RESPONSIBILITY REPORT FISCAL 2018 CONTENTS — LETTERS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP 4 ABOUT ASCENA RETAIL GROUP INC. 7 ASCENA RESPONSIBILITY 12 OUR FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 22 OUR HIGHLIGHTS 33 RESPONSIBILITY REPORT FISCAL 2018 ASCENA — LETTERS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP FROM LETTERS LETTERS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP 4 ASCENA — LETTERS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP FROM LETTERS OUR JOURNEY & COMMITMENT — We are transforming our business at ascena. Together, We are committed to doubling our impact in support of women we are focused on becoming a collective of healthy, and girls and the causes they care about. Importantly, our goal is OUR JOURNEY & COMMITMENT thriving brands that are loved by our customers. Whether to raise and contribute $250 million by 2025. it’s through reinvigorating our brands, products, and experiences; developing top-tier capabilities that enable us to function better, faster, and more cost efficiently; or — creating new growth opportunities, we are evolving with the ever-changing needs of our customer while remaining WE BELIEVE THAT CARING FOR committed to our core purpose—providing all women WOMEN ACROSS THE WORLD, and girls with fashion and inspiration for living confidently AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES every day. Our customer is at the heart of everything TO LEAD, GIVE BACK, AND we do. Across our brands, we are working to meet her LIVE WELL, WILL LEAD TO A expectations in every interaction she has with us. BETTER FUTURE NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR OUR ASSOCIATES, Today, our customers and associates expect us to do COMMUNITIES, AND CUSTOMERS. more than sell clothes. In addition to providing inclusive fashion­­­—for every age and size, wherever she is, and — however she wants to shop—she expects us to drive positive change for the women and girls we serve. This is why Responsibility is a key strategic initiative in our And, with her at the heart of us, we can make a positive impact transformation plan and we are setting new goals to in the lives of women and girls around the world. honor our commitment to her and our future. Together with our associates, customers and partners, and collectively through our brands, we have raised and donated $125 million in support of women and girls DAVID JAFFE globally since 20051 and have delivered meaningful impact Chairman and CEO, to inspire leadership and opportunity, strengthening ascena retail group inc. communities, and promoting health and well-being. Looking ahead, we are taking critical steps to continue our Responsibility journey and build on the strong foundation established by our brands, customers and associates. 5 ASCENA — LETTERS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP FROM LETTERS OUR RESPONSIBILITY VISION — AS A GROUP OF BRANDS THAT WE ARE BUILDING A BEST-IN-CLASS CHAMPIONS THE CONFIDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAM OUR RESPONSIBILITY VISION LEADERSHIP, AND WELL-BEING OF WOMEN AND GIRLS, WE ARE PROUD Our strategy leverages our collective strengths and individual TO SHARE OUR FIRST COLLECTIVE legacies. It includes setting Responsibility goals for our associates, RESPONSIBILITY REPORT. supply chain, operations, products, and communities. It also establishes an enterprise-wide function to support our brands. The new Responsibility Center of Excellence, where our work This report launches our new strategy, Her, at the Heart of Us, is centralized for the enterprise, will drive our agenda and set and is intended to provide insight to our stakeholders about our our standard for impact. Responsibility journey. Since ascena’s acquisition of ANN INC. in 2015, we are coming together for the first time2 to announce our collective Responsibility strategy and goals. GROWING OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT The journey to develop our new Responsibility strategy is based Together, our eight brands have a multigenerational legacy of on the foundation of our culture, our people, and our business. making a meaningful difference for women and girls, through We have taken time to thoughtfully align on a common vision to our associates, customers, partners, and communities. set our goals while affirming our commitment to women and girls and establishing best practices across our enterprise. Embarking We stand firmly united with women and girls around the world, on this journey has enabled us to build a sustainability vision guided and look forward to regularly sharing our progress on that by our diverse customers, associates, partners, and communities commitment with our stakeholders and the global community. where we do business. As one of America’s largest retail groups for women, we believe we can harness our collective reach to drive positive change for HER, AT THE HEART OF US women and girls everywhere. Embedding this purpose into every aspect of our