier locations and the Company provides a superior omnichannel product experience at a variety of price points. Other retailers may compete for customers on some or all of these bases, or on other bases, and may be perceived by some potential customers as being better aligned with their particular preferences.

Available Information

The Company makes its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") available free of charge through its internet website at https://www.macysinc.com as soon as reasonably practicable after it electronically files such material with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. The SEC also maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC; the address of that site is https://www.sec.gov. In addition, the Company has made the following available free of charge through its website at https://www.macysinc.com:

Any of these items are also available in print to any shareholder who requests them. Requests should be sent to the Corporate Secretary of Macy’s, Inc. at 151 West 34th Street, New York, New York 10001.

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Human Capital

Culture & Engagement  

At Macy’s culture is about relationships—how the Company serves and supports its customers, communities and employees (called colleagues).  The Company’s workplace is rooted in equity and guided by its values of acceptance, respect, integrity and giving back.

The Company gathers colleague feedback at key times throughout the colleague lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding, providing regular venues for colleagues to ask questions and share their opinions, such as Ask Me Anything sessions, town halls and employee resource groups.  The Company formally solicits feedback from all colleagues twice a year through an enterprise-wide Culture Pulse Survey.  The results are shared across the organization to provide visibility to both managers (called people leaders) and colleagues and help create an opportunity for open and constructive discussions among teams.  

Diversity & Inclusion  

Macy’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is guided by its values and starts from within by building a workforce that accurately represents the communities it serves at all levels and by cultivating a culture of belonging. The Company seeks to empower colleagues to harness and unleash the power of their individuality to help drive better business decisions for customers and shareholders.

The Company actively promotes an inclusive and welcoming environment for all customers and is focused on diversity and inclusion beyond the organization—working to support and develop diverse suppliers; investing in economic and workforce development; contributing to organizations fighting for social justice; and awarding scholarships to cultivate future leaders.

One of the Company’s measures to advance the diversity of its leadership at the senior director level and above is the MOSAIC program, a one-year professional development program launched in 2019 for its top talent at the manager and director levels who self-identify as ethnically diverse.  From 2019 to 2020, approximately 61% of program participants were promoted or moved into a new role, with approximately 18% promoted to senior director level. The Company is currently at 24% ethnic diversity at the senior director level and above, with a goal to reach 25% in 2021 and 30% by 2025.

Macy’s believes people leaders play an important role in driving performance and an inclusive culture.  In 2020, the Company incorporated People Leader Commitments (which were launched in 2019) and diversity and inclusion (D&I) into the performance review process.  In 2021, the Company has included standardized D&I goals into annual reviews at the director level and above.

Company-sponsored, employee-led resource groups (ERGs) provide an opportunity for colleagues to experience connection, achieve belonging and build community.  ERGs expanded from 51 to 94 chapters across Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s in 2020 and continue to be a resource for attracting and retaining talent.

Macy’s D&I focus areas extend beyond its colleagues and include community, customers, marketing and suppliers.  For example:

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Future of Work  

The workplace is evolving and so is Macy’s. The Company believes the future of work is about allowing colleagues to do their best work safely, flexibly and in an environment that inspires collaboration and connection and reflects their core values. Through investments in technology, new and updated policies and procedures, and listening to the needs of its colleagues, Macy’s is evolving with them. Because no matter where colleagues work, behind a desk or behind a screen, in stores or in distribution centers, the Company believes they are guided by their strong sense of culture and what it means to be part of the Macy’s family.

The Company has taken enhanced safety measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to colleagues and customers including requiring all customers to wear face masks in stores, enforcing social distancing guidelines, increasing safety equipment in stores, offering contactless shopping opportunities, providing company-supplied personal protection equipment and wellness checks for colleagues, and performing enhanced cleaning.  

Learning & Development

Macy’s believes that learning goes hand in hand with career growth, personal satisfaction and outstanding results. The Company aspires to create a learning culture where colleagues actively learn, apply what they have learned to address business challenges and share their knowledge, including their mistakes, to help others grow.  Learning is accessible through Ignite (powered by Degreed), the Company’s self-directed learning experience platform as well as through technology, social learning and meaningful experiences and exposures with colleagues.  

The Company makes investments in its people leaders and future leaders.  Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s Executive Development Programs offer immersive, hands-on learning experiences for recent college graduates from top universities across the U.S. to jump start a career in retail, with specialization in technology, digital, stores, merchandising, planning, human resources and credit and customer service. Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s offer internships for college students and Bloomindale’s offers an early immersion program focused on providing experiential learning and career exposure to those who identify with underrepresented groups. Bluemercury’s Shooting Stars is a six-month mentorship program that empowers mentees to own their journey by creating a development plan, becoming an inclusive leader and leveraging resources to support their career aspirations.   In 2019, Macy’s partnered with Parsons School of Design to launch Macy’s Fashion Academy - a custom executive education program designed to offer best-in-class development across all disciplines of its merchant talent.

Approximately 81% of colleagues completed unconscious bias training in 2019 and approximately 96% of professional colleagues have utilized Ignite for personal and professional development.  People leaders invest a minimum of 40 hours of leadership development each year.  Professional colleagues participate in a 90-day onboarding experience with performance milestones, support resources and role-specific training.

Data Analytics

Macy’s is embedding data and analytics into its human capital management.  Below are examples of how the Company leverages data-driven insights to support key business decisions.

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Talent

Macy’s employs approximately 90,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal colleagues nationwide across a variety of functions and roles.  The Company is committed to having the best talent in retail – encouraging the continuous upskilling of its colleagues and empowering them to chart their own career paths, while staying focused on acquiring the best and brightest to inject fresh thinking.

