TOM Tommy Hilfiger Corp

HONG KONG, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tommy Hilfiger Corporation (NYSE:TOM) today announced that it is reducing staff by approximately 135 U.S. employees as part of its ongoing initiatives to rightsize the cost structure of its U.S. Wholesale business. The Company has approximately 6,000 employees worldwide. The Company had previously stated that although it is experiencing growth in other businesses, particularly its Retail and International Wholesale segments, its U.S. Wholesale segment remained challenged, and it intended to strive for improved financial performance in that segment through product initiatives and cost reductions. The Company believes that today's action was necessary to better align its cost structure with the size of its business and its financial goals. The financial impact of this action on the current fiscal year is expected to be neutral. Safe Harbor Statement Statements made by the Company that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "expect," "believe" and similar words or phrases. Such statements are based on current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control including, but not limited to, the overall level of consumer spending on apparel; the financial strength of the retail industry generally and the Company's customers, distributors, and licensees in particular; changes in trends in the market segments and geographic areas in which the Company competes; the level of demand for the Company's products; actions by our major customers or existing or new competitors; the effect of the Company's strategy to reduce U.S. distribution in order to bring supply and demand into balance; changes in currency and interest rates; changes in applicable tax laws, regulations and treaties; changes in economic or political conditions or trade regulations in the markets where the Company sells or sources its products; the effects of any consolidation of the Company's facilities and actions to reduce selling, general and administrative expenses; the outcome of the class action lawsuits against the Company and the Company's discussions with the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department and other tax authorities and the financial statement impact of such matters; the ability of the Company to satisfy covenants or obtain waivers, if necessary, under its indenture on a timely basis relating to the providing of required financial information; as well as other risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's publicly-filed documents, including this press release and the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men's and women's sportswear, jeanswear and childrenswear. The Company's brands include Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld. Through a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company also offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrance, and home furnishings. The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and other countries in the Far East, as well as the Company's own network of outlet and specialty stores in the United States, Canada and Europe. DATASOURCE: Tommy Hilfiger Corporation CONTACT: Investor Relations: Valerie Martinez, +1-212-549-6780; Public Relations: Ruth Pachman, +1-212-521-4891 or Wendi Kopsick, +1-212-521-4867, both of Kekst Web site: http://www.tommy.com/

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