Our People
At RH, we believe deeply that the “right” people are our greatest asset. As of January 29, 2022, we had approximately 6,500 associates, of which approximately 800 were part-time associates. As of that date, approximately 2,300 of our associates were based in our retail locations and outlets. None of our employees are represented by a union, and we have had no labor-related work stoppages. We believe that relations with our associates are good.
The success of our business depends upon our ability to retain continued service of certain key personnel, particularly our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gary Friedman, and to attract, retain and motivate qualified leaders throughout our Company, as well as qualified associates across all parts of our organization, including Galleries, Restaurants, distribution centers, home delivery centers and customer care centers, both in the United States and internationally. Our goal is to have the most qualified person in every position throughout our organization. As we are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, a highly dynamic and competitive market for talent, we seek to provide competitive compensation for our people in order to attract and retain the best available talent.
We do not discriminate against any applicant or associate and have a policy outlining these principles. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, discipline, job assignments, benefits, transfer and discharge. We maintain a diverse workforce. RH is an equal opportunity employer, and we believe in meritocratic hiring. We strongly believe our performance is enhanced by a workforce comprising individuals with diverse backgrounds, skills and experience that align with the needs of our business. We are committed to operating our environments with the highest safety standards to ensure the health and well-being of our guests and team members.
Our culture is driven by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and the senior leadership team, who instill a company-wide commitment to our values of People, Quality, Service and Innovation. We believe our distinct corporate culture allows us to attract highly talented individuals who are passionate, driven and who share our vision. We expect our values to be maintained throughout our business, including our supply chain. We require our vendors to adhere to our Vendor Code of Conduct, which can be found on the Investor Relations section of our website, located at ir.rh.com under “Governance / Environmental, Social & Governance.”
Intellectual Property
The “RH,” “Restoration Hardware,” “RH Interiors,” “RH Modern,” “RH Outdoor,” “RH Baby & Child,” “RH TEEN,” “RH Beach House,” “RH Ski House,” “RH Rugs” and “Waterworks,” and “Waterworks Studio” trademarks, among others, are registered or are the subject of pending trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and with the trademark registries of several foreign countries. Each of our trademark registrations is perpetually renewable provided that we use or continue to use the trademarks in commerce in the particular geographic market and for the goods or services covered by the registration. In addition, we own many domain names, including “rh.com,” “restorationhardware.com,” “rhmodern.com,” “rhbabyandchild.com,” “rhteen.com,” “rhbeachouse.rh.com,” “rhskihouse.rh.com,” “waterworks.com” and others that include our trademarks. These domain names are perpetually renewable. We own design patents or pending design patent applications to protect the ornamental appearance of several of our products. These design patents are valid for 15 years from their date of issuance. We own copyrights, including copyright registrations or pending applications, for our website and for several of our Source Books. We believe that our trademarks, design patents, and copyrights have significant value and we vigorously protect them against infringement.
Fluctuation in Quarterly Results
Our quarterly results vary depending upon a variety of factors, including changes in our product offerings and the introduction of new merchandise assortments and categories, changes in retail locations, the timing of Source Book releases, and the extent of our realization of the costs and benefits of our numerous strategic initiatives, among other things. For example, we have historically experienced some seasonality in our business trends as our sales are typically higher in the second fiscal quarter, which correlates to a peak selling season for outdoor items including outdoor furniture. As a result of these factors, our working capital requirements and demands may fluctuate during the year. Unique factors in any given quarter may affect period-to-period comparisons, and the results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that we may achieve for a full fiscal year.
Corporate Information
The Company was formed as a Delaware corporation on August 18, 2011. On November 7, 2012, the Company completed an initial public offering. On December 15, 2016, Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to change its name to “RH,” effective January 1, 2017.