Total Rewards

Macy’s offers comprehensive benefits and an awards strategy that recognizes performance and talent development.  Eligible colleagues have varied medical plan options to meet individual needs.  The Company’s commitment to colleagues’ well-being expanded during the pandemic in 2020, as it covered 100% of insurance premiums for colleagues while on furlough, including coverage for dependents.  The Company provides paid time-off, parental leave and holiday pay as well as a company 401(k) plan and match, dependent care flexible spending account, colleague merchandise discount and tuition reimbursement for eligible colleagues.

The Company believes that pay equity is fundamental to its culture and D&I strategy. Compensation is based on job position, responsibilities, experience and performance with incentive opportunities that allow all colleagues to share in the Company’s success.

In 2021, the Company expects to achieve greater than 99% pay equity across gender and race.  In terms of both base pay and total compensation, the Company expects to pay female colleagues at greater than 99% of what it pays male colleagues, and it expects that minorities will be paid at greater than 99% of what it pays non-minorities in the U.S.

The Company informs its compensation approach through market surveys and pay ranges to ensure pay is competitive and fair and has a robust process to assess internal pay levels for consistency and fairness.  The Company’s incentive programs reward colleagues across all levels and functions for achievements in driving business results and upholding its shared culture and values, including annual cash incentives for corporate colleagues based on performance, Path to Growth quarterly incentive program for frontline colleagues, spot bonuses and commissions for store colleagues, and annual equity grants to eligible senior management.

Number of Employees

As of January 30, 2021, excluding seasonal employees, Macy’s had 75,711 full-time and part-time employees.  Because of the seasonal nature of the retail business, the number of employees peaks in the holiday season.  Approximately 7% of employees are represented by unions.

Macy’s, Inc.’s Human Capital Report was released in March 2021 and is available at https://macys.learn.taleo.net/files/upload/hcr/index_ORIG.html#/lessons/MQA5eF65af1i3n8XU_BME3xQTsmGcmHE.  The contents of the Human Capital Report are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Information about our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information as of March 25, 2021 regarding the Executive Officers of the Company:

Executive Officer Biographies

Jeff Gennette has been Chief Executive Officer of the Company since March 2017 and Chairman of the Board since January 2018; prior thereto he was President from March 2014 to August 2017, Chief Merchandising Officer from

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February 2009 to March 2014, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Macy’s West in San Francisco from February 2008 to February 2009 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle-based Macy’s Northwest from February 2006 through February 2008.

Adrian V. Mitchell has been Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company since November 2020; prior thereto he served as a Managing Director and Partner in the DigitalBCG and Consumer Practices of Boston Consulting Group from 2017 to 2020, Chief Executive Officer of Arhaus LLC from 2016 to 2017, executive positions at Crate and Barrel Holdings, Inc. from 2010 to 2015 including interim CEO, Chief Operating & Chief Financial Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and management positions at Target Corporation from 2007 to 2010 including Director of Strategy & Interactive Design for target.com and Director of Innovation & Productivity leading enterprise-wide projects for Target Corporation.

Elisa D. Garcia has been Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the Company since September 2016; prior thereto she served as Chief Legal Officer of Office Depot, Inc. from December 2013 to September 2016, Executive Vice President and Secretary from July 2007 to September 2016 and General Counsel from July 2007 to December 2013.

John T. Harper has been Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of the Company since January 2020; prior thereto he served as Chief Stores Officer from September 2017 to January 2020, President of Store Operations from May 2009 to September 2017, President of Macy’s Home Store from 2007 to 2009, Vice Chairman of Macy’s Midwest from 2006 to 2007 and Chairman of Hecht’s department stores from 2004 to 2006.

Danielle L. Kirgan has been Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation and Human Resources Officer of the Company since February 2020 and Chief Human Resources Officer since October 2017; prior thereto she served as Senior Vice President, People at American Airlines Group, Inc. from October 2016 to October 2017, Chief Human Resources Officer at Darden Restaurants, Inc. from January 2015 to October 2016 and Senior Vice President from May 2010, Vice President, Global Human Resources at ACI Worldwide, Inc. from January 2009 to December 2009, and Vice President, Human Resources at Conagra Foods, Inc. from 2004 to 2008.

Paul Griscom has been Senior Vice President and Controller of the Company since August 2020; prior thereto he served as Vice President and interim Principal Accounting Officer from June to August 2020, Vice President, Financial Reporting and Accounting Services from May 2019 to August 2020, Vice President, Financial Reporting from June 2017 to April 2019, Director of Financial Reporting from July 2016 to May 2017, Director, Training & Products, GAAP Dynamics from 2012 to 2016 and held various positions at KPMG LLP from 2000 to 2012.

Recent Developments

On March 1, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing that John T. Harper will depart the Company effective August 1, 2021.  Subsequently, the role of chief operations officer will be eliminated.

In evaluating the Company, the risks described below and the matters described in “Forward-Looking Statements” should be considered carefully. Such risks and matters are numerous and diverse, may be experienced continuously or intermittently, and may vary in intensity and effect. Although the risks are organized by heading, and each risk is described separately, many of the risks are interrelated. Any of such risks and matters, individually or in combination, could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as on the attractiveness and value of an investment in the Company’s securities.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has had and will continue to have a significant negative impact on the Company’s business and financial results.

In December 2019, there was an outbreak of COVID-19 in China that has since spread to the other regions of the world. The outbreak was subsequently labeled as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. As the pandemic continues to spread throughout the United States, businesses as well as federal, state and local governments have implemented significant actions to attempt to mitigate this public health crisis. Although the ultimate

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severity of the COVID-19 outbreak is uncertain at this time, the pandemic has had and will continue to have adverse impacts on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, including, but not limited to:

The Company cannot foresee whether the outbreak of COVID-19 will be effectively contained, nor can it predict the severity and duration of its impact, how variant strains of the COVID-19 virus will impact the pandemic, or the availability and distribution of effective medical treatments or vaccines. As such, the Company will continue to assess the highly uncertain financial impacts of COVID-19. The disruption to the global economy and to the Company’s

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business may lead to triggering events that may indicate that the carrying value of certain assets, including inventories, long-lived assets, intangibles, and goodwill, may not be recoverable.