work is an imperative for us and for our business. Helping women and girls thrive is at the heart of our corporate We’re proud to share the work that we’re doing to keep vision and Responsibility mission. We are inspiring her to lead, her at the heart of us. through education and training; strengthening her community, by giving back and paying forward; and promoting her health and well- being through our long-term health and charitable partnerships. JEANNETTE We aim to help women and girls be the best versions of themselves FERRAN ASTORGA by empowering them in everything we do. By focusing our programs Vice President, ascena Responsibility, and partnerships to support and inspire women and girls around ascena retail group inc. the world, we are building a foundation that fulfills our mission to provide fashion and inspiration for living confidently every day. 6 ASCENA — ABOUT ASCENA ABOUT ASCENA RETAIL GROUP INC. 7 ASCENA — ABOUT ASCENA OUR BRANDS — OUR BRANDS Our name ascena suggests ascension. It reflects our growth as a retail group and our mission to enhance the lives of women and girls. We are a collective of healthy, thriving brands that are loved by our customers. We believe that every brand of the ascena collective is a contribution to our success. Ann Taylor has evolved with the needs of real women, who live full, happy and accomplished lives, for more than 60 years. We are her go-to style destination for apparel, shoes, and accessories. It’s more than just getting dressed: we get her ready. LOFT creates modern, feminine, and versatile clothing for a wide range of women with one common style goal: to look and feel confident, wherever the day takes them. From everyday essentials to attainable trends, LOFT consistently serves up color, print, pattern, and novelty that never compromises on quality and fit (from petites to plus to tall to maternity). 8 ASCENA — ABOUT ASCENA Lou & Grey delivers style and comfort, inspired for millennial women. Lou & Grey offers a thoughtfully OUR BRANDS designed and edited collection of easygoing, texture-rich styles for every day. Whether she’s shopping the collection or highly curated third-party product, Lou & Grey takes her from lounge to street and beyond—so that she has all the feels, all the time. maurices inspires women of all shapes and sizes to look and feel great by offering an authentic and welcoming boutique experience and celebrating the community connections we all share. We are passionate about supporting those who support others—teachers, nurses, moms, military women and spouses—and giving back to those women in our communities. dressbarn has offered fashion for women that provides confidence and fits her lifestyle for more than 50 years. Featuring casual, wear-to-work and special occasion apparel, dressbarn celebrates all sizes, and is committed to inspiring women to look and feel beautiful. 9 ASCENA — ABOUT ASCENA Lane Bryant has challenged norms for over 110 years, OUR BRANDS since its start when Lena Bryant created the first known commercially sold maternity dress. Today as the nation’s leading retailer of women’s special size apparel, Lane Bryant and Cacique, our sexy and comfortable intimates collection, we champion body equality with a focus on fashion and fit. Catherines was founded over 50 years ago by a woman determined to change her community. A fashion leader in extended plus sizes, Catherines works to help every woman feel beautiful and is dedicated to bettering communities. Justice believes girls are the future and focuses on building Justiceconfidence believes and girls self-esteem are the future in young and girlsfocuses ages on 6 buildingto 12 by confidenceproviding andon-trend self-esteem fashion in merchandise young girls agesand accessories,6 to 12 by providing theinspiring hottest them fashion to merchandisebe themselves, and pursue accessories, big dreams, inspiring and themlift to beeach themselves, other up. pursue big dreams, and lift each other up. 10 ASCENA — ABOUT ASCENA FISCAL 2018 HIGHLIGHTS FISCAL 2018 HIGHLIGHTS — OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS 45% of our Board of Directors are women — OUR ASSOCIATES 64,000 global associates 95% of our associates are women 62% of our VP-and-above executives are women 75% of our Directors-and-above are women 97% of our 4,600 stores are led by women — “In the 1960s, there was a social stigma that went along with being a working woman and a wife, and dressbarn was created to reach that woman. We wanted her to RECOGNITION have a place where she could purchase work clothes and have a good experience. When you have a dream, • Ranked on Forbes’ Best Employers list, 2018 you do what it takes.” • Ranked on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list, 2018 • A Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, scored 100% on ROSLYN S. JAFFE the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2018 Corporate Co-founder of dressbarn, a trailblazer for women Equality Index 11 ASCENA — ASCENA RESPONSIBILITