Fluent Essays

Using HomeDepot you chose from the Week 3 assignment, Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness, examine the industry in which the entity operates. Use any or all of the following resources to conduct research on the company: Company website. Public filings from the Securities and Exchange Commissions Filings & Forms page. The Lexis Advance database. Other miscellaneous sources. Note: the companys annual report will often provide insights that other resources may not include.  Choose the two segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the corporation you chose. Assess how these segments affect the corporation you chose and the industry in which it operates. Considering the five forces of competition, choose the two that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose. Evaluate how well the company has addressed these two forces in the recent past. With the same two forces in mind, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address these forces in the near future. Assess the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities available to the corporation. Give your opinions on how the corporation should deal with the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity. Justify your answer. Give your opinion on the corporations greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Choose the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of its strengths, and the strategy or tactic the corporation should select to fix its most significant weakness. Justify your choices. Determine the company’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies 1 Figures title: 8 Week 6 Assignment 2 Student’s Full Name BUS499 Business Administration Capstone Professor’s Name Date Template Instructions (delete this page before submitting) This template is provided to help you meet the assignment requirements. This page should NOT be submitted with your assignment, as it is not part of an academically written paper. Note the “Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements” section of the grading rubric. HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE · Read the explanations provided in the template for each section of your paper. · The explanations are in blue font below. · You should have already read the assignment instructions in Blackboard. · Type your response to each of the assignment requirements within the designated sections. · Each assignment requirement is identified using a section Heading that is in black font · DO NOT add extra spaces between sections. · DO NOT change the margins. · You are required to have a heading for each of the sections in your paper. · The required headings have been provided for you. · Follow the instructions below to customize the Headings as directed. · DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections. · After typing your responses, change the font color to black and make sure it is not in bold. · Be sure to change the font color on the title page to black after typing your name, professor’s name, and date. · Everything in blue font below should be deleted and replaced with your responses. · DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment to avoid losing points. Do not leave a blank page here. REMINDERS · The assignment is due in week 6. Late submissions negatively impact your grade. · Use the same public corporation you used for assignment 1. · Do not copy content from other assignments in this class or others. · Include at least 4 full and complete academically written pages that address the requirements. The title page, this instruction page, and the source page do not count. · Use at least 3 quality sources, one of which MUST be the course textbook. Week 6 Assignment 2 Write your introduction here. Include one (1) paragraph (not more than 6 lines of text) that explains what your paper will discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all assignment resources to understand what should be included in your paper. Be sure to review the assignment instructions in Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6 lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your introduction and change the font color to black. General Environment In this section you will choose the two (2) segments of the general environment that would rank highest in their influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. You must select from the segments discussed in the course. Hint: see table 2.1 in the textbook. Do not assess all the segments—only assess the two (2) segments that rank highest in influencing your corporation. You will then assess how these segments affect the corporation and the industry in which it operates. There are two (2) subsections below, each has a heading. The heading “Segment 1” should be changed to the first segment of the general environment you select. The heading “Segment 2” should be changed to the second segment of the general environment you select. Replace this paragraph with a very brief introduction that includes the identification of the two (2) segments of the general environment you selected and change the font color to black. Segment 1 This subsection is where you assess the first of the two (2) segments of the general environment you think ranks highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Segment 1” to the name of the selected segment. Assess how this segment affects the corporation and the industry in which it operates. Remember that to assess a concept, you will weigh all aspects to judge the importance or relevance of that concept. Do not simply define the segment. Do not copy from you assignment 1 submission. Your assessment should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the course resources regarding the segment. Your writing here should thoroughly assess how the selected segment influences your corporation. Do not write about the general environment in general terms. Your assessment should be directly related to your selected corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course material to your assessment. Do not Google “segments of the general environment” or provide high-level summaries. You must display, in specific detail, an understanding based on what is studied in this course and demonstrate your ability to apply the concepts in a real-world assessment of a corporation. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Properly cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your assessment and change the font color to black. Segment 2 This subsection is where you assess the second of the two (2) segments of the general environment you selected. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Segment 2” to the name of the selected segment of the general environment that would rank highest in its influence on the public corporation you chose for assignment 1. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the “Segment 1” subsection above for this second segment of the general environment. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all of the requirements for this second segment of the general environment. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Five Forces of Competition In this section you will consider the five (5) forces of competition and choose the two (2) that you estimate are the most significant for the corporation you chose in assignment 1. Hint: see figure 2.2 in the textbook. You will then, evaluate how well the company has addressed each of these two (2) forces in the recent past. There are two (2) subsections below, each has a heading. The heading “Force 1” should be changed to the first of the two forces of competition you select. The heading “Force 2” should be changed to the second of the two forces of competition you select. Replace this paragraph with a very brief introduction that includes the identification of the two (2) forces of competition you selected and change the font color to black. Force 1 This subsection is where you evaluate the first of two (2) forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant to the corporation you chose. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Force 1” to the name of your selected force. Provide a thorough assessment of why you think the selected force is significant to your corporation. A thorough assessment is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concept as described in the course. Do not Google “five forces of competition” or simply provide a definition. You will need to apply and incorporate key concepts from the course material in your assessment. Evaluate how well the company addressed the selected force in the recent past. This will require some research. Remember that to evaluate a concept, you will break down all components to determine or analyze facts, value, or views. Your evaluation should demonstrate that you have read, understand, and can apply the concepts covered in the textbook and course resources. Do not write about the selected force in general terms. Your evaluation should be directly related to your selected corporation and include a thorough evaluation of how the company has addressed the force recently. You must display an understanding based on what is studied in this course and demonstrate an ability to apply the concepts in a real-world evaluation of a corporation. You will need to read the chapters and listen to the lectures to understand the key concepts for each force. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite all sources and limit the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Force 2 Choose another one (1) of the five (5) forces of competition that you estimate to be the most significant for the corporation you chose. This should not be the same force assessed in the “Force 1” section above. Change the subheading for this section, which currently says “Force 2” to the name of the selected force. This subsection is where you evaluate the second of the two forces of competition that you selected. Repeat the evaluation instructions provided in the “Force 1” subsection above for this second force of competition. Re-read the instructions above to ensure you have covered all of the requirements for this second force of competition. After completing this section, replace this blue text with your evaluation and change the font color to black. Future Improvements With the same two (2) forces assessed and evaluated in the previous two (2) sub-sections above, predict what the company might do to improve its ability to address the forces in the near future. Your writing here should provide a thorough prediction of what the company should do to address impacts from the selected forces. Do not simply discuss company information published by your sources. This section should be your prediction of what the corporation should do. Your prediction should be your own, not predictions or recommendations from your sources or actions your corporation has already taken or plans to take. Remember that a thorough evaluation is defined as providing a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. Your prediction should be specific to your selected corporation, relevant to the evaluation you conducted, and directly related to improvements the corporation could make to address the two forces you selected in the two (2) sub-sections above. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook and review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your prediction and change the font color to black. Greatest External Threat Identify what you consider to be the greatest external threat to the corporation you selected. The threat should be specific to your corporation. Justify why you consider the threat to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the impact the threat has on the corporation. For example, your justification could include a comparison of other threats or an evaluation of facts that support the magnitude of the threat’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation should address the threat. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification that supports why you believe the strategy will be successful in combating the threat. This section must include both a clearly identified external threat and a clearly articulated action\strategy the corporation should take to address the threat. Do not write in general terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course concepts relating to threats and the external environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black. Greatest Opportunity Identify what you consider to be the greatest opportunity to the corporation you selected. The opportunity should be specific to your corporation. Justify why you consider the opportunity to be the greatest. Support your justification with an assessment of the impact the opportunity could have on the corporation. For example, your justification could include a comparison of other opportunities or an evaluation of facts that support the magnitude of the opportunity’s impact. Follow this justification with a discussion on how the corporation could best take advantage of the opportunity. Specifically describe the strategy and provide a justification that supports why you believe the strategy will be successful in adding value to the corporation. This section must include both a clearly identified opportunity and a clearly articulated action the corporation should take to take advantage of the opportunity. Do not write in general terms. Your writing here should be specific and incorporate the course concepts relating to opportunities and the external environment. Read chapter 2 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black. Strengths and Weaknesses Give your opinion on the corporations greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Keep in mind that strengths and weaknesses are internal to the organization (i.e. the internal environment). You will need to address both the greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Do not choose one or the other. Both the greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses must be addressed. Do not write in general terms. The identified strengths and weaknesses should be specific to your selected corporation. Include a justification that supports your opinions. This section must include both clearly identified strengths and clearly identified weaknesses. Read Chapter 2 and 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your application and change the font color to black. Strategy or Tactic Choose the strategies or tactics the corporation should select to take maximum advantage of the strengths you identified in the section above, and the strategies or tactics the corporation should select to fix the most significant weaknesses you identified. You will need to select strategies/tactics for both the strengths and weaknesses. Do not choose one or the other. Strategies/tactics for both the strengths and weaknesses must be addressed. Justify your choices. Your justifications should be sound and thoroughly explained. For example, do not simply state that the corporation should choose a selected strategy, but rather explain why the strategy is a good choice for your corporations’ specific strengths or weaknesses. Read Chapter 2 and 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background for this section. Review the Week 2 and Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your responses and change the font color to black. Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies Determine the companys resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Your determination should include an explanation of the relevance of each resource, capability, and core competency. Do not simply list the resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Remember that a thorough determination will provide a complete response that is not superficial or partial regarding the various details of the concepts as described in the course. Use your course materials to demonstrate your understanding of the key course concepts regarding resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Do not write in general terms. Your determination should display that you can apply the course concepts to your selected corporation. R ead Chapter 3 in the course textbook. The textbook provides a solid background to this section. Review the Week 3 Learn Reading for supporting content. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your determination and change the font color to black. Sources 1. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning 2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address) 3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): December 24, 2020 THE HOME DEPOT, INC. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) Delaware 1-8207 95-3261426 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) (770) 433-8211 (Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code) Not Applicable (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below): ☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $0.05 Par Value Per Share HD New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. On December 24, 2020, The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), completed the previously announced acquisition of HD Supply Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HD Supply”), pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of November 15, 2020, by and among the Company, Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and HD Supply. As previously disclosed, pursuant to the Merger Agreement and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, on November 24, 2020, Merger Sub commenced a tender offer (the “Offer”) to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), of HD Supply at a price of $56.00 per Share (the “Offer Price”), net to the seller in cash, without interest, subject to any required withholding of taxes. The Offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 (the “Expiration Time”). The depositary agent for the Offer has advised the Company that, as of the Expiration Time, a total of 127,928,897 Shares had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Offer, representing approximately 82.9\% of the outstanding Shares. The number of Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer satisfied the condition to the Offer that there be validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the Offer a number of Shares that, together with all other Shares (if any) beneficially owned by the Company and its affiliates, represent a majority of the Shares outstanding at the expiration of the Offer (determined on a fully diluted basis (which assumes conversion or exercise of all derivative securities regardless of the conversion or exercise price, the vesting schedule or other terms and conditions thereof)). All conditions to the Offer having been satisfied or waived, the Company and Merger Sub accepted for payment all Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. On December 24, 2020, in accordance with the Merger Agreement and Section 251(h) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, Merger Sub merged with and into HD Supply (the “Merger”), and HD Supply survived the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. At the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), each Share that was issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Shares owned by the Company, Merger Sub or HD Supply, or by any of their respective direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, and Shares held by stockholders of HD Supply who were entitled to demand and who had properly and validly demanded their statutory rights of appraisal and had neither withdrawn nor lost such rights prior to the Effective Time) was converted into the right to receive the Offer Price, net to the holder thereof, in cash, without interest thereon. The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby as set forth in this Item 2.01 does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of the Merger Agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2020 and which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 8.01. Other Events. On December 24, 2020, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the acquisition of HD Supply, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein. Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits. Exhibit Description 2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 15, 2020, by and among The Home Depot, Inc., Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. and HD Supply Holdings, Inc (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by The Home Depot, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2020).* 99.1 Press Release of The Home Depot, Inc. 104 The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL (included as Exhibit 101). * Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company will furnish the omitted schedules and exhibits to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. 2 https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. THE HOME DEPOT, INC. Date: December 28, 2020 By: /s/ Richard V. McPhail Name: Richard V. McPhail Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 3 Exhibit 99.1 THE HOME DEPOT COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF HD SUPPLY Dec 24, 2020 ATLANTA, Dec. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, has completed the acquisition of HD Supply Holdings, Inc., for a total enterprise value (including net cash) of approximately $8 billion. HD Supply is a leading national distributor of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products in the multifamily and hospitality end markets. The agreement to acquire HD Supply was announced on November 16, 2020. “We’re thrilled to welcome HD Supply associates to The Home Depot,” said Craig Menear, chairman and CEO of The Home Depot. “The combination of the two businesses will enable us to better serve both existing and new MRO customers, and I look forward to the value this acquisition will bring to our associates, customers and shareholders.” 1/4 The acquisition of HD Supply is expected to position The Home Depot as a premier provider in a highly fragmented MRO marketplace, which the company estimates to be approximately $55 billion. HD Supply complements The Home Depot’s existing MRO business with a robust product offering and value-added service capabilities, an experienced salesforce, and an extensive, MRO-specific distribution network throughout the U.S. and Canada. The tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of HD Supply expired at midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on December 23, 2020. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the depository and paying agent for the tender offer, advised The Home Depot that as of the tender offer expiration, a total of 127,928,897 shares had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn, representing approximately 82.9\% of the outstanding shares. All of the conditions of the offer have been satisfied and The Home Depot and its subsidiary Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. have accepted for payment for $56 per share in cash, without interest, subject to any required withholding taxes, all shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and will promptly pay for all such shares. Following its acceptance of the tendered shares, The Home Depot completed the acquisition of HD Supply through a merger of Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. with and into HD Supply. As a result of the merger, HD Supply became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Home Depot. In connection with the merger, all HD Supply shares not validly tendered (other than shares held by The Home Depot, Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc., HD Supply or any of their respective direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries and shares held by stockholders of HD Supply who have perfected their statutory appraisal rights) have been cancelled and converted into the right to receive the same $56 in cash (without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes) as will be paid for all HD Supply shares that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. About The Home Depot The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,295 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2019, The Home Depot had sales of $110.2 billion and earnings of $11.2 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index. 2/4 About HD Supply HD Supply is one of the largest wholesale distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-add services to approximately 300,000 customers with leadership positions in the living space maintenance, repair and operations sector. Through approximately 44 distribution centers, across 25 states and two Canadian provinces, the company’s approximately 5,500 associates provide localized, customer-tailored products, services and expertise. For more information, visit www.hdsupply.com. Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the acquisition of HD Supply that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements (the “acquisition”); statements about the potential benefits of the acquisition; HD Supply’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the acquisition making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; negative effects of the consummation of the acquisition on the market price of our common stock, credit ratings or operating results; significant costs associated with the acquisition; unknown liabilities; the impact on our business, operations and financial results of the COVID-19 pandemic (which, among other things, may affect many of the items listed below); the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable sales; effects of competition; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; state of the economy; state of the housing and home improvement markets; state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans and consumer credit; impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, suppliers and vendors; international trade disputes, natural disasters, public health issues (including pandemics and related quarantines, shelter-in-place and other governmental orders, and similar restrictions), and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, the Company’s products or services; continuation of share repurchase programs; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; stock-based compensation expense; commodity price inflation and deflation; the ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the 3/4 impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of regulatory changes; store openings and closures; guidance for fiscal 2020 and beyond; financial outlook; and the integration of acquired companies into our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of those acquisitions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control, dependent on the actions of third parties, or are currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended February 2, 2020 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 1, 2020. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 4/4