The impact of COVID-19 may also exacerbate other risks included in in this section, any of which could be material. The situation is changing rapidly, and future impacts may materialize that are not yet known. Even if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the Company may continue to experience materially adverse impacts to the Company's business as a result of the virus' long-term economic impact, including adverse impacts on the business operations, liquidity and impacts of any recession that may occur in the future.

Strategic, Operational and Competitive Risks

Our strategic initiatives may not be successful, which could negatively affect our profitability and growth.

In February 2020, we announced the Polaris strategy, a multi-year plan designed to stabilize profitability and position the Company for sustainable, profitable growth. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have refined the components of the Polaris strategy to focus where we believe we can drive competitive advantage and differentiation to first recover business and then drive growth, including a focus on winning with fashion and style, delivering clear value, excelling in digital shopping, enhancing store experience, modernizing supply chain and enabling transformation. Our ability to achieve sustainable, profitable growth is subject to the successful implementation of our strategic plans, including the Polaris strategy, and realization of anticipated benefits and savings. If these investments or initiatives do not perform as expected or create implementation or operational challenges, our profitability and growth could suffer.

Our sales and operating results depend on our ability to anticipate and respond to consumer preferences and manage our inventory and merchandise selection.

The fashion and retail industries are subject to sudden shifts in consumer trends and consumer spending. Our sales and operating results depend in part on our ability to predict or respond to changes in fashion trends and consumer preferences in a timely manner. We develop new retail concepts and continuously adjust our inventory position in certain major and private-label brands and product categories in an effort to attract and retain customers. Any sustained failure to anticipate, identify and respond to emerging trends in lifestyle and consumer preferences could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Our profitability depends on our ability to manage inventory levels and merchandise selection. Overestimating customer demand for merchandise will likely result in the need to record inventory markdowns and sell excess inventory at clearance prices, which would negatively impact our gross margins and operating results. Underestimating customer demand for merchandise can lead to inventory shortages, missed sales opportunities and negative customer experiences.

The Company faces significant competition and challenges as consumers continue to migrate to online shopping and depends on its ability to differentiate itself in retail's ever-changing environment.

We conduct our retail merchandising business under highly competitive conditions. Although Macy's, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest retailers, we have numerous and varied competitors at the national and local levels, including department stores, specialty stores, general merchandise stores, manufacturers’ outlets, off-price and discount stores, online retailers and catalogs, among others. Competition is characterized by many factors, including assortment, advertising, price, quality, service, location, reputation and credit availability. Any failure by us to compete effectively could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

As consumers continue to migrate online, a trend that has accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we face pressures to not only compete from a price perspective with our competitors, some of whom sell the same products, but also to differentiate Macy's, Inc. merchandise offerings, service and shopping experience to stay relevant in retail's ever-changing environment. We continue to significantly invest in our omnichannel capabilities to provide our customers with a seamless shopping experience between our store locations and our online and mobile environments and a favorable fashion experience. Insufficient, untimely or misguided investments in this area could significantly impact our profitability and growth and affect our ability to attract new customers, as well as maintain our existing ones.

In addition, a continued decline of customer store traffic and migration of sales from brick and mortar stores to digital platforms could lead to additional store closures, restructuring and other costs that could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows.

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Our ability to grow depends in part on our stores remaining relevant to customers.

We have invested in facilities and fixtures upgrades, merchandise assortment and customer service in selected stores to improve customer retention rates and overall customer satisfaction. While these investments are intended to improve the customer experience in our stores and drive traffic, realization of these benefits may not occur.  

Because we rely on the ability of our physical retail locations to remain relevant to customers, providing desirable and sought-out shopping experiences is important to our financial success. Changes in consumer shopping habits, an over-malled/over-retailed environment, financial difficulties at other anchor tenants, significant mall vacancy issues, mall violence and new on- and off-mall developments could each adversely impact the traffic at current retail locations and lead to a decline in our financial condition or performance.

We may not be able to successfully execute our real estate strategy.

We continue to explore opportunities to monetize our real estate portfolio, including sales of stores as well as non-store real estate such as warehouses, outparcels and parking garages. We also continue to evaluate our real estate portfolio to identify opportunities where the redevelopment value of our real estate exceeds the value of non-strategic operating locations. This strategy is multi-pronged and may include transactions, strategic alliances or other arrangements with mall developers or other unrelated third-parties. Due to the cyclical nature of real estate markets, the performance of our real estate strategy is inherently volatile and could have a significant impact on our results of operations or financial condition.

Our revenues and cash requirements are affected by the seasonal nature of our business.

Our business is seasonal, with a high proportion of revenues and operating cash flows generated during the second half of the year, which includes the fall and the months of November and December. A disproportionate amount of our revenues is in the fourth quarter due to this seasonality. Should sales during this period fall below our expectations, a disproportionately negative impact on our annual results of operations could occur.

We incur significant additional expenses in the period leading up to the months of November and December in anticipation of higher sales volume in those periods, including costs for additional inventory, advertising and employees. If we are not successful in executing our sales strategy during this period, we may have to sell the inventory at significantly reduced prices or may not be able to sell the inventory at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.

We depend on our ability to attract, train, develop and retain quality employees.

Our business is dependent upon attracting, training, developing and retaining quality employees. Macy's, Inc. has a large number of employees, many of whom are in entry level or part-time positions with historically high rates of turnover. Our ability to meet labor needs while controlling costs associated with hiring and training new employees is subject to external factors such as unemployment levels, prevailing wage rates, minimum wage legislation and changing demographics. Low unemployment and a competitive wage environment have impacted our ability to attract and recruit talent, particularly for science, technology, engineering and math positions. The Company operates in a highly competitive and challenging business environment and is highly dependent upon management personnel to develop and effectively execute successful business strategies and tactics. Restructurings and organizational changes can have near-term impacts on knowledge transfer and result in the loss of key subject matter experts and leaders. Any circumstances that adversely impact our ability to attract, train, develop and retain quality employees could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Increases in labor costs and the cost of employee benefits could impact our financial results and cash flow.

Minimum wage increases by states and wage and benefit increases to attract and retain workers in a tight labor market have increased labor costs in the retail sector. These increased costs pressure our margins and could have a negative impact on our financial results, particularly if future increases are instituted by state legislatures or the federal government.

Our expenses relating to employee health benefits are significant. Unfavorable changes in the cost of such benefits could negatively affect our financial results and cash flow. Healthcare costs have risen significantly in recent years, and recent legislative and private sector initiatives regarding healthcare reform have resulted and could continue to result in significant changes to the U.S. healthcare system. Due to uncertainty regarding legislative or regulatory changes, we are not able to fully determine the impact that future healthcare reform will have on our company-sponsored medical plans.

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If cash flows from our private label credit card decrease, our financial and operational results may be negatively impacted.

We previously sold most of our credit accounts and related receivables to Citibank (in its role as the issuer of our credit card). Following the sale, we share in the economic performance of the credit card program with Citibank. Deterioration in economic or political conditions could adversely affect the volume of new credit accounts, the amount of credit card program balances and the ability of credit card holders to pay their balances. These conditions could result in the Company receiving lower payments under the credit card program.

Under the terms of the credit card program, Citibank has the right to terminate the agreement prior to the end of the current term if sales decrease by more than 34% over a twelve-month period as compared to the fiscal twelve-month period from July 2006 to June 2007 (the “Benchmark Year”).  Based on the results of the Company’s February 2021 fiscal period, sales for the most recent twelve-month period then ended have decreased by more than 34% as compared to the Benchmark Year.  We are in on-going discussions with Citibank concerning the credit card program.  We cannot assure that Citibank will not terminate the credit card program or require more favorable terms to continue the credit card program.  If Citibank does terminate the credit card program, any new credit card program may be on terms less favorable to us than the current credit card program.  

Credit card operations are subject to many federal and state laws that may impose certain requirements and limitations on credit card providers. Citibank and our subsidiary bank, FDS Bank, may be required to comply with regulations that may negatively impact the operation of our private label credit card. This negative impact may affect our revenue streams derived from the sale of such credit card accounts and our financial results.

Our defined benefit plan funding requirements or plan settlement expense could impact our financial results and cash flow.

Significant changes in interest rates, decreases in the fair value of plan assets and timing and amount of benefit payments could affect the funded status of our plans and could increase future funding requirements of the plans. A significant increase in future funding requirements could have a negative impact on our cash flows, financial condition or results of operations.

These plans allow eligible retiring employees to receive lump sum distributions of benefits earned. Under applicable accounting rules, if annual lump sum distributions exceed an actuarially determined threshold of the total of the annual service and interest costs, we would be required to recognize in the current period of operations a settlement expense of a portion of the unrecognized actuarial loss and could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

If our company’s reputation and brand are not maintained at a high level, our operations and financial results may suffer.

We believe our reputation and brand are partially based on the perception that we act equitably and honestly in dealing with our customers, employees, business partners and shareholders. Our reputation and brand may be deteriorated by any incident that erodes the trust or confidence of our customers or the general public, particularly if the incident results in significant adverse publicity or governmental inquiry. Information about us, whether or not true, may be instantly and easily posted on social media platforms at any time and may be adverse to our reputation or brand. The harm could be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. If our reputation or brand is damaged, our customers may refuse to continue shopping with us, potential employees may be unwilling to work for us, business partners may be discouraged from seeking future business dealings with us and, as a result, our operations and financial results may suffer.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our brands and business could be damaged.

We believe that our copyrights, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets and similar intellectual property are important assets and key elements of our strategy, including those related to our private brand merchandise. We rely on copyright and trademark law, trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, vendors and others to protect our proprietary rights. If the steps we take to protect our proprietary rights are inadequate, or if we are unable to protect or preserve the value of our copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other proprietary rights for any reason, our merchandise brands and business could be negatively affected.

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Infrastructure Risks

Unforeseen disruptions in our distribution and fulfillment centers could have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

Our business depends on the orderly receipt and distribution of merchandise and effective management of our distribution and fulfillment centers. Unforeseen disruptions in operations due to fire, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, health pandemics or other catastrophic events, labor disagreements, or other shipping problems may result in the loss or unavailability of inventory and/or delays in the delivery of merchandise to our stores and customers.

A material disruption in our information technology systems could adversely affect our business or results of operations.

We rely extensively on our information technology systems to process transactions, summarize results and manage our business. Our information technology systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, cyber-attack or other security breaches, catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, acts of war or terrorism, and usage errors by our employees. If our information technology systems are damaged or cease to function properly, including a material disruption in our ability to authorize and process transactions at our stores or on our online systems, we may have to make a significant investment to fix or replace them, and we may suffer loss of critical data and interruptions or delays in our operations. Any material interruption in our information technology systems could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

In addition, COVID-19 may have an adverse impact on our information technology systems, including telecommuting issues associated with our employee population working remotely or an increase in online orders due to disruptions or closures of our retail store operations.

If our technology-based e-commerce systems do not function properly, our operating results could be negatively affected.

Customers are increasingly using computers, tablets and smart phones to shop online and to do price and comparison shopping. We strive to anticipate and meet our customers’ changing expectations and are focused on building a seamless shopping experience across our omnichannel business. Any failure to provide user-friendly, secure e-commerce platforms that offer merchandise and delivery options that resonate with customers’ could place us at a competitive disadvantage, result in the loss of online and other sales, harm our reputation with customers and have a material adverse impact on the growth of our business and our operating results.

Information Security, Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Management Risks

A breach of information technology systems could adversely affect our reputation, business partner and customer relationships and operations, and result in high costs.

Through our sales, marketing activities, and use of third-party information, we collect and store certain non-public personal information that customers provide to purchase products or services, enroll in promotional programs, register on websites, or otherwise communicate to us. This may include phone numbers, driver license numbers, contact preferences, personal information stored on electronic devices, and payment information, including credit and debit card data. We gather and retain information about employees in the normal course of business. We may share information about such persons with vendors that assist with certain aspects of our business. In addition, our online operations depend upon the transmission of confidential information over the Internet, such as information permitting cashless payments.    

We employ safeguards for the protection of this information and have made significant investments to secure access to our information technology network. For instance, we have implemented authentication protocols, installed firewalls and anti-virus/anti-malware software, conducted continuous risk assessments, and established data security breach preparedness and response plans. We also employ encryption and other methods to protect our data, promote security awareness with our associates and work with business partners in an effort to create secure and compliant systems.

However, these protections may be compromised as a result of third-party security breaches, burglaries, cyberattacks, errors by employees or employees of third-party vendors, or contractors, misappropriation of data by

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employees, vendors or unaffiliated third-parties, or other irregularities that may result in persons obtaining unauthorized access to company data.

Retail data frequently targeted by cybercriminals includes consumer credit card data, personally identifiable information, including social security numbers, and health care information. For retailers, point of sale and e-commerce websites are often attacked through compromised credentials, including those obtained through phishing, vishing and credential stuffing. Other methods of attack include advanced malware, the exploitation of software and operating vulnerabilities, and physical device tampering/skimming at card reader units. We believe these attack methods will continue to evolve.

Despite instituting controls for the protection of such information, no commercial or government entity can be entirely free of vulnerability to attack or compromise given that the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service change frequently. During the normal course of business, we have experienced and expect to continue to experience attempts to compromise our information systems. Unauthorized parties may attempt to gain access to our systems or facilities, or those of third parties with whom we do business, through fraud, trickery, or other forms of deception to employees, contractors, vendors and temporary staff. We may be unable to protect the integrity of our systems or company data. An alleged or actual unauthorized access or unauthorized disclosure of non-public personal information could:

Supply Chain and Third-Party Risks

We depend on vendors and other sources of merchandise, goods and services outside the U.S. Our business could be affected by disruptions in, or other legal, regulatory, political, economic or public health issues associated with, our supply network.

We depend on vendors for timely and efficient access to products we sell. We source the majority of our merchandise from manufacturers located outside the U.S., primarily Asia.  Current economic conditions may adversely impact our vendors and they may be unable to access financing or become insolvent and unable to supply us with products. Any major changes in tax policy, such as the disallowance of tax deductions for imported merchandise could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and liquidity.

The procurement of all our goods and services is subject to the effects of price increases, which we may or may not be able to pass through to our customers. In addition, our procurement of goods and services from outside the U.S. is subject to risks associated with political or financial instability, trade restrictions, tariffs, currency exchange rates, transport capacity and costs, health pandemics and other factors relating to foreign trade. All of these factors may affect our ability to access suitable merchandise on acceptable terms, are beyond our control and could negatively affect our business, results of operations and liquidity.

The U.S. has been engaged in extended trade negotiations with China, which has resulted in the implementation of tariffs on a significant number of products manufactured in China and imported into the U.S. On May 10, 2019, the Trump Administration imposed a 25% tariff on approximately $200 billion worth of imports from China into the U.S. (the “Stage 3 Tariffs”), which imports include merchandise for both private-label and national brands sold in our stores. On August 1, 2019, the Trump Administration announced its intent to impose a 10% tariff on all remaining imports from China, valued at approximately $300 billion (the “Stage 4 Tariffs”), which imports also include merchandise sold in our stores. The proposed Stage 4 Tariffs were increased to 15% in August 2019 following retaliatory tariffs from China, and a portion of such 15% tariffs went into effect on September 1, 2019 (the “Stage 4A Tariffs”). Subsequently, in October 2019, the Trump Administration announced the suspension of the remaining new 15% tariffs (the “Stage 4B Tariffs”) following positive negotiations with China. On January 15, 2020, the U.S. and China signed an agreement known as the

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“Phase One” trade deal, pursuant to which, among other things, the Stage 3 Tariffs remained unchanged, the Stage 4A Tariffs were reduced from 15% to 7.5%, and the Stage 4B Tariffs were indefinitely suspended.

We continue to evaluate the impact of the effective tariffs, including potential future retaliatory tariffs, as well as other recent changes in foreign trade policy and the U.S. Administration on our supply chain, costs, sales and profitability, and are actively working through strategies to mitigate such impact, including reviewing sourcing options and working with our vendors and merchants. At this time, it is unknown how long U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will remain in effect or whether additional tariffs will be imposed. Depending upon their duration and implementation, as well as our ability to mitigate their impact, these changes in foreign trade policy and any recently enacted, proposed and future tariffs on products imported by us from China could negatively impact our business, results of operations and liquidity if they seriously disrupt the movement of products through our supply chain or increase their cost. In addition, while we may be able to shift our sourcing options, executing such a shift would be time consuming and would be difficult or impracticable for many products and may result in an increase in our manufacturing costs. The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, retaliatory tariffs, or other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers, and/or the U.S. economy, which in turn could adversely impact our results of operations and business.

If our vendors, or any raw material vendors on which our vendors or our private label business relies, suffer prolonged manufacturing or transportation disruptions due to public health conditions or other unforeseen events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, our ability to source product could be adversely impacted which would adversely affect our results of operations.

Disruption of global sourcing activities and quality and other concerns over our own brands could negatively impact brand reputation and earnings.

