V F CORP - Annual Report: 2016 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 2, 2016

Commission file number: 1-5256

V. F. CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

105 Corporate Center Boulevard

Greensboro, North Carolina 27408

(Address of principal executive offices)

(336) 424-6000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

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  x        NO  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    YES  ¨        NO  x

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 and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    YES  x        NO  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    YES  x        NO  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    x

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934).    YES  ¨        NO  x

The aggregate market value of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of V.F. Corporation on July 4, 2015, the last day of the registrant’s second fiscal quarter, was approximately $24,397,000,000 based on the closing price of the shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of January 30, 2016, there were 424,474,994 shares of Common Stock of the registrant outstanding.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 26, 2016 (Item 1 in Part I and Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 in Part III), which definitive Proxy Statement shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

This document (excluding exhibits) contains 114 pages.

The exhibit index begins on page 58.

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1.    Business.

V.F. Corporation, organized in 1899, is a global leader in the design, production, procurement, marketing and distribution of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and related products. Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “VF,” “we,” “us” and “our” used herein refer to V.F. Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

VF’s diverse portfolio of more than 30 brands meets consumer needs across a broad spectrum of activities and lifestyles. Our unparalleled ability to connect with consumers, as diverse as the company’s brand portfolio, creates a unique platform for sustainable, long-term growth. Our long-term growth strategy is focused on four drivers:

VF is diversified across brands, product categories, channels of distribution, geographies and consumer demographics. We own a broad portfolio of brands in the outerwear, footwear, denim, backpack, luggage, accessory, sportswear, occupational and performance apparel categories. Our largest brands are The North Face^®, Vans^®, Timberland^®, Wrangler^®, Lee^®, Nautica^®, Majestic^® and Kipling^®. Our products are marketed to consumers shopping in specialty stores, department stores, national chains, mass merchants and our own direct-to-consumer operations.

Our direct-to-consumer business includes VF-operated stores, concession retail stores and e-commerce sites. Revenues from the direct-to-consumer business represented 27% of VF’s total 2015 revenues.

Many of our brands sell products in international markets through licensees, agents, distributors and independently-operated partnership stores. To provide diversified products across multiple channels of distribution in different geographic areas, we balance our own manufacturing capabilities with sourcing of finished goods from independent contractors. We utilize state-of-the-art technologies for inventory replenishment that enable us to effectively and efficiently get the right assortment of products that match consumer demand. In 2015, VF derived approximately 70% of its revenues from the Americas region, 20% from Europe and 10% from its Asia Pacific business.

For both management and internal financial reporting purposes, VF is organized by groupings of businesses called “coalitions”. The five coalitions are Outdoor & Action Sports, Jeanswear, Imagewear, Sportswear and Contemporary Brands. These coalitions are our reportable segments for financial reporting purposes. Coalition management has the responsibility to build and operate their brands, with certain financial, administrative and systems support and disciplines provided by central functions within VF.

1

Table of Contents

The following table summarizes VF’s primary owned and licensed brands by coalition:

Financial information regarding VF’s coalitions is included in Note P to the consolidated financial statements, which are included at Item 8 of this report.

Outdoor & Action Sports Coalition

Our Outdoor & Action Sports coalition, VF’s largest and fastest growing business, is a group of authentic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle brands. Product offerings include performance-based apparel, footwear, equipment, backpacks, luggage and accessories.

The North Face^® is the largest brand in our Outdoor & Action Sports coalition and features performance-based apparel, outerwear, sportswear, and footwear for men, women and children. Its equipment line includes

2

Table of Contents

tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and accessories. Many of The North Face^® products are designed for extreme winter sport activities, such as high altitude mountaineering, skiing, snowboarding, and ice and rock climbing. The North Face^® products are marketed globally, primarily through specialty outdoor and premium sporting goods stores, concession retail stores, over 180 VF-operated stores, more than 400 independently-operated partnership stores, and online at www.thenorthface.com.

The Vans^® brand offers performance and casual footwear and apparel targeting younger consumers that sit at the center of action sports, art, music and street fashion. Products are available globally through chain stores, specialty stores, concession retail stores, over 300 independently-operated partnership stores, more than 500 VF-owned retail stores, and online at www.vans.com.

The Timberland^® brand offers outdoor, adventure-inspired lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories that combine performance benefits and versatile styling for men, women and children. We sell Timberland^® products globally through chain, department and specialty stores, independent distributors and licensees, concession retail stores, over 250 VF-operated stores and over 900 independently-operated partnership stores. We also sell our products online at www.timberland.com.

Kipling^® branded handbags, luggage, backpacks, totes and accessories are sold in Europe, Asia and South America through specialty and department stores, concession retail stores, over 200 independently-operated partnership locations, as well as more than 60 VF-operated retail stores and at www.kipling.com. The Kipling^® brand’s North American business is included in the Sportswear coalition.

The Napapijri^® brand offers outdoor-inspired casual outerwear, sportswear and accessories at a premium price. Products are marketed to men, women and children in Europe and Asia. Products are sold in specialty shops, concession retail stores, over 30 VF-operated stores, over 170 independently-operated partnership locations, and online at www.napapijri.com.

JanSport^® backpacks, duffel bags, luggage, fleece and accessories are sold in North America, South America and Asia through department, office supply and chain stores, as well as sports specialty stores and college bookstores. JanSport^® products are also sold through global distributors and online at www.jansport.com.

The Reef^® brand of surf-inspired products includes sandals, shoes, swimwear, casual apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Products are sold primarily in North America, Europe and South America to specialty shops, sporting goods chains, department stores and global distributors. Products are also sold online at www.reef.com.

The SmartWool^® brand offers active outdoor consumers a premium, technical layering system of merino wool socks, apparel and accessories that are designed to work together in fit, form and function. SmartWool^® products are sold primarily in North America and Europe through premium outdoor and specialty retailers, global distributors, and online at www.smartwool.com.

In Europe, Eastpak^® backpacks, travel bags and luggage are sold primarily through department and specialty stores and online at www.eastpak.com. Eastpak^® products are also marketed throughout Asia by licensees and distributors.

The lucy^® brand of activewear is designed for style, performance and fit that can be worn by today’s woman from workout to weekend. lucy^® apparel is sold in the U.S. through 50 VF-operated retail stores, on a wholesale basis to U.S. specialty and premium sporting goods retailers, and online at www.lucy.com.

Eagle Creek^® adventure travel gear products include luggage, backpacks and accessories sold through specialty luggage, outdoor and department stores primarily in North America and Europe, and online at www.eaglecreek.com.

3

Table of Contents

We expect continued long-term growth in our Outdoor & Action Sports coalition as we focus on product innovation, extend our brands into new product categories, open additional stores, expand geographically and acquire additional lifestyle brands.

Jeanswear Coalition

Our Jeanswear coalition markets denim and related casual apparel products globally.

The Wrangler^® brand offers denim, apparel, accessories and footwear through mass merchants and mid-tier department stores in the U.S., VF-operated stores, and online at www.wrangler.com. Wrangler^® westernwear is distributed primarily through western specialty stores, as well as various online retail sites.

Lee^® brand products are sold through mid-tier and traditional department stores in the U.S., and online at www.lee.com. The Rustler^® and Riders^® by Lee^® brands are marketed to mass merchant and regional discount stores in the U.S. Our Rock & Republic^® brand has an exclusive wholesale distribution and licensing arrangement with Kohl’s Corporation that covers all branded apparel, accessories, and other merchandise in the U.S. and Canada.

Wrangler^® and Lee^® products outside of the U.S. have a higher fashion consideration and, as a result, higher selling prices. VF’s largest international jeanswear businesses are located in Europe and Asia, where Wrangler^® and Lee^® products are sold through department, specialty and concession retail stores. We also market Wrangler^® and Lee^® products to mass merchant, department and specialty stores in Canada and Mexico, as well as to department and specialty stores in South America. In key international markets, we are expanding our reach through VF-operated stores, which are an important vehicle for presenting our brands’ image and marketing message directly to consumers. We currently have more than 75 VF-operated stores primarily located in Europe, South America, and Asia, and are continuing to expand our brands in emerging markets. In international markets where VF does not have retail operations, Wrangler^® and Lee^® products are marketed through distributors, agents, licensees and over 900 single brand or multi-brand partnership stores.

Our world-class supply chain, including owned manufacturing facilities along with advanced vendor-managed inventory and retail floor space management programs with many of our major retailer customers, gives us a competitive advantage in our U.S. jeanswear business. We receive point-of-sale information from these customers on a daily or weekly basis, at an individual store and style-size-color stock keeping unit level. We then ship products based on that customer data to ensure their selling floors are appropriately stocked with products that match their shoppers’ needs. Our system capabilities allow us to analyze our retail customers’ sales, demographic and geographic data to develop product assortment recommendations that maximize the productivity of their jeanswear selling space and optimize their inventory investment.

We intend to drive growth through superior product innovation, consumer insight and marketing strategies. Growth in the U.S. will be balanced across mass merchant, mid-tier and traditional department stores, and western specialty businesses. International growth will be driven by expansion of our existing businesses in Asia, Latin America and key European markets.

Imagewear Coalition

Our Imagewear coalition consists of the Image business (occupational workwear apparel and uniforms) and the Licensed Sports Group (“LSG”) business (owned and licensed athletic apparel). The Image and LSG businesses represent approximately 53% and 47%, respectively, of total coalition revenues.

The Image business provides uniforms and career occupational apparel for workers in North America and internationally, under the Red Kap^® brand (premium workwear), the Bulwark^® brand (flame resistant and protective apparel primarily for the petrochemical, utility and mining industries) and the Horace Small^® brand

4

Table of Contents

(apparel for law enforcement and public safety personnel). Products include a wide range of functionally designed shirts, pants, coveralls and outerwear. Image revenues are significantly correlated with the overall level of employment in the U.S.

Approximately 70% of Image revenues are from industrial laundries, resellers and distributors that in turn supply customized workwear to employers for production, service and white-collar personnel. Since industrial laundries and distributors maintain minimal inventories of work clothes, VF’s ability to offer rapid delivery of products in a broad range of sizes is an important advantage in this market. Our commitment to customer service, supported by an automated central distribution center with several satellite locations, enables customer orders to be filled within 24 hours of receipt. As a result, the Red Kap^® and Bulwark^® brands have a strong presence in the reseller distributor market and are growing in the workwear retail market.

The Image business also develops and manages uniform programs through custom-designed websites for major business customers and governmental organizations. These websites provide the employees of our customers with the convenience of shopping for their work and career apparel via the Internet.

In our LSG business, we design and market sports apparel and fanwear under licenses granted by major sports leagues, individual athletes and related organizations, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League Players Association, the National Hockey League, the Nippon Professional Baseball League and selected major colleges and universities. In addition, the LSG business is a major supplier of licensed Harley-Davidson^® apparel to Harley-Davidson dealerships.

Under license from Major League Baseball, the Majestic^® brand is the official on-field uniform of all 30 major league teams. Majestic^® brand adult and youth-size authentic, replica jerseys and fanwear are sold through sporting goods and athletic specialty stores, department stores and major league stadiums. Sports apparel and fanwear marketed under other licensed labels are distributed through department, mass merchant, sporting goods and athletic specialty stores and e-commerce partners. Our quick response capabilities allow us to deliver products to retailers within hours following major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series and conference or division playoff championships.

We believe there is a strategic opportunity to grow revenues through the continued extension of product and service capabilities to new industrial and service apparel distribution channels, markets, and geographies.

Sportswear Coalition

The Sportswear coalition consists of the Nautica^® brand and the Kipling^® brand’s North American business. The Kipling^® brand’s business outside of North America is included in the Outdoor & Action Sports coalition.

Nautica^® brand sportswear is marketed through department stores, specialty stores, VF-operated stores and at www.nautica.com. The Nautica^® brand is one of the leading men’s sportswear collection brands in department stores in the U.S. Other Nautica^® product lines include men’s outerwear, underwear and swimwear, and men’s and women’s sleepwear. We operate over 80 Nautica^® brand stores in premium and better outlet centers across the U.S.

The Nautica^® brand is licensed to independent parties in the U.S. for apparel categories not produced by VF (e.g., tailored clothing, dress shirts, neckwear, women’s swimwear and outerwear, children’s clothing) and for non-apparel categories (e.g., accessories, fragrances, watches, eyewear, footwear, luggage, bed and bath products, furniture). Outside the U.S., Nautica^® products are licensed for sale in more than 50 countries, including over 250 Nautica^® brand stores operated by independent licensees in Asia, Europe, North and South America and the Middle East.

5

Table of Contents

The Kipling^® brand’s North American business includes handbags, luggage, backpacks, totes and accessories. In the U.S., Kipling^® products are sold through department, specialty and luggage stores, more than 30 VF-operated full-price and outlet stores, and at www.kipling.com. In Canada, the Kipling^® brand is sold through specialty and department stores. In the U.S., the Kipling^® brand has seen significant growth, driven by new stores, comparable store growth, an expanding e-commerce business, and increased distribution.

We believe there is the potential to grow Nautica^® brand revenue and improve profit performance through the growth of core sportswear products, increased average selling prices, improved product assortments and enhanced customer experiences across our wholesale, outlet store, and e-commerce channels. There is also the potential for expanding the Kipling^® brand through our handbag and accessories relationship with Macy’s, Inc., e-commerce, travel retail stores, and additional VF-operated stores.

Contemporary Brands Coalition

Our Contemporary Brands coalition is focused on premium lifestyle brands, and includes the 7 For All Mankind^®, Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® brands.

The 7 For All Mankind^® brand offers premium denim and related products for women and men. While the core business remains focused on denim, the collection also includes sportswear products, such as knit and woven tops, sweaters, jackets and accessories. The 7 For All Mankind^® brand is marketed primarily in North America and Europe through premium department stores, specialty stores, over 80 VF-operated stores and over 40 independently-operated partnership stores. Products are also sold online at www.7forallmankind.com.

The Splendid^® brand offers premium tops and casual apparel for women, men and children, and the Ella Moss^® brand offers premium sportswear for women and girls. These brands, noted for their soft wearable fabrics and vibrant colors, are marketed to upscale department and specialty stores primarily in the U.S. They are also sold through over 30 VF-operated Splendid^® brand stores and one Ella Moss^® brand store, and at www.splendid.com and www.ellamoss.com.

Direct-To-Consumer Operations

Our direct-to-consumer business includes full-price stores, outlet stores, e-commerce, and concession retail locations. Direct-to-consumer revenues were 27% of total VF revenues in 2015 compared with 26% in 2014.

Our full-price stores allow us to display a brand’s full line of products with fixtures and imagery that support the brand’s positioning and promise to consumers. These experiences provide high visibility for our brands and products and enable us to stay close to the needs and preferences of our consumers. The complete and impactful presentation of products in our stores also helps to increase sell-through of VF products at our wholesale customers due to increased brand awareness, education and visibility. VF-operated full-price stores generally provide gross margins that are well above VF averages.

In addition, VF operates outlet stores in both premium outlet malls and more traditional value-based locations. These outlet stores serve an important role in our overall inventory management and profitability by allowing VF to sell a significant portion of excess, discontinued and out-of-season products at better prices than otherwise available from outside parties, while maintaining the integrity of our brands.

Our growing global direct-to-consumer operations include 1,520 stores at the end of 2015. We operate retail store locations for the following brands: Vans^®, Timberland^®, The North Face^®, Kipling^®, Nautica^®, 7 For All Mankind^®, Lee^®, Wrangler^®, lucy^®, Napapijri^®, Splendid^® and Ella Moss^®. We also operate over 75 VF Outlet^® stores in the U.S. that sell a broad selection of excess VF products, as well as other non-VF products. Approximately 70% of VF-operated stores offer products at full price, and the remainder are outlet locations.

6

Table of Contents

Approximately 60% of our stores are located in the Americas region (55% in the U.S.), 25% in Europe and 15% in the Asia Pacific region. Additionally, we have over 1,100 concession retail stores located principally in Europe and Asia.

E-commerce is our fastest growing direct-to-consumer channel and represented approximately 16% of our direct-to-consumer business in 2015. We currently market the following brands online: The North Face^®, Vans^®, Timberland^®, Lee^®, Kipling^®, Wrangler^®, 7 For All Mankind^®, lucy^®, Nautica^®, SmartWool^®, Napapijri^®, JanSport^®, Splendid^®, Ella Moss^®, Eagle Creek^®, Eastpak^® and Reef^®. We continue to expand our e-commerce initiatives by rolling out additional, country-specific brand sites in Europe and Asia, which enhances our ability to deliver a superior, localized consumer experience.

We expect our direct-to-consumer business to continue to grow at a faster pace than VF’s overall growth rate as we continue to drive higher comparable store sales, open new stores and expand our e-commerce presence. We opened 186 stores during 2015, concentrating on the brands where we see higher retail growth potential — Vans^®, The North Face^®, Timberland^® and Kipling^®.

In addition to our direct-to-consumer operations, our licensees, distributors and other independent parties own and operate over 3,000 partnership stores. These are primarily mono-brand retail locations selling VF products that have the appearance of VF-operated stores. Most of these partnership stores are located in Europe and Asia, and are concentrated in the Timberland^®, Lee^®, The North Face^®, Vans^®, Wrangler^®, Nautica^®, Kipling^® and Napapijri^® brands.

Licensing Arrangements

As part of our strategy of expanding market penetration of VF-owned brands, we enter into licensing agreements with independent parties for specific apparel and complementary product categories when such arrangements provide more effective manufacturing, distribution and marketing than could be achieved internally. We provide support to these business partners and ensure the integrity of our brand names by taking an active role in the design, quality control, advertising, marketing and distribution of licensed products.

Licensing arrangements relate to a broad range of VF brands. License agreements are for fixed terms of generally 3 to 5 years, with conditional renewal options. Each licensee pays royalties to VF based on its sales of licensed products, with most agreements providing for a minimum royalty requirement. Royalties generally range from 4% to 10% of the licensing partners’ net licensed products sales. Royalty income was $126.1 million in 2015 (1% of total revenues), primarily from the Nautica^®, Vans^®, Lee^®, Timberland^®, and Wrangler^® brands. In addition, licensees of our brands are generally required to spend from 1% to 3% of their net licensed product sales to advertise VF’s products. In some cases, these advertising amounts are remitted to VF for advertising on behalf of the licensees.

VF has also entered into license agreements to use trademarks owned by third parties. We market apparel under licenses granted by Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Football League, the National Football League Players Association, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc., major colleges and universities, and individual athletes and related organizations, most of which contain minimum annual royalty and advertising requirements.

Manufacturing, Sourcing and Distribution

Product design and innovation, including fit, fabric, finish and quality, are important elements across our businesses. These functions are performed by employees located in our global supply chain organization and our branded business units across the globe.

VF recently launched three strategic global innovation centers that focus on product innovation in technical apparel, footwear and jeanswear. The centers are staffed with dedicated scientists, engineers and technical designers who combine proprietary insights with consumer needs, and a deep understanding of technology and new materials. The innovation centers are expected to drive brand equity and sustained long-term growth.

7

Table of Contents

VF’s centralized global supply chain organization is responsible for producing, procuring and delivering products to our customers. VF is highly skilled in managing the complexities associated with our global supply chain. On an annual basis, VF sources or produces approximately 557 million units spread across more than 30 brands. Our products are obtained from 28 VF-operated manufacturing facilities and approximately 1,900 contractor manufacturing facilities in over 60 countries. Additionally, we operate 32 distribution centers and 1,520 retail stores. Managing this complexity is made possible by the use of a network of information systems for product development, forecasting, order management and warehouse management, along with our core enterprise resource management platforms.

In 2015, 23% of our units were manufactured in VF-owned facilities and 77% were obtained from independent contractors. Products manufactured in VF facilities generally have a lower cost and shorter lead times than products procured from independent contractors. Products obtained from contractors in the Western Hemisphere generally have a higher cost than products obtained from contractors in Asia. However, contracting in the Western Hemisphere gives us greater flexibility, shorter lead times and allows for lower inventory levels. This combination of VF-owned and contracted production, along with different geographic regions and cost structures, provides a well-balanced, flexible approach to product sourcing. We will continue to manage our supply chain from a global perspective and adjust as needed to changes in the global production environment.

VF operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. A significant percentage of denim bottoms and occupational apparel is manufactured in these plants, as well as a smaller percentage of footwear. For these owned production facilities, we purchase raw materials from numerous U.S. and international suppliers to meet our production needs. Raw materials include products made from cotton, leather, rubber, wool, synthetics and blends of cotton and synthetic yarn, as well as thread and trim (product identification, buttons, zippers, snaps, eyelets and laces). In some instances, we contract the sewing of VF-owned raw materials into finished product with independent contractors. Manufacturing in the U.S. includes all Major League Baseball uniforms, along with screen printing and embroidery of jerseys, T-shirts and fleece products. Fixed price commitments for fabric and certain supplies are generally set on a quarterly basis for the next quarter’s purchases. No single supplier represents more than 10% of our total cost of goods sold.

Independent contractors generally own the raw materials and ship finished ready-for-sale products to VF. These contractors are engaged through VF sourcing hubs in Hong Kong (with satellite offices across Asia) and Panama. These hubs are responsible for coordinating the manufacturing and procurement of product, supplier management, product quality assurance, and transportation and shipping functions in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, respectively. Substantially all products in the Outdoor & Action Sports and Sportswear coalitions, as well as a portion of products for our Jeanswear and Imagewear coalitions, are obtained through these sourcing hubs. For most products in our Contemporary Brands coalition, we contract the sewing and finishing of VF-owned raw materials through a network of independent contractors based primarily in the U.S.

Management continually monitors political risks and developments related to duties, tariffs and quotas. We limit VF’s sourcing exposure through, among other measures: (i) diversifying geographies with a mix of VF-operated and contracted production, (ii) shifting of production among countries and contractors, (iii) sourcing production to merchandise categories where product is readily available and (iv) sourcing from countries with tariff preference and free trade agreements. VF does not directly or indirectly source products from suppliers in countries that are prohibited by the U.S. State Department.

All VF-operated production facilities throughout the world, as well as all independent contractor facilities that manufacture VF products, must comply with VF’s Global Compliance Principles. These principles, established in 1997 and consistent with international labor standards, are a set of strict standards covering legal and ethical business practices, workers’ ages, work hours, health and safety conditions, environmental standards

8

Table of Contents

and compliance with local laws and regulations. In addition, our owned factories must also undergo certification by the independent, nonprofit organization, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (“WRAP”), which promotes global ethics in manufacturing.

VF, through its contractor monitoring program, audits the activities of the independent businesses and contractors that produce VF products at locations across the globe. Each of the approximately 1,900 independent contractor facilities, including those serving our independent licensees, must be pre-certified before producing VF products. This precertification includes passing a factory inspection and signing a VF Terms of Engagement agreement. We maintain an ongoing audit program to ensure compliance with these requirements by using dedicated internal staff and externally contracted firms. Additional information about VF’s Code of Business Conduct, Global Compliance Principles, Terms of Engagement, Factory Compliance Guidelines, Factory Audit Procedure and Environmental Compliance Guidelines, along with a Global Compliance Report, is available on the VF website at www.vfc.com.

VF did not experience difficulty in fulfilling its raw material and contracting production needs during 2015. Absent any material changes, VF believes it would be able to largely offset any increases in product costs through (i) the continuing shift in the mix of its business to higher margin brands, geographies and channels of distribution, (ii) increases in the prices of its products and (iii) cost reduction opportunities. The loss of any one supplier or contractor would not have a significant adverse effect on our business.

Product is shipped from our independent suppliers and VF-operated manufacturing facilities to distribution centers around the world. In some instances, product is shipped directly to our customers. Most distribution centers are operated by VF, and some support more than one brand. A portion of our distribution needs are met by contract distribution centers.

Seasonality

VF’s quarterly operating results vary due to the seasonality of our individual businesses, and are historically stronger in the second half of the year. On a quarterly basis in 2015, consolidated revenues ranged from a low of 20% of full year revenues in the second quarter to a high of 29% in the third quarter, while consolidated operating margin ranged from a low of 9% in the second quarter to a high of 18% in the third quarter. This variation results primarily from the seasonal influences on revenues of our Outdoor & Action Sports coalition, where 19% of the coalition’s revenues occurred in the second quarter compared to 31% in the third quarter of 2015. With changes in our mix of business and the growth of our retail operations, historical quarterly revenue and profit trends may not be indicative of future trends.

Working capital requirements vary throughout the year. Working capital increases early in the year as inventory builds to support peak shipping periods and then moderates later in the year as those inventories are sold and accounts receivable are collected. Cash provided by operating activities is substantially higher in the second half of the year due to higher net income during that period and reduced working capital requirements, particularly during the fourth quarter.

Advertising, Customer Support and Community Outreach

During 2015, our advertising and promotion expense was $712.6 million, representing 5.8% of total revenues. We advertise in consumer and trade publications, on radio and television, and through digital initiatives including social media and mobile platforms on the Internet. We also participate in cooperative advertising on a shared cost basis with major retailers in print media, radio and television. We sponsor sporting, musical and special events, as well as athletes and personalities who promote our products. We employ marketing sciences to optimize the impact of advertising and promotional spending and to identify the types of spending that provide the greatest return on our marketing investments.

We provide advertising support to our wholesale customers in the form of point-of-sale fixtures and signage to enhance the presentation and brand image of our products. We also participate in shop-in-shops and

9

Table of Contents

concession retail arrangements, which are separate sales areas dedicated to a specific VF brand within our customers’ stores, to help differentiate and enhance the presentation of our products.

We contribute to incentive programs with our wholesale customers, including cooperative advertising funds, discounts and allowances. We also offer sales incentive programs directly to consumers in the form of rebate and coupon offers.

In addition to sponsorships and activities that directly benefit our products and brands, VF and its associates actively support our communities and various charities. For example, The North Face^® brand has committed to programs that encourage and enable outdoor participation, such as The North Face Endurance Challenge^® and The North Face Explore Fund^™ programs. The Timberland^® brand has a strong heritage of volunteerism, including the Path of Service^™ program that offers full-time employees up to 40 hours of paid time off a year to serve their local communities through global service events such as Earth Day in the spring and Serv-a-palooza in the fall. The Wrangler^® brand launched the Tough Enough to Wear Pink^™ program, which honors and raises money for breast cancer survivors, and the National Patriot Program^™, which funds agencies that serve wounded and fallen American military veterans and their families. The Vans^® brand has hosted annual Vans^® Earth Day and Vans^® Gives Back Day events in which all employees at brand headquarters spend the day volunteering in the community. The Nautica^® brand supports Oceana, a not-for-profit organization focused on ocean conservatism, and charity: water, a not-for-profit organization focused on providing clean, safe water to people in need. In addition, 2015 marked the twentieth year of support for the Lee National Denim Day^® event, one of the country’s largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer that has raised over $93 million since its inception to fight breast cancer. VF sponsors the “VF 100” program to honor the 100 VF associates worldwide having the highest number of volunteer service hours during the year.

Sustainability

VF’s approach to Sustainability and Responsibility (“S&R”) is to responsibly manage its business, from the way it makes, distributes and markets products to the ways it preserves the environment and supports local communities. In 2014, VF launched its inaugural S&R Report, a compilation of the many actions and investments taking place across VF for our businesses to operate in a sustainable manner. During 2015, VF continued to expand its global sustainability infrastructure and governance practices by requiring our top brands to report on their S&R practices and strategies on at least an annual basis. In addition, we are on track to meet our first carbon reduction goal to reduce our carbon footprint by 5% (with a 2009 baseline year). VF also recognized seven U.S.-based distribution centers as being “zero-waste,” meaning at least 95 percent of the waste from these factories will be diverted from landfills through recycling, composting and reuse. Other current initiatives include i) an ongoing partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative to promote sustainable farming methods, ii) retrofitting owned facilities with LED lighting and pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) certification for new offices and distribution centers, and iii) continuing our innovative approach to responsible chemical management in our supply chain via the CHEM-IQ^SM chemical management program, an industry-leading method that allows us to identify and eliminate harmful chemicals before they enter our manufacturing process. In addition, VF announced its goal to be 100% powered by renewable energy by 2025 at all owned and operated facilities.

Other Matters

Competitive Factors

Our business depends on our ability to stimulate consumer demand for VF’s brands and products. VF is well-positioned to compete in the apparel, footwear and accessories sector by developing high quality, innovative products at competitive prices that meet consumer needs, providing high service levels, ensuring the right products are on the retail sales floor to meet consumer demand, investing significant amounts behind existing brands and continuing to evaluate potential acquisitions. We continually strive to improve in each of these areas. Many of VF’s brands have long histories and enjoy strong recognition within their respective consumer segments.

10

Table of Contents

Intellectual Property

Trademarks, trade names, patents and domain names, as well as related logos, designs and graphics, provide substantial value in the development and marketing of VF’s products and are important to our continued success. We have registered this intellectual property in the U.S. and in other countries where our products are manufactured and/or sold. We vigorously monitor and enforce VF’s intellectual property against counterfeiting, infringement and violations of other rights where and to the extent legal, feasible and appropriate. In addition, we grant licenses to other parties to manufacture and sell products utilizing our intellectual property in product categories and geographic areas in which VF does not operate.

Customers

VF products are primarily sold on a wholesale basis to specialty stores, department stores, national chains and mass merchants. In addition, we sell products on a direct-to-consumer basis through VF-operated stores, concession retail stores and e-commerce sites. Our sales in international markets are growing and represented 36% of our total revenues in 2015, the majority of which were in Europe.

Sales to VF’s ten largest customers, all of which are retailers based in the U.S., amounted to 22% of total revenues in 2015, 20% in 2014, and 21% in 2013. Sales to the five largest customers amounted to approximately 16% of total revenues in 2015, 15% in 2014, and 16% in 2013. Sales to VF’s largest customer totaled 8% of total revenues in 2015, 2014 and 2013, the majority of which were derived from the Jeanswear coalition.

Employees

VF had approximately 64,000 employees at the end of 2015, of which approximately 28,000 were located in the U.S. Approximately 600 employees in the U.S. are covered by collective bargaining agreements. In international markets, a significant percentage of employees are covered by trade-sponsored or governmental bargaining arrangements. Employee relations are considered to be good.

Backlog

The dollar amount of VF’s order backlog as of any date may not be indicative of actual future shipments and, accordingly, is not material to an understanding of the business taken as a whole.

Executive Officers of VF

The following are the executive officers of VF Corporation as of March 2, 2016. The executive officers are generally elected annually and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. There is no family relationship among any of the VF Corporation executive officers.

Eric C. Wiseman, 60, has been Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of VF since August 2008 and January 2008, respectively. He has been a Director of VF since October 2006. He served as President of VF from March 2006 until June 2015. He has held a progression of leadership roles within VF since 1995.

Steve E. Rendle, 56, has been President and Chief Operating Officer and a Director of VF since June 2015. He served as Senior Vice President — Americas from April 2014 until June 2015, Vice President and Group President — Outdoor & Action Sports Americas from May 2011 until April 2014, President of VF’s Outdoor Americas businesses from 2009 to 2011, President of The North Face^® brand from 2004 to 2009, and Vice President of Sales of The North Face^® brand from 1999 to 2004.

Scott A. Roe, 51, has been Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of VF since April 2015. He served as Vice President – Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of VF from February 2013 until March 2015, Vice

11

Table of Contents

President — Finance of VF from 2012 to 2013, Vice President — Chief Financial Officer of VF International from 2006 to 2012, and Vice President — Chief Financial Officer of VF’s former intimate apparel business from 2002 to 2006. He joined VF in 1996.

Scott H. Baxter, 51, has been Vice President and Group President — Jeanswear Americas, Imagewear and South America since May 2013. He served as Vice President and Group President — Jeanswear Americas and Imagewear from 2011 until May 2013, President of Imagewear, composed of both the Image and Licensed Sports Group businesses, from 2008 to 2011, and President of the Licensed Sports Group from 2007 to 2008.

Bryan H. McNeill, 54, has been Vice President – Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since April 2015. He served as Controller and Supply Chain Chief Financial Officer of VF International from January 2012 until March 2015, and Controller of VF International from May 2010 until December 2011.

Laura C. Meagher, 55, has been Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since 2012. She served as Vice President — Deputy General Counsel from 2008 to 2012, and Assistant General Counsel from 2004 to 2008.

Karl Heinz Salzburger, 58, has been Vice President of VF and President — VF International since 2009. He became President of VF’s European, Middle East, Africa and Asian operations in September 2006. He served as President of VF’s international outdoor businesses from 2001 to 2006. He joined VF with the acquisition of The North Face^® brand in 2000.

Additional information is included under the caption “Election of Directors” in VF’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held April 26, 2016 (“2016 Proxy Statement”) that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the close of our fiscal year ended January 2, 2016, which information is incorporated herein by reference.

Available Information

All periodic and current reports, registration statements and other filings that VF has filed or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act, are available free of charge from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) and public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549 and on VF’s website at www.vfc.com. Such documents are available as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing of the material with the SEC. Copies of these reports may also be obtained free of charge upon written request to the Secretary of VF Corporation, P.O. Box 21488, Greensboro, NC 27420. Information on the operation of the public reference room can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

The following corporate governance documents can be accessed on VF’s website: VF’s Corporate Governance Principles, Code of Business Conduct, and the charters of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Copies of these documents also may be obtained by any shareholder free of charge upon written request to the Secretary of VF Corporation, P.O. Box 21488, Greensboro, NC 27420.

After VF’s 2016 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, VF intends to file with the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) the certification regarding VF’s compliance with the NYSE’s corporate governance listing standards as required by NYSE Rule 303A.12. Last year, VF filed this certification with the NYSE on May 5, 2015.

Item 1A.    Risk Factors.

The following risk factors should be read carefully in connection with evaluating VF’s business and the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect VF’s business, its operating results and its financial condition.

12

Table of Contents

VF’s revenues and profits depend on the level of consumer spending for apparel and footwear, which is sensitive to global economic conditions and other factors. A decline in consumer spending could have a material adverse effect on VF.

The success of VF’s business depends on consumer spending, and there are a number of factors that influence consumer spending, including actual and perceived economic conditions, disposable consumer income, interest rates, consumer credit availability, unemployment, stock market performance, weather conditions, energy prices and tax rates in the international, national, regional and local markets where VF’s products are sold. The current global economic environment is unpredictable and adverse economic trends or other factors could negatively impact the level of consumer spending and have a material adverse impact on VF.

The apparel and footwear industries are highly competitive, and VF’s success depends on its ability to gauge consumer preferences and product trends, and respond to constantly changing markets.

VF competes with numerous apparel and footwear brands and manufacturers. Competition is generally based upon brand name recognition, price, design, product quality, selection, service and purchasing convenience. Some of our competitors are larger and have more resources than VF in some product categories and regions. In addition, VF competes directly with the private label brands of its wholesale customers. VF’s ability to compete within the apparel and footwear industries depends on our ability to:

Failure to compete effectively or to keep pace with rapidly changing consumer preferences, markets and product trends could have a material adverse effect on VF’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

VF’s results of operations could be materially harmed if we are unable to accurately forecast demand for our products.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully anticipate changing consumer preferences and product trends or economic conditions and, as a result, we may not successfully manage inventory levels to meet our future order requirements. We often schedule internal production and place orders for products with independent manufacturers before our customers’ orders are firm. If we fail to accurately forecast consumer demand, we may experience excess inventory levels or a shortage of product required to meet the demand. Inventory levels in excess of consumer demand may result in inventory write-downs, the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, or excess inventory held by our wholesale customers, which could have a negative impact on future sales, an adverse effect on the image and reputation of VF’s brands, and negatively impact profitability. On the other hand, if we underestimate demand for our products, our manufacturing facilities or third-party manufacturers may not be able to produce products to meet consumer requirements, and this could result in delays in the shipment of products and lost revenues, as well as damage to VF’s reputation and relationships. These risks could have a material adverse effect on our brand image as well as our results of operations and financial condition.

13

Table of Contents

VF’s business and the success of its products could be harmed if VF is unable to maintain the images of its brands.

VF’s success to date has been due in large part to the growth of its brands’ images and VF’s customers’ connection to its brands. If we are unable to timely and appropriately respond to changing consumer demand, the names and images of our brands may be impaired. Even if we react appropriately to changes in consumer preferences, consumers may consider our brands’ images to be outdated or associate our brands with styles that are no longer popular. In addition, brand value is based in part on consumer perceptions on a variety of qualities, including merchandise quality and corporate integrity. Negative claims or publicity regarding VF, its brands or its products, including licensed products, could adversely affect our reputation and sales regardless of whether such claims are accurate. Social media, which accelerates the dissemination of information, can increase the challenges of responding to negative claims. In the past, many apparel companies have experienced periods of rapid growth in sales and earnings followed by periods of declining sales and losses. Our businesses may be similarly affected in the future. In addition, we have sponsorship contracts with a number of athletes and musicians and feature those individuals in our advertising and marketing efforts. Actions taken by those individuals associated with our products could harm their reputations and adversely affect the images of our brands.

VF’s revenues and cash requirements are affected by the seasonal nature of its business.

VF’s business is increasingly seasonal, with a higher proportion of revenues and operating cash flows generated during the second half of the fiscal year, which includes the fall and holiday selling seasons. Poor sales in the second half of the fiscal year would have a material adverse effect on VF’s full year operating results and cause higher inventories. In addition, fluctuations in sales and operating income in any fiscal quarter are affected by the timing of seasonal wholesale shipments and other events affecting retail sales.

VF’s profitability may decline as a result of increasing pressure on margins.

The apparel industry is subject to significant pricing pressure caused by many factors, including intense competition, consolidation in the retail industry, pressure from retailers to reduce the costs of products and changes in consumer demand. If these factors cause us to reduce our sales prices to retailers and consumers, and we fail to sufficiently reduce our product costs or operating expenses, VF’s profitability will decline. This could have a material adverse effect on VF’s results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

VF may not succeed in its business strategy.

One of VF’s key strategic objectives is growth. We seek to grow organically and through acquisitions. We seek to grow by building new lifestyle brands, expanding our share with winning customers, stretching VF’s brands to new regions, managing costs, leveraging our supply chain and information technology capabilities across VF and expanding our direct-to-consumer business, including opening new stores and remodeling and expanding our existing stores, and growing our e-commerce business. We may not be able to grow our existing businesses. We may have difficulty completing acquisitions, and we may not be able to successfully integrate a newly acquired business or achieve the expected growth, cost savings or synergies from such integration. We may not be able to expand our market share with winning customers, expand our brands geographically or achieve the expected results from our supply chain initiatives. We may have difficulty recruiting, developing or retaining qualified employees. We may not be able to achieve our store and e-commerce expansion goals, manage our growth effectively, successfully integrate the planned new stores into our operations or operate our new, remodeled and expanded stores profitably. Failure to implement our strategic objectives may have a material adverse effect on VF’s business.

VF relies significantly on information technology. Any inadequacy, interruption, integration failure or security failure of this technology could harm VF’s ability to effectively operate its business.

Our ability to effectively manage and operate our business depends significantly on information technology systems. We rely heavily on information technology to track sales and inventory and manage our supply chain.

14

Table of Contents

We are also dependent on information technology, including the Internet, for our direct-to-consumer sales, including our e-commerce operations and retail business credit card transaction authorization. Despite our preventative efforts, our systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to damage or interruption. The failure of these systems to operate effectively, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, difficulty in integrating new systems or systems of acquired businesses, or a breach in security of these systems could adversely impact the operations of VF’s business, including management of inventory, ordering and replenishment of products, e-commerce operations, retail business credit card transaction authorization and processing, corporate email communications and our interaction with the public on social media.

VF is subject to data security and privacy risks that could negatively affect its results, operations or reputation.

In the normal course of business we often collect, retain and transmit certain sensitive and confidential customer information, including credit card information, over public networks. There is a significant concern by consumers and employees over the security of personal information transmitted over the Internet, identity theft and user privacy. Despite the security measures we currently have in place, our facilities and systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to security breaches and VF and its customers could suffer harm if customer information were accessed by third parties due to a security failure in VF’s systems or one of our third-party service providers. It could require significant expenditures to remediate any such failure or breach, severely damage our reputation and our relationships with customers, and expose us to risks of litigation and liability. In addition, as a result of recent security breaches at a number of prominent retailers, the media and public scrutiny of information security and privacy has become more intense and the regulatory environment has become more uncertain. As a result, we may incur significant costs to comply with laws regarding the protection and unauthorized disclosure of personal information.

VF’s business is exposed to the risks of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. VF’s hedging strategies may not be effective in mitigating those risks.

A growing percentage of VF’s total revenues (approximately 36% in 2015) is derived from markets outside the U.S. VF’s international businesses operate in functional currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in currency exchange rates affect the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency-denominated amounts at which VF’s international businesses purchase products, incur costs or sell products. In addition, for VF’s U.S.-based businesses, the majority of products are sourced from independent contractors or VF plants located in foreign countries. As a result, the cost of these products are affected by changes in the value of the relevant currencies. Furthermore, much of VF’s licensing revenue is derived from sales in foreign currencies. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates could have an adverse impact on VF’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In accordance with our operating practices, we hedge a significant portion of our foreign currency transaction exposures arising in the ordinary course of business to reduce risks in our cash flows and earnings. Our hedging strategy may not be effective in reducing all risks, and no hedging strategy can completely insulate VF from foreign exchange risk. We do not hedge foreign currency translation rate changes.

Further, our use of derivative financial instruments may expose VF to counterparty risks. Although VF only enters into hedging contracts with counterparties having investment grade credit ratings, it is possible that the credit quality of a counterparty could be downgraded or a counterparty could default on its obligations, which could have a material adverse impact on VF’s financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

There are risks associated with VF’s acquisitions.

Any acquisitions or mergers by VF will be accompanied by the risks commonly encountered in acquisitions of companies. These risks include, among other things, higher than anticipated acquisition costs and expenses,

15

Table of Contents

the difficulty and expense of integrating the operations, systems and personnel of the companies and the loss of key employees and customers as a result of changes in management. In addition, geographic distances may make integration of acquired businesses more difficult. We may not be successful in overcoming these risks or any other problems encountered in connection with any acquisitions.

Our acquisitions may cause large one-time expenses or create goodwill or other intangible assets that could result in significant impairment charges in the future. We also make certain estimates and assumptions in order to determine purchase price allocation and estimate the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. If our estimates or assumptions used to value these assets and liabilities are not accurate, we may be exposed to losses that may be material.

VF’s operations and earnings may be affected by legal, regulatory, political and economic risks.

Our ability to maintain the current level of operations in our existing markets and to capitalize on growth in existing and new markets is subject to legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. These include the burdens of complying with U.S. and international laws and regulations, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, and tariffs or other trade barriers.

We cannot predict whether quotas, duties, taxes, exchange controls or other restrictions will be imposed by the U.S., the European Union or other countries on the import or export of our products, or what effect any of these actions would have on VF’s business, financial condition or results of operations. We cannot predict whether there might be changes in our ability to repatriate earnings or capital from international jurisdictions. Changes in regulatory, geopolitical policies and other factors may adversely affect VF’s business or may require us to modify our current business practices.

A significant portion of VF’s 2015 net income was earned in jurisdictions outside the U.S. VF is exposed to risks of changes in U.S. policy for companies having business operations outside the U.S. There have been a number of proposed changes to U.S. income tax laws, including overall corporate and individual tax reform. Some of these tax law changes and tax reform proposals, among other things, consider accelerating the U.S. taxability of non-U.S. earnings or limiting foreign tax credits. While enactment of any such proposal is not certain, if new legislation were enacted, it is possible our U.S. income tax expense could increase, which would reduce our earnings.

We may have additional tax liabilities.

As a global company, we determine our income tax liability in various tax jurisdictions based on an analysis and interpretation of local tax laws and regulations. This analysis requires a significant amount of judgment and estimation and is often based on various assumptions about the future actions of the local tax authorities. These determinations are the subject of periodic U.S. and international tax audits. Although we accrue for uncertain tax positions, our accrual may be insufficient to satisfy unfavorable findings. Unfavorable audit findings and tax rulings may result in payment of taxes, fines and penalties for prior periods and higher tax rates in future periods, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Further, in an effort to deal with budget deficits, governments around the world are focusing on increasing tax revenues through increased audits and, potentially, increased tax rates for corporations. Changes in tax law or our interpretation of tax laws and the resolution of current and future tax audits could significantly affect the amounts provided for income taxes in our consolidated financial statements, and could significantly impact our profitability.

VF’s balance sheet includes a significant amount of intangible assets and goodwill. A decline in the fair value of an intangible asset or of a business unit could result in an asset impairment charge, which would be recorded as an operating expense in VF’s Consolidated Statement of Income and could be material.

VF’s policy is to evaluate indefinite-lived intangible assets and goodwill for possible impairment as of the beginning of the fourth quarter of each year, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the

16

Table of Contents

fair value of such assets may be below their carrying amount. In addition, intangible assets that are being amortized are tested for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. For these impairment tests, we use various valuation methods to estimate the fair value of our business units and intangible assets. If the fair value of an asset is less than its carrying value, we would recognize an impairment charge for the difference.

It is possible that we could have an impairment charge for goodwill or trademark and trade name intangible assets in future periods if (i) overall economic conditions in 2016 or future years vary from our current assumptions, (ii) business conditions or our strategies for a specific business unit change from our current assumptions, (iii) investors require higher rates of return on equity investments in the marketplace or (iv) enterprise values of comparable publicly traded companies, or of actual sales transactions of comparable companies, were to decline, resulting in lower comparable multiples of revenues and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and, accordingly, lower implied values of goodwill and intangible assets. A future impairment charge for goodwill or intangible assets could have a material effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

VF uses third-party suppliers and manufacturing facilities worldwide for a substantial portion of its raw materials and finished products, which poses risks to VF’s business operations.

During fiscal 2015, approximately 77% of VF’s units were purchased from independent manufacturers primarily located in Asia, with substantially all of the remainder produced by VF-owned and operated manufacturing facilities located in the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. Any of the following could impact our ability to produce or deliver VF products:

Although no single supplier and no one country is critical to VF’s production needs, if we were to lose a supplier it could result in interruption of finished goods shipments to VF, cancellation of orders by customers, and termination of relationships. This, along with the damage to our reputation, could have a material adverse effect on VF’s revenues and, consequently, our results of operations.

17

Table of Contents

Our business is subject to national, state and local laws and regulations for environmental, employment, safety and other matters. The costs of compliance with, or the violation of, such laws and regulations by VF or by independent suppliers who manufacture products for VF could have an adverse effect on our operations and cash flows, as well as on our reputation.

Our business is subject to comprehensive national, state and local laws and regulations on a wide range of environmental, employment, safety and other matters. VF could be adversely affected by costs of compliance with or violations of those laws and regulations. In addition, while we do not control their business practices, we require third-party suppliers to operate in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding working conditions, employment practices and environmental compliance. The costs of products purchased by VF from independent contractors could increase due to the costs of compliance by those contractors.

Failure by VF or its third-party suppliers to comply with such laws and regulations, as well as with ethical, social, product, labor and environmental standards, or related political considerations, could result in interruption of finished goods shipments to VF, cancellation of orders by customers, and termination of relationships. If one of our independent contractors violates labor or other laws or implements labor or other business practices that are generally regarded as unethical, it could jeopardize our reputation and potentially lead to various adverse consumer actions, including boycotts that may reduce demand for VF’s merchandise. Damage to VF’s reputation or loss of consumer confidence for any of these or other reasons could have a material adverse effect on VF’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, as well as require additional resources to rebuild VF’s reputation.

Fluctuations in wage rates and the price, availability and quality of raw materials and finished goods could increase costs.

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of fabrics, leather or other raw materials used by VF in its manufactured products, or of purchased finished goods, could have a material adverse effect on VF’s cost of goods sold or its ability to meet its customers’ demands. The prices we pay depend on demand and market prices for the raw materials used to produce them. The price and availability of such raw materials may fluctuate significantly, depending on many factors, including general economic conditions and demand, crop yields, energy prices, weather patterns and speculation in the commodities markets. Prices of purchased finished products also depend on wage rates in Asia and other geographic areas where our independent contractors are located, as well as freight costs from those regions. In addition, fluctuations in wage rates required by legal or industry standards could increase our costs. In the future, VF may not be able to offset cost increases with other cost reductions or efficiencies or to pass higher costs on to its customers. This could have a material adverse effect on VF’s results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

We may be adversely affected by weather conditions.

Our business is adversely affected by unseasonable weather conditions. A significant portion of the sales of our products is dependent in part on the weather and is likely to decline in years in which weather conditions do not favor the use of these products. Periods of unseasonably warm weather in the fall or winter may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Inventory accumulation by our wholesale customers resulting from unseasonable weather in one season generally negatively affects orders in future seasons, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Abnormally harsh or inclement weather can also negatively impact retail traffic and consumer spending.

A substantial portion of VF’s revenues and gross profit is derived from a small number of large customers. The loss of any of these customers or the inability of any of these customers to pay VF could substantially reduce VF’s revenues and profits.

A few of VF’s customers account for a significant portion of revenues. Sales to VF’s ten largest customers were 22% of total revenues in fiscal 2015, with our largest customer accounting for 8% of revenues. Sales to our

18

Table of Contents

customers are generally on a purchase order basis and not subject to long-term agreements. A decision by any of VF’s major customers to significantly decrease the volume of products purchased from VF could substantially reduce revenues and have a material adverse effect on VF’s financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, in recent years, the retail industry has experienced consolidation and other ownership changes. In the future, retailers may further consolidate, undergo restructurings or reorganizations, realign their affiliations or reposition their stores’ target markets. These developments could result in a reduction in the number of stores that carry VF’s products, an increase in ownership concentration within the retail industry, an increase in credit exposure to VF or an increase in leverage by VF’s customers over their suppliers. These changes could impact VF’s opportunities in the market and increase VF’s reliance on a smaller number of large customers.

Further, the global economy periodically experiences recessionary conditions with rising unemployment, reduced availability of credit, increased savings rates and declines in real estate and securities values. These recessionary conditions could have a negative impact on retail sales of apparel and other consumer products. The lower sales volumes, along with the possibility of restrictions on access to the credit markets, could result in our customers experiencing financial difficulties including store closures, bankruptcies or liquidations. This could result in higher credit risk to VF relating to receivables from our customers who are experiencing these financial difficulties. If these developments occur, our inability to shift sales to other customers or to collect on VF’s trade accounts receivable could have a material adverse effect on VF’s financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to obtain short-term or long-term financing on favorable terms, if needed, could be adversely affected by geopolitical risk and volatility in the capital markets.

Any disruption in the capital markets could limit the availability of funds or the ability or willingness of financial institutions to extend capital in the future. This could adversely affect our liquidity and funding resources or significantly increase our cost of capital. An inability to access capital and credit markets may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

VF has a global revolving credit facility. One or more of the participating banks may not be able to honor their commitments, which could have an adverse effect on VF’s business.

VF has a $1.75 billion global revolving credit facility that expires in April 2020. If the financial markets return to recessionary conditions, this could impair the ability of one or more of the banks participating in our credit agreements to honor their commitments. This could have an adverse effect on our business if we were not able to replace those commitments or to locate other sources of liquidity on acceptable terms.

The loss of members of VF’s executive management and other key employees could have a material adverse effect on its business.

VF depends on the services and management experience of its executive officers and business leaders who have substantial experience and expertise in VF’s business. VF also depends on other key employees involved in the operation of its business. Competition for experienced and well-qualified personnel is intense. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on VF.

