NEW YORK,
The conference call will be webcast and made available through the
Company's website at http://www.jny.com. The call will also be recorded and
made available through
Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (http://www.jny.com), a Fortune 500 company, is
a leading designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded apparel, footwear and
accessories. The Company also markets directly to consumers through our chain
of specialty retail and value-based stores. The Company's nationally
recognized brands include Jones New York, Nine West,
Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements regarding the Company's expected financial position, business and financing plans are forward-looking statements. The words "believes," "expect," "plans," "intends," "anticipates" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include representations of the Company's expectations or beliefs concerning future events that involves risks and uncertainties, including:
-- those associated with the effect of national and regional economic conditions; -- lowered levels of consumer spending resulting from a general economic downturn or lower levels of consumer confidence; -- the performance of the Company's products within the prevailing retail environment; -- customer acceptance of both new designs and newly-introduced product lines; -- the Company's reliance on a few department store groups for large portions of the Company's business; -- consolidation of the Company's retail customers; -- financial difficulties encountered by customers; -- the effects of vigorous competition in the markets in which the Company operates; -- the Company's ability to identify acquisition candidates and, in an increasingly competitive environment for such acquisitions, acquire such businesses on reasonable financial and other terms; -- the integration of the organizations and operations of any acquired businesses into the Company's existing organization and operations; -- the Company's reliance on independent foreign manufacturers; -- changes in the costs of raw materials, labor and advertising; -- the general inability to obtain higher wholesale prices for the Company's products that the Company has experienced for many years; -- the uncertainties of sourcing associated with the new environment in which general quota has expired on apparel products (while China has agreed to safeguard quota on certain classes of apparel products through 2008, political pressure will likely continue for restraint on importation of apparel); -- the Company's ability to successfully implement new operational and financial computer systems; and -- the Company's ability to secure and protect trademarks and other intellectual property rights.
A further description of these risks and uncertainties and other important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the
Company's expectations can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-
K for the fiscal year ended
SOURCE Jones Apparel Group, Inc.