Economic and civil unrest in areas of the world where we source products, as well as shipping and dockage issues, could adversely impact the availability or cost of our products, or both. Most of the Company’s goods imported to the U.S. arrive from Asia through ports located on the U.S. west coast and are subject to potential disruption due to labor unrest, security issues or natural disasters affecting any or all of these ports. In addition, in recent years, we have substantially increased the number and types of merchandise that are sold under the Company’s proprietary brands. While we have focused on the quality of our proprietary branded products, we rely on third-parties to manufacture these products. Such third-party manufacturers may prove to be unreliable, the quality of our globally sourced products may vary from expectations and standards, the products may not meet applicable regulatory requirements which may require us to recall these products, or the products may infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third-parties. We face challenges in seeking indemnities from manufacturers of these products, including the uncertainty of recovering on such indemnity and the lack of understanding by manufacturers of U.S. product liability laws in certain foreign jurisdictions.

We also face concerns relating to human rights, working conditions and other labor rights and conditions and environmental impact in factories or countries where merchandise that we sell is produced and concerns about transparent sourcing and supply chains. We require all vendors for both private and national brands to comply with our vendor and supplier code of conduct, which outlines minimum standards to help ensure our merchandise is produced in workplaces free of abusive, exploitative or unsafe working conditions, and to comply with applicable laws and regulations of the United States and the country of manufacture or exportation. Although we have implemented policies and procedures designed to facilitate compliance with laws and regulations relating to production of merchandise, doing business in foreign countries and importing merchandise, and to screen, train and monitor our private label vendors to ensure safe and ethical treatment of workers in our supply chain, there can be no assurance that our vendors and other third parties with whom we do business will not violate such laws and regulations or our policies, which could subject us to liability and could adversely impact our reputation, results of operations and business.

Material disruptions in relationships with third-parties with whom the Company does business could adversely affect its operations.

The Company is a party to contracts, transactions and business relationships with various third parties, including suppliers, service providers, lenders and participants in joint ventures, strategic alliances and other commercial relationships. In some cases, we depend upon such third parties to provide products, services, advertising, technology infrastructure, development and support, data analytics, logistics, other goods and services to operate our business in the ordinary course, extensions of credit, credit card accounts and related receivables, and other matters. Furthermore, third-party vendors may sell products directly to consumers in addition to, or in some cases in lieu of, traditional wholesale channels. As our business model depends on offering quality and relevant merchandise brands from third-party vendors

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in addition to our own private label products, any material disruption in our relationship with such vendors, or material disruption in the products or services provided by other third parties, could adversely affect our revenues, expense structure, earnings and operations.

Economic, Global, Legal and External Risks

The Company’s business is subject to discretionary consumer spending, unfavorable economic and political conditions, extreme violence and other related risks.

Our sales are significantly affected by discretionary spending by consumers. Consumer spending may be affected by many factors outside of our control, including general economic conditions, consumer disposable income levels, consumer confidence levels, the availability, cost and level of consumer debt, consumer behaviors towards incurring and paying debt, the cost of basic necessities and other goods, the strength of the U.S. Dollar relative to foreign currencies and the effects of the weather, natural disasters or health pandemics. These factors can have psychological or economic impacts on consumers that affect their discretionary spending habits. Any decline in discretionary spending by consumers could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Unfavorable global, domestic or regional economic or political conditions and other developments and risks could negatively affect our business and results of operations. For example, unfavorable changes related to interest rates, rates of economic growth, fiscal and monetary policies of governments, inflation, deflation, tax rates and policy, unemployment trends, energy prices, and other matters that influence the availability and cost of merchandise, consumer confidence, spending and tourism could negatively affect our business and results of operations. Unstable political conditions, civil unrest, terrorist activities, armed conflicts or events of extreme violence may disrupt commerce and could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Our business could be affected by extreme weather conditions, natural disasters or regional or global health pandemics.

Extreme weather conditions in the areas in which our stores are located could negatively affect our business and results of operations. For example, frequent or unusually heavy snowfall, ice storms, rainstorms or other extreme weather conditions over a prolonged period could make it difficult for our customers to travel to our stores and thereby reduce our sales and profitability. Our business is also susceptible to unseasonable weather conditions. For example, extended periods of unseasonably warm temperatures during the winter season or cool weather during the summer season could reduce demand for a portion of our inventory and thereby reduce our sales and profitability. In addition, extreme weather conditions could result in disruption or delay of production and delivery of materials and products in our supply chain and cause staffing shortages in our stores.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, or a combination of these or other factors, could damage or destroy our facilities or make it difficult for customers to travel to our stores, thereby negatively affecting our business and results of operations.

Litigation, legislation, regulatory developments or non-compliance could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, inquiries and initiatives in connection with both our core business operations and our credit card and other ancillary operations (including the Credit Card Act of 2009 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010). Recent and future developments relating to such matters could increase our compliance costs and adversely affect the profitability of our credit card and other operations. Our effective tax rate is impacted by a number of factors, including changes in federal or state tax law, interpretation of existing laws and the ability to defend and support the tax positions taken on historical tax returns. Certain changes in any of these factors could materially impact the effective tax rate and net income.

We are also subject to anti-bribery, customs, child labor, truth-in-advertising and other laws, including consumer protection regulations and zoning and occupancy ordinances that regulate retailers generally and/or govern the importation, promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of retail stores and warehouse facilities. Although we undertake to monitor changes in these laws, if these laws change without our knowledge, or are violated by importers, designers, manufacturers, distributors or agents, we could experience delays in shipments and receipt of goods or be subject to fines or other penalties under the controlling regulations, any of which could negatively affect our business and results of operations. In addition, we are regularly involved in various litigation matters that arise in the ordinary

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course of our business. Adverse outcomes in current or future litigation could negatively affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Changes in applicable environmental regulations, including increased or additional regulations to limit carbon emissions or other greenhouse gases may result in increased compliance costs, capital expenditures and other financial obligations which could affect our profitability.