VF’s direct-to-consumer business includes risks that could have an adverse effect on its results.

VF sells merchandise direct-to-consumer through VF-operated stores and e-commerce sites. Its direct-to-consumer business is subject to numerous risks that could have a material adverse effect on its results. Risks include, but are not limited to, (a) U.S. or international resellers purchasing merchandise and reselling it overseas outside VF’s control, (b) failure of the systems that operate the stores and websites, and their related support systems, including computer viruses, theft of customer information, privacy concerns, telecommunication failures and electronic break-ins and similar disruptions, (c) credit card fraud and (d) risks related to VF’s direct-to-consumer distribution centers. Risks specific to VF’s e-commerce business also include (a) diversion of sales

19

Table of Contents

from VF stores or wholesale customers, (b) difficulty in recreating the in-store experience through direct channels and (c) liability for online content. VF’s failure to successfully respond to these risks might adversely affect sales in its e-commerce business, as well as damage its reputation and brands.

Our VF-operated stores and e-commerce business require substantial fixed investments in equipment and leasehold improvements, information systems, inventory and personnel. We have entered into substantial operating lease commitments for retail space. Due to the high fixed-cost structure associated with our direct-to-consumer operations, a decline in sales or the closure of or poor performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs of equipment and leasehold improvements, and employee-related costs.

VF’s net sales depend on the volume of traffic to its stores and the availability of suitable lease space.

A growing portion of our revenues are direct-to-consumer sales through VF-operated stores. In order to generate customer traffic, we locate many of our stores in prominent locations within successful retail shopping centers or in fashionable shopping districts. Our stores benefit from the ability of the retail center and other attractions in an area to generate consumer traffic in the vicinity of our stores. Part of our future growth is significantly dependent on our ability to operate stores in desirable locations with capital investment and lease costs providing the opportunity to earn a reasonable return. We cannot control the development of new shopping centers or districts; the availability or cost of appropriate locations within existing or new shopping centers or districts; competition with other retailers for prominent locations; or the success of individual shopping centers or districts. Further, if we are unable to renew or replace our existing store leases or enter into leases for new stores on favorable terms, or if we violate the terms of our current leases, our growth and profitability could be harmed. All of these factors may impact our ability to meet our growth targets and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

VF may be unable to protect its trademarks and other intellectual property rights.

VF’s trademarks and other intellectual property rights are important to its success and its competitive position. VF is susceptible to others copying its products and infringing its intellectual property rights especially with the shift in product mix to higher priced brands and innovative new products in recent years. Some of VF’s brands, such as The North Face^®, Timberland^®, Vans^®, JanSport^®, Nautica^®, Wrangler^® and Lee^®, enjoy significant worldwide consumer recognition, and the higher pricing of those products creates additional risk of counterfeiting and infringement.

VF’s trademarks, trade names, patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property are important to VF’s success. Counterfeiting of VF’s products or infringement on its intellectual property rights could diminish the value of our brands and adversely affect VF’s revenues. Actions we have taken to establish and protect VF’s intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent copying of its products by others or to prevent others from seeking to invalidate its trademarks or block sales of VF’s products as a violation of the trademarks and intellectual property rights of others. In addition, unilateral actions in the U.S. or other countries, including changes to or the repeal of laws recognizing trademark or other intellectual property rights, could have an impact on VF’s ability to enforce those rights.

The value of VF’s intellectual property could diminish if others assert rights in or ownership of trademarks and other intellectual property rights of VF, or trademarks that are similar to VF’s trademarks, or trademarks that VF licenses from others. We may be unable to successfully resolve these types of conflicts to our satisfaction. In some cases, there may be trademark owners who have prior rights to VF’s trademarks because the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S. In other cases, there may be holders who have prior rights to similar trademarks. VF is from time to time involved in opposition and cancellation proceedings with respect to some of its intellectual property rights.

20

Table of Contents

We may be subject to liability if third parties successfully claim that we infringe on their trademarks, copyrights, patents or other intellectual property rights. Defending infringement claims could be expensive and time-consuming and might result in our entering into costly license agreements.

VF is subject to the risk that its licensees may not generate expected sales or maintain the value of VF’s brands.

During 2015, $126.1 million of VF’s revenues were derived from licensing royalties. Although VF generally has significant control over its licensees’ products and advertising, we rely on our licensees for, among other things, operational and financial controls over their businesses. Failure of our licensees to successfully market licensed products or our inability to replace existing licensees, if necessary, could adversely affect VF’s revenues, both directly from reduced royalties received and indirectly from reduced sales of our other products. Risks are also associated with a licensee’s ability to:

In addition, VF relies on its licensees to help preserve the value of its brands. Although we attempt to protect VF’s brands through approval rights over design, production processes, quality, packaging, merchandising, distribution, advertising and promotion of our licensed products, we cannot completely control the use of licensed VF brands by our licensees. The misuse of a brand by a licensee could have a material adverse effect on that brand and on VF.

VF has entered into license agreements to use the trademarks of others. Loss of a license could have an adverse effect on VF’s operating results.

VF has entered into agreements to market products under licenses granted by third parties, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League and Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Inc. Some of these licenses are for a short term and do not contain renewal options. Loss of a license, which in certain cases could result in an impairment charge for related operating and intangible assets, could have an adverse effect on VF’s operating results.

If VF encounters problems with its distribution system, VF’s ability to deliver its products to the market could be adversely affected.

VF relies on owned or independently-operated distribution facilities to warehouse and ship product to its customers. VF’s distribution system includes computer-controlled and automated equipment, which may be subject to a number of risks related to security or computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, power interruptions or other system failures. Because substantially all of VF’s products are distributed from a relatively small number of locations, VF’s operations could also be interrupted by earthquakes, floods, fires or other natural disasters affecting its distribution centers. We maintain business interruption insurance, but it may not adequately protect VF from the adverse effects that could be caused by significant disruptions in VF’s distribution facilities, such as the long-term loss of customers or an erosion of brand image. In addition, VF’s distribution capacity is dependent on the timely performance of services by third parties, including the transportation of product to and from its distribution facilities. If we encounter problems with our distribution system, our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales and achieve operating efficiencies could be materially adversely affected.

21

Table of Contents

Volatility in securities markets, interest rates and other economic factors could substantially increase VF’s defined benefit pension costs.

VF currently has obligations under its defined benefit pension plans. The funded status of the pension plans is dependent on many factors, including returns on investment assets and the discount rate used to determine pension obligations. Unfavorable impacts from returns on plan assets, decreases in discount rates, changes in plan demographics or revisions in the applicable laws or regulations could materially change the timing and amount of pension funding requirements, which could reduce cash available for VF’s business.

VF’s operating performance also may be negatively impacted by the amount of expense recorded for its pension plans. Pension expense is calculated using actuarial valuations that incorporate assumptions and estimates about financial market, economic and demographic conditions. Differences between estimated and actual results give rise to gains and losses that are deferred and amortized as part of future pension expense, which can create volatility that adversely impacts VF’s future operating results.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments.

None

Item 2.    Properties.

The following is a summary of VF Corporation’s principal owned and leased properties as of January 2, 2016.

VF’s global headquarters are located in a 180,000 square foot, owned facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. VF owns other facilities in Greensboro, including the Jeanswear coalition headquarters building. In addition, we own facilities in Stabio, Switzerland and lease offices in Hong Kong, China, which serve as our European and Asia Pacific regional headquarters, respectively. We also own or lease coalition and brand headquarter facilities throughout the world.

VF owns a 236,000 square foot facility in Appleton, Wisconsin that serves as a shared services center for our Outdoor & Action Sports coalition in North America. The Appleton facility also includes a manufacturing plant and distribution center. Additionally, we own and lease shared service facilities in Bornem, Belgium that support our international operations. Our sourcing hubs are located in Panama City, Panama and Hong Kong.

Our largest distribution centers are located in Prague, Czech Republic and Visalia, California. Additionally, we operate 30 other owned or leased distribution centers primarily in the U.S., but also in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom. We operate 28 owned or leased manufacturing plants primarily in Mexico, but also in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Turkey and the U.S.

In addition to the principal properties described above, we lease many offices worldwide for sales and administrative purposes. We operate 1,520 retail stores across the Americas, European and Asia Pacific regions. Retail stores are generally leased under operating leases and include renewal options. We believe all facilities and machinery and equipment are in good condition and are suitable for VF’s needs.

Item  3.    Legal Proceedings.

There are no pending material legal proceedings, other than ordinary, routine litigation incidental to the business, to which VF or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of their property is the subject.

Item  4.    Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

22

Table of Contents

PART II

VF’s Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VFC”. The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices of VF Common Stock, as reported on the NYSE Composite Tape in each fiscal quarter of 2015 and 2014, along with dividends declared.

As of January 29, 2016, there were 3,612 shareholders of record. Quarterly dividends on VF Common Stock, when declared, are paid on or about the 20^th day of March, June, September and December.

23

Table of Contents

Performance graph:

The following graph compares the cumulative total shareholder return on VF Common Stock with that of the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index and the S&P 1500 Apparel, Accessories & Luxury Goods Subindustry Index (“S&P 1500 Apparel Index”) for the five fiscal years ended January 2, 2016. The S&P 1500 Apparel Index at the end of fiscal 2015 consisted of Carter’s, Inc., Coach, Inc., Perry Ellis International, Inc., Fossil, Inc., G-III Apparel Group, Ltd., Hanesbrands Inc., Iconix Brand Group, Inc., Kate Spade & Company, Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., Movado Group, Inc., Oxford Industries, Inc., PVH Corp., Quiksilver, Inc., Ralph Lauren Corporation, Tumi Holdings, Inc., Under Armour, Inc. and V.F. Corporation. The graph assumes that $100 was invested at the end of fiscal year 2010 in each of VF Common Stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 1500 Apparel Index, and that all dividends were reinvested. The graph plots the respective values on the last trading day of fiscal years 2010 through 2015. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance.

Comparison of Five-Year Total Return of

VF Common Stock, S&P 500 Index and S&P 1500 Apparel Index

VF Common Stock closing price on January 2, 2016 was $62.25

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURNS

Comparison of Cumulative Five-Year Total Return

24

Table of Contents

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities:

The following table sets forth VF’s repurchases of our Common Stock during the fiscal quarter ended January 2, 2016 under the share repurchase program authorized by VF’s Board of Directors in 2013. All share repurchases during the quarter relate to shares acquired in connection with VF’s deferred compensation plans.

25

Table of Contents

Item 6.    Selected Financial Data.

The following table sets forth selected consolidated financial data for the five years ended January 2, 2016. VF operates and reports using a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to December 31 of each year. All references to “2015” relate to the 52-week fiscal period ended January 2, 2016, all references to “2014” relate to the 53-week fiscal period ended January 3, 2015, and all references to “2013”, “2012” and “2011” related to the 52-week fiscal periods ended December 28, 2013, December 29, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.

For all years presented, the data below has been adjusted for the retrospective application of changes in accounting policies to reclassify debt issuance costs from other assets to long-term debt, and to classify all deferred income tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. See Note A within “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in this report for additional information.

This selected financial data should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in this report. Historical results presented herein may not be indicative of future results.

26

Table of Contents

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Overview

VF Corporation (together with its subsidiaries, collectively known as “VF”) is a global leader in the design, production, procurement, marketing and distribution of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and related products. VF’s diverse portfolio of more than 30 brands meets consumer needs across a broad spectrum of activities and lifestyles. Our long-term growth strategy is focused on four drivers — product innovation, consumer research and marketing, our direct-to-consumer infrastructure and geographic expansion.

VF is diversified across brands, product categories, channels of distribution, geographies and consumer demographics. We own a broad portfolio of brands in the outerwear, footwear, denim, backpack, luggage, accessory, sportswear, occupational and performance apparel categories. Our products are marketed to consumers shopping in specialty stores, department stores, national chains, mass merchants and our own direct-to-consumer operations, which includes VF-operated stores, concession retail stores and e-commerce sites.

VF is organized by groupings of businesses called “coalitions”. The five coalitions are Outdoor & Action Sports, Jeanswear, Imagewear, Sportswear and Contemporary Brands. These coalitions are our reportable segments for financial reporting purposes.

VF operates and reports using a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to December 31 of each year. All references to “2015”, “2014” and “2013” relate to the 52-week fiscal year ended January 2, 2016, the 53-week fiscal year ended January 3, 2015, and the 52-week fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, respectively. Because 2014 had 53 weeks compared to 52 weeks in 2015, we have highlighted the estimated comparative impact where relevant in the discussions below.

27

Table of Contents

Highlights of 2015

All per share amounts are presented on a diluted basis. All percentages shown in the tables below and the discussion that follows have been calculated using unrounded numbers. References to 2015 foreign currency amounts below reflect the changes in foreign exchange rates from 2014 and their impact on both translating foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and on transactions denominated in a foreign currency. References to 2014 foreign currency amounts below reflect the changes in foreign exchange rates from 2013 and their impact on translating foreign currencies into U.S. dollars.

Analysis of Results of Operations

Consolidated Statements of Income

The following table presents a summary of the changes in total revenues during the last two years:

VF reported revenue growth of 1% in 2015, primarily attributable to a 3% increase in the Outdoor & Action Sports coalition and continued strength in the international and direct-to-consumer businesses, partially offset by a negative 5% impact from foreign currency. Excluding the negative impact from foreign currency, sales grew in every region around the world in 2015. Additionally, 2015 revenue growth was negatively impacted by unseasonably warm weather in the fourth quarter, a softer retail environment and the 53^rd week in 2014. The extra week in 2014 negatively impacted 2015 revenue growth comparisons by 1%.

28

Table of Contents

VF reported revenue growth of 8% in 2014, driven by a 13% increase in the Outdoor & Action Sports coalition, and continued strength in the international and direct-to-consumer businesses. The extra week in 2014 added approximately 1% of growth compared to 2013. Additional details on revenues are provided in the section titled “Information by Business Segment”.

VF’s most significant foreign currency exposure relates to business conducted in euro-based countries. However, VF conducts business in other developed and emerging markets around the world with exposure to foreign currencies other than the euro. The strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to foreign currencies negatively impacted revenue comparisons in 2015 as discussed above.

The following table presents the percentage relationship to total revenues for components of the Consolidated Statements of Income:

Gross margin declined 50 basis points to 48.3% in 2015 compared with 48.8% in 2014 primarily due to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which negatively impacted gross margin by 80 basis points in 2015 compared with 2014. Excluding this impact, gross margin improved 30 basis points in 2015 due to lower product costs and the continued shift in our revenue mix towards higher margin businesses, including Outdoor & Action Sports, direct-to-consumer and international, partially offset by aggressive efforts to manage inventory levels.

In 2014, gross margin increased 70 basis points to 48.8% compared with 48.1% in 2013, with improvements in nearly every coalition. The increase in gross margin reflected the continued shift in our revenue mix towards higher margin businesses, including Outdoor & Action Sports, international and direct-to-consumer. In addition, the 2014 change in classification of retail concession fees improved gross margin by 20 basis points and increased the ratio of selling, general and administration expenses to revenues compared with 2013.

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues decreased 10 basis points in 2015 compared with 2014. This decrease is primarily due to lower incentive compensation, leverage of operating expenses on higher revenues, and the benefit from a $16.6 million gain on the sale of a VF Outlet^® location in 2015, partially offset by increased investments in our direct-to-consumer businesses and global product development, which includes our strategic innovation centers.

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 30 basis points higher in 2014 compared with 2013. Excluding the impact of the aforementioned change in classification of retail concession fees, the percentage of selling, general and administrative expenses to revenues did not change in 2014 compared with 2013, as the impact from increased investments in direct-to-consumer businesses and marketing was offset by the leverage of operating expenses on higher revenues.

As part of its annual impairment testing performed in the fourth quarter of 2015, VF recorded a $143.6 million pre-tax, noncash impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of intangible assets related to our 7 For All Mankind^®, Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® brands to their respective estimated fair values. In the fourth quarter of 2014, VF recorded a $396.4 million pre-tax, noncash impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of goodwill and intangible assets related to these same brands. No impairment charge was required in 2013. For additional information, see Notes E, F and S to the consolidated financial statements and the “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” section below.

29

Table of Contents

In 2015, operating margin increased 170 basis points, to 13.4% from 11.7% in 2014. The increase in operating margin reflects a lower impairment charge for intangible assets in 2015 compared with 2014.

In 2014, operating margin declined 270 basis points, to 11.7% from 14.4% in 2013. The decrease in operating margin for 2014 reflects gross margin expansion and a 320 basis point decrease from the noncash impairment charge for goodwill and intangible assets.

Net interest expense increased $2.4 million to $82.3 million in 2015. The increase in net interest expense was primarily due to higher average levels of short-term borrowings. Net interest expense decreased $0.8 million to $79.8 million in 2014, due to the repayment of $400 million of floating rate notes during the third quarter of 2013 and increased interest income on cash equivalents, partially offset by higher average levels of short-term borrowings in 2014.

Outstanding interest-bearing debt averaged $2.4 billion for 2015, $1.8 billion for 2014 and $1.9 billion for 2013, with short-term borrowings representing 41%, 22% and 10% of average debt outstanding for the respective years. The weighted average interest rate on outstanding debt was 3.5% in 2015, 4.6% for 2014 and 4.5% for 2013. The weighted average interest rate decreased in 2015 compared with 2014 primarily due to the increase in average levels of short-term borrowings at lower interest rates. The weighted average interest rate increased slightly in 2014 compared with 2013 primarily due to higher interest rates on international short-term borrowings.

Other income (expense) netted to income of $1.7 million in 2015, compared with expense of $5.5 million and $4.0 million in 2014 and 2013, respectively. The income in 2015 was due primarily to net foreign currency exchange gains compared to net foreign currency exchange losses in both 2014 and 2013.

The effective income tax rate was 22.1% in 2015 compared with 22.5% in 2014. The 2015 tax rate included a net discrete tax benefit of $44.0 million, which included $36.2 million of tax benefits related to the settlement of tax audits, and $4.6 million related to the retroactive impact of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (“PATH”) Act of 2015 as discussed below. The $44.0 million tax benefit in 2015 reduced the effective income tax rate by 2.8% compared with a 1.0% impact of discrete items in 2014. Without discrete items, the effective tax rate during 2015 increased by approximately 1.3% primarily due to i) a lower percentage of foreign earnings in 2015, reflecting the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, ii) the expiration of a favorable tax ruling in a foreign jurisdiction at the end of fiscal 2014, and iii) the comparative impact of tax benefits recorded in 2014 related to the utilization of foreign tax attributes. The international effective tax rate was 12.5% and 12.7% for 2015 and 2014, respectively. VF expects the 2016 annual tax rate to approximate 23.0%.

The PATH Act of 2015, signed into law in December 2015, permanently extended the U.S. federal research tax credit and extended certain tax credits and other incentives. The PATH Act was retroactive to January 1, 2015, and the impact was considered a discrete tax benefit when recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The effective income tax rate was 22.5% in 2014 compared with 22.6% in 2013. The 2014 tax rate included a net discrete tax benefit of $13.8 million, primarily related to unrecognized tax benefits and interest (net $11.4 million tax benefit) and the retroactive impact of the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 discussed below ($5.3 million tax benefit), partially offset by other discrete tax items (net $2.9 million tax expense). These discrete items collectively lowered the 2014 annual tax rate by 1.0% compared with a 1.7% impact of discrete items in 2013. Without discrete items, the effective tax rate during 2014 decreased by approximately 0.7%. The international effective tax rate was 12.7% and 12.1% for 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, signed into law in December 2014, retroactively extended certain tax credits and incentives through tax year 2014. The impact of this tax law change to the 2014 tax year was considered a discrete tax benefit when recorded in the fourth quarter of 2014.

30

Table of Contents

As a result of the above, net income in 2015 increased to $1.2 billion ($2.85 per share), compared with $1.0 billion ($2.38 per share) in 2014 and $1.2 billion ($2.71 per share) in 2013. The increase in earnings per share in 2015 compared with 2014 reflects the lower intangible asset impairment charge ($0.23 per share in 2015 compared with $0.70 per share in 2014) and improved operating performance, partially offset by the negative impact from foreign currency. The decrease in earnings per share in 2014 compared with 2013 reflects the goodwill and intangible asset impairment charge in 2014, partially offset by improved operating performance. Refer to additional discussion in the “Information by Business Segment” section below.

Information by Business Segment

Management at each of the coalitions has direct control over and responsibility for its revenues and operating income, hereinafter termed “coalition revenues” and “coalition profit”, respectively. VF management evaluates operating performance and makes investment and other decisions based on coalition revenues and coalition profit. Common costs such as information systems processing, retirement benefits and insurance are allocated to the coalitions based on appropriate metrics such as sales, usage or employment.