In addition, our business is subject to complex and rapidly evolving laws addressing data privacy and data protection and companies are under increased regulatory scrutiny with respect to these matters. The Federal Trade Commission and many state attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws to impose standards for the online collection, use, dissemination and security of data. The interpretation and application of existing laws regarding data privacy and data protection are in flux and many states are considering new regulations in this area, The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and other applicable U.S. privacy laws or new state or federal laws may limit our ability to collect and use data, require us to modify our data processing practices or result in the possibility of fines, litigation or orders which may have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The burdens imposed by these and other laws and regulations that may be enacted, or new interpretations of existing laws and regulations, may also require us to incur substantial costs to reach compliance or change the manner in which we use data.

Our sales and operating results could be adversely affected by product safety concerns.

If the Company’s merchandise offerings do not meet applicable safety standards or consumers' expectations regarding safety, we could experience decreased sales, increased costs and/or be exposed to legal and reputational risk. Events that give rise to actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns could expose the Company to government enforcement action and/or private litigation. Reputational damage caused by real or perceived product safety concerns could negatively affect our business and results of operations.

Financial Risks

Inability to access capital markets could adversely affect our business or financial condition.

Changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions, limited liquidity and interest rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing or restrict our access to this potential source of future liquidity. A downgrade in the ratings that rating agencies assign to the Company’s short- and long-term debt has and may continue to negatively impact our access to the debt capital markets and increase our cost of borrowing. In addition, our asset-based credit agreement requires us to maintain a specified fixed charge coverage ratio. Our ability to comply with the ratio may be affected by events beyond our control, including prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If our results of operations deteriorate to a point where we are not in compliance with our debt covenants, and we are unable to obtain a waiver, much of our debt would be in default and could become due and payable immediately. Our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full this indebtedness, resulting in a need for an alternate source of funding. We cannot make any assurances that we would be able to obtain such an alternate source of funding on satisfactory terms, if at all, and our inability to do so could cause the holders of our securities to experience a partial or total loss of their investments in the Company.

Our level of indebtedness may adversely affect our ability to operate our business, remain in compliance with debt covenants, react to changes in our business or the industry in which we operate, or prevent us from making payments on our indebtedness.

We have a significant amount of indebtedness. As of January 30, 2021, the aggregate principal amount of our total outstanding indebtedness was $4,906 million.

Our high level of indebtedness could have important consequences for the holders of our debt and equity securities. For example, it could:

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Any of these risks could materially impact our ability to fund our operations or limit our ability to expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Factors beyond our control could affect the Company’s stock price.

The Company’s stock price, like those of other retail companies, is subject to significant volatility because of many factors, including factors beyond our control. These factors may include:

We may fail to meet the expectations of our stockholders or of analysts at some time in the future. If the analysts who regularly follow the Company’s stock lower their rating or lower their projections for future growth and financial performance, the Company’s stock price could decline. Also, sales of a substantial number of shares of the Company’s common stock in the public market or the appearance that these shares are available for sale could adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.

None.

The properties of the Company consist primarily of stores and related facilities, including a logistics network. The Company also owns or leases other properties, including corporate office space in New York and other facilities at which centralized operational support functions are conducted.  

As of January 30, 2021, the operations of the Company included 727 store locations in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, comprising a total of approximately 113 million square feet. At these locations, store boxes consisted of 328 owned boxes, 353 leased boxes, 105 boxes operated under arrangements where the Company owned the building and leased the land and three boxes of partly owned and partly leased buildings. All owned properties are held free and clear of mortgages.  Certain properties secure the senior notes issued by the Company on June 8, 2020, as disclosed further in Item 7. Pursuant to various shopping center agreements, the Company is obligated to operate certain stores for periods of up to 15 years. Some of these agreements require that the stores be operated under a particular name. Most leases require the Company to pay real estate taxes, maintenance and other costs; some also require additional payments based on percentages of sales and some contain purchase options. Certain of the Company’s real estate leases have terms that extend for a significant number of years and provide for rental rates that increase or decrease over time.

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The Company's operations were conducted through the following branded store locations:

Store count activity was as follows:

Additional information about the Company’s store boxes as of January 30, 2021 is as follows:

As of January 30, 2021, the store box and location information presented above for Macy’s and the total Company includes two stores converted to fulfillment centers during 2020.

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Additional information about the Company’s logistics network as of January 30, 2021 is as follows:

Item 3.Legal Proceedings.

The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various proceedings that are incidental to the normal course of their businesses. As of the date of this report, the Company does not expect that any of such proceedings will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Retail Hazardous Waste Matter. As previously reported, the District Attorneys for ten counties in California and the City of Los Angeles are investigating alleged non-compliance with laws and regulations enacted or adopted regulating the storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous waste in California at Macy’s stores and distribution centers.  The Company is cooperating with the offices and agencies involved, which are focused on disposal and return of cosmetic products, and is committed to adopting policies and procedures as may be appropriate depending on the outcome of the investigation into this matter.  No administrative or judicial proceedings have been initiated.  In October 2020, the District Attorneys made an initial settlement demand to the Company that included a monetary penalty, reimbursement of investigation costs and injunctive relief.  Settlement discussions are on-going. It is possible that we will pay penalties in excess of $1,000,000 in connection with this matter and have adjusted our reserve against potential loss to reflect the settlement demand. Although we are currently unable to predict the outcome of this matter or the amount or range of any possible loss, we do not believe the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Item 5.Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “M.” As of January 30, 2021, the Company had approximately 13,596 stockholders of record.

The declaration and payment of future dividends will be at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors, are subject to restrictions under the Company’s debt instruments and may be affected by various other factors, including the Company’s earnings, financial condition and legal or contractual restrictions.

Beginning in January 2000, the Company’s Board of Directors approved various authorizations to purchase, in the aggregate, up to $18 billion of common stock. On March 26, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors rescinded its authorization of the remaining unused amount.   

The following graph compares the cumulative total stockholder return on the Company's common stock with the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Index and the Company's peer group for the period from January 30, 2016 through January 30, 2021, assuming an initial investment of $100 and the reinvestment of all dividends, if any.

The companies included in the old peer group are Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Dillard’s, Dollar Tree, Gap, Kohl’s, L Brands, Lowe’s, Nordstrom, Ross Stores, Target, and TJX Companies. The new peer group is comprised of companies within the S&P Retail Select Index.  

The change in peer group was made to be consistent with the peer group that the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors uses in benchmarking and assessing compensation for the Company's executive officers.

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Item 6.Selected Financial Data.

The selected financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto and the other information contained elsewhere in this report. The Company adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), on February 3, 2019, using a modified retrospective approach that allowed for transition in the period of adoption. Therefore, results prior to 2019 have not been recast for the adoption of this standard. Additionally, the Company adopted the ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on February 4, 2018 using the full retrospective transition method and recast results from 2017 and 2016.

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The discussion in this Item 7 should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this report. The discussion in this Item 7 contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's plans, estimates and beliefs. The Company's actual results could materially differ from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to those differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this report, particularly in “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements.”

Company Overview

The Company is an omnichannel retail organization operating stores, websites and mobile applications under three brands (Macy's, Bloomingdale's and bluemercury) that sell a wide range of merchandise, including apparel and accessories (men's, women's and kids'), cosmetics, home furnishings and other consumer goods. As of January 30, 2021, the Company's operations were conducted through Macy's, Market by Macy’s, Macy’s Backstage, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s The Outlet and bluemercury, which are aggregated into one reporting segment in accordance with the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 280, Segment Reporting.

Bloomingdale's in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Al Zahra, Kuwait are operated under a license agreement with Al Tayer Insignia, a company of the Al Tayer Group, LLC.

COVID-19 Impact

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which continues to spread throughout the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the Company's 2020 operations and financial results, and the full financial impact of the pandemic cannot be reasonably estimated at this time due to uncertainty as to the severity and duration of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant disruption to organizations and communities across the globe. The Company is navigating through the pandemic with a focus on prudent cash management, strengthening liquidity and executing its strategic initiatives. In addition, as its stores began to reopen in the second quarter of 2020, the Company prioritized the implementation of significant health and safety measures to allow its customers and colleagues to feel safe in the Company's stores and facilities. In response to the operational and financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the specific steps taken by the Company to manage its business through this uncertain period, include, but are not limited to, the following.

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The CARES Act impacted the Company's annual effective tax rate and the income tax benefit recognized during 2020.  Specifically, the Company recognized an annual net operating loss that is available for carryback at a 35% federal income tax rate rather than the current 21% federal income tax rate.  During 2020, the resultant benefit of this rate differential was offset by the impact of the non-tax deductible component of the goodwill impairment charge.  The net impact of these items is the primary driver of the effective tax rate decrease when compared to 2019.  As of January 30, 2021, the Company recognized a $520 million income tax receivable, which is included within Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

Under the terms of the Amended and Restated Credit Card Program Agreement (the “Program Agreement”) between the Company and Citibank, if sales decrease by more than 34% over a twelve-month period as compared to the Benchmark Year, defined as the twelve-month period from July 2006 to June 2007 in the Program Agreement, Citibank has the ability to provide written notice to terminate the agreement prior to the end of its current term.  Based on the results for the Company’s February 2021 fiscal period, sales for the most recent twelve-month period ended February 27, 2021, have decreased by more than 34% as compared to the Benchmark Year.  We are in on-going discussions with Citibank concerning the Program Agreement and as of the date of this filing, the Company has not received a notice to terminate the agreement.  The Company is currently unable to estimate any impact this event might have on the Program Agreement or on the Company’s future financial results.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have a material adverse impact on the Company's operational performance, financial results and cash flows, although the full impact will depend on future developments, including the continued spread and duration of the outbreak, variant strains of COVID-19, the availability and distribution of effective medical treatments or vaccines as well as any related federal, state or local governmental orders or restrictions, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.

Management Overview

2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges and required the Company to adapt its business to address the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Faced with the temporary closure of stores and changes in consumer shopping behaviors, the Company had to right-size its cost base and operating model, offer new fulfillment options to customers, focus on product categories with higher consumer demand, and accelerate its focus on digital shopping and underlying investments to support these trends.  Financial results in the first and second quarter of 2020 were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic but the Company saw sequential improvement in its operating results during the third and fourth quarters of 2020.  Although uncertainty surrounds the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has positioned itself to focus on the recovery of its business in 2021 and execute on its corporate strategy for profitable growth in the future.

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2020 Financial Highlights

Specific 2020 Macy's, Inc. financial performance included:

See pages 36 to 39 for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures presented above to the most comparable U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") financial measures and other important information.

Polaris Strategy

On February 4, 2020, Macy’s, Inc. announced its Polaris strategy, a multi-year plan designed to stabilize profitability and position the Company for sustainable, profitable growth. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has refined the components of the Polaris strategy to focus where the Company can drive competitive advantage and differentiation to first recover the business and then drive both top- and bottom-line growth. The Polaris strategy was designed for flexibility and this was greatly tested in 2020.  Although the Company’s operations were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Polaris strategy proved durable and allowed for a number of accomplishments in 2020, notably:

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While the underlying components of the Polaris strategy are unchanged from those presented in February 2020, the components were refined during 2020 to align with customer demands in the COVID-19 pandemic environment as well as expected consumer behavior post-pandemic.  The following are the key pillars of the Polaris strategy:

Presentation of Information

The discussion that follows includes a comparison of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources for the fiscal years ended January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020. For a discussion of changes from the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 to February 2, 2019, refer to Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results

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of Operations in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 (filed March 30, 2020).

Results of Operations