The following tables present a summary of the changes in coalition revenues and coalition profit during the last two years:

The following section discusses the changes in revenues and profitability by coalition:

Outdoor & Action Sports

31

Table of Contents

The Outdoor & Action Sports coalition includes the following brands: The North Face^®, Vans^®, Timberland^®, Kipling^® (outside of North America), Napapijri^®, JanSport^®, Reef^®, SmartWool^®, Eastpak^®, lucy^® and Eagle Creek^®.

Global revenues for Outdoor & Action Sports increased 3% in 2015, reflecting 9% operational growth despite the warmer weather in the fourth quarter and the softer retail environment compared with 2014. The operational growth was partially offset by a negative 6% impact from foreign currency. The 53^rd week in 2014 also negatively impacted 2015 revenue growth. Revenues in the Americas region increased 8% in 2015, including a 2% negative impact from foreign currency. Revenues in the Asia Pacific region increased 10% in 2015 despite a 5% negative impact from foreign currency. European revenues declined 10% in 2015, including a 16% negative impact from foreign currency.

Global revenues for The North Face^® brand increased 1% in 2015 over 2014, as operational growth in the direct-to-consumer channel was partially offset by a negative 4% impact from foreign currency. Sales for The North Face^® brand were negatively impacted by the warm weather in 2015, particularly during the fourth quarter when consumer demand for cold-weather products is typically at its peak. Vans^® brand global revenues were up 7% in 2015, reflecting operational growth in both the direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels, partially offset by a negative 7% impact from foreign currency. Global revenues for the Timberland^® brand were up 2% in 2015 driven by strong wholesale revenues, partially offset by a negative 8% impact from foreign currency and reduced consumer demand for outdoor apparel and footwear as a result of the warm weather noted above.

Global direct-to-consumer revenues for Outdoor & Action Sports grew 6% in 2015 over 2014, driven by new store openings and an expanding e-commerce business. Foreign currency negatively impacted direct-to-consumer revenues by 5% in 2015. Wholesale revenues were up 1% in 2015, including an 8% negative impact from foreign currency.

The Outdoor & Action Sports coalition revenues increased 13% in 2014 over 2013 primarily due to growth in The North Face^®, Vans^® and Timberland^® brands, which achieved global revenue growth of 11%, 17% and 13%, respectively. Revenues in the Americas, European and Asia Pacific regions increased 14%, 9% and 17%, respectively. Direct-to-consumer revenues rose 22% in 2014 driven by increases of 31% and 24% for The North Face^® and Vans^® brands, respectively. New store openings and comparable sales growth, which includes an expanding e-commerce business, all contributed to the direct-to-consumer revenue growth.

Operating margin decreased 110 basis points in 2015 due to the negative impact from foreign currency and increased investments in direct-to-consumer businesses, partially offset by the leverage of operating expenses on higher revenues.

Operating margin increased 90 basis points in 2014 driven by a shift in business mix towards higher margin businesses and the leverage of operating expenses on higher revenues, partially offset by increased investments in direct-to-consumer businesses and marketing.

Jeanswear

The Jeanswear coalition consists of the global jeanswear businesses, led by the Wrangler^® and Lee^® brands.

32

Table of Contents

Global Jeanswear revenues were flat in 2015 compared with 2014, reflecting operational growth offset by a negative 4% impact from foreign currency. The 53^rd week in 2014 also negatively impacted 2015 revenue growth. Revenues in the Americas region increased 1% in 2015, reflecting a 2% negative impact from foreign currency. Revenues in the Asia Pacific region increased 5% in 2015 despite a 4% negative impact from foreign currency. European revenues decreased 15% in 2015, including an 18% negative impact from foreign currency.

Global revenues for the Wrangler^® brand were flat in 2015 compared with 2014, as 4% operational growth driven by continued strength in the mass business was offset by a negative 4% impact from foreign currency. Global revenues for the Lee^® brand were also flat in 2015 compared with 2014, as continued growth in China and Europe, strong wholesale growth in India, and recent product launches in the U.S. were partially offset by a negative 5% impact from foreign currency. Revenues for the Rock & Republic^® brand were down 11% in 2015 compared with 2014.

Global Jeanswear revenues were flat in 2014 over 2013, as an increase in global Wrangler^® brand revenues was offset by decreases in global Lee^® (driven by declines in the U.S.) and Rock & Republic^® brand revenues.

In 2014, revenues in the Americas region declined 3%. Lee^® brand revenues in the Americas region declined 9% in 2014, due to ongoing pressure in the U.S. mid-tier and department store channels, and unfavorable consumer trends in women’s denim. Wrangler^® brand revenues in the Americas region increased 2% in 2014 driven by increases in both the western specialty and mass businesses. Partially offsetting the overall decrease in the Americas region were increases in Europe and the Asia Pacific region of 5% and 14%, respectively. The increases in both Europe and the Asia Pacific region were primarily due to wholesale and direct-to-consumer growth in the Lee^® brand. Revenues in the Americas (non-U.S.) region declined 5% in 2014 compared with 2013, due to the negative impact of foreign currency translation.

Operating margin increased 40 basis points in 2015 over 2014, primarily due to lower product costs, partially offset by the negative impact from foreign currency.

Operating margin declined 60 basis points in 2014 over 2013, primarily due to initiatives to liquidate excess inventory, and lower sales volume in North America, partially offset by effective control of operating expenses.

Imagewear

The Imagewear coalition consists of VF’s Image business (occupational apparel and uniforms, including the Red Kap^® and Bulwark^® brand industrial businesses) and Licensed Sports Group (“LSG”) business (athletic apparel and fanwear, which includes the Majestic^® brand business).

Imagewear revenues decreased 2% in 2015 compared with 2014, partially due to the impact of the 53^rd week in 2014. The Image business revenues decreased 6% compared with 2014 primarily due to the impact of considerably lower levels of oil and gas exploration, which negatively impacted sales of the Bulwark^® brand. Revenues for the LSG business were up 4% in 2015 compared with 2014, driven by strong Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association sales.

Coalition revenues increased 4% in 2014 compared with 2013. The Image business grew 4%, driven by a 10% increase in the Red Kap^® brand business. Revenues from the LSG business were up 3% in 2014 primarily

33

Table of Contents

due to strong National Football League sales. Effective in the first quarter of 2014, the LSG business strategically transitioned the youth business for Major League Baseball to a licensed model, which negatively impacted coalition revenues by 2% in 2014 compared with 2013.

The 30 basis point decline in operating margin in 2015 compared with 2014 was negatively impacted by lower gross margins primarily due to business mix.

The 60 basis point improvement in operating margin in 2014 compared with 2013 was positively impacted by favorable product mix in both the Image and LSG businesses.

Sportswear

The Sportswear coalition consists of the Nautica^® and Kipling^® brand businesses in North America (the Kipling^® brand outside of North America is managed by the Outdoor & Action Sports coalition).

Coalition revenues decreased 2% in 2015 over 2014, partially due to the impact of the 53^rd week in 2014. Nautica^® brand revenues decreased 4% in 2015 due in part to the unseasonably warm weather in the fourth quarter, which reduced consumer demand for fleece, sweaters and outerwear. Nautica^® brand direct-to-consumer revenues were down 9% in 2015 compared with 2014 due to reduced traffic and the exit of less profitable stores. Wholesale revenues for the Nautica^® brand were only down 1% in 2015 despite continuing challenges in the U.S. department store channel. Kipling^® brand revenues in North America increased 8%, driven by growth in the direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.

Coalition revenues increased 4% in 2014 over 2013 primarily due to a 21% increase in Kipling^® brand revenues in North America, reflecting growth in the brand’s direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels. Nautica^® brand revenues increased 1% in 2014, as growth in the direct-to-consumer business was partially offset by declines in wholesale revenues due to challenges in the U.S. department store channel. New store openings and comparable sales growth, which includes higher e-commerce revenues, contributed to a 14% increase in the coalition’s direct-to-consumer business.

Operating margin increased 40 basis points in 2015 over 2014, primarily driven by a shift in business mix to the higher margin Kipling^® brand business and lower levels of promotional activity in the wholesale channel for the Nautica^® brand, partially offset by reduced expense leverage on lower sales volume and increased investments in direct-to-consumer businesses.

Operating margin declined 210 basis points in 2014 over 2013, primarily driven by a decline in gross margin due to higher levels of promotional activity in the wholesale channel, and increased investments in infrastructure and direct-to-consumer businesses, partially offset by a shift in business mix towards the higher margin Kipling^® brand business.

34

Table of Contents

Contemporary Brands

The Contemporary Brands coalition consists of the 7 For All Mankind^® brand of premium denim and related apparel, and the Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® premium lifestyle apparel brands.

Coalition revenues decreased 14% in 2015 compared with 2014, reflecting ongoing challenges in demand for contemporary apparel and premium denim, and the negative impact of the 53^rd week in 2014. In addition, foreign currency negatively impacted coalition revenues by 3% in 2015 compared to 2014. Wholesale and direct-to-consumer revenues decreased 15% and 13%, respectively, in 2015 compared with 2014. Global revenues for the 7 For All Mankind^® and the combined Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® brands decreased 14% and 15%, respectively.

Coalition revenues decreased 4% in 2014 compared with 2013 due to challenging consumer trends in contemporary apparel and premium denim. Wholesale revenues decreased 11% in 2014, partially offset by an 11% increase in the smaller direct-to-consumer business. Global revenues for the 7 For All Mankind^® and the combined Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® brands decreased 2% and 7%, respectively. Effective in the first quarter of 2014, management strategically transitioned a portion of the Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® youth business to a licensed model, which negatively impacted coalition revenues by 3% in 2014 compared with 2013.

Operating margin decreased 410 basis points in 2015 compared with 2014 primarily due to discounting, the negative impact from foreign currency and reduced expense leverage on a lower revenue base.

Operating margin decreased 350 basis points in 2014 compared with 2013 primarily due to the cost of store openings and reduced expense leverage on a lower revenue base.

As part of its annual impairment testing performed in the fourth quarter of 2015, VF recorded a $143.6 million pre-tax, noncash impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of intangible assets related to the 7 For All Mankind^®, Splendid^® and Ella Moss^® brands to their respective estimated fair values. In the fourth quarter of 2014, VF recorded a $396.4 million pre-tax, noncash impairment charge to reduce the carrying value of the goodwill and intangible assets related to these same brands. These charges were excluded from the coalition profit of Contemporary Brands since they are not part of the ongoing operations of the business. For additional information, see Notes E, F and S to the consolidated financial statements and the “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” section below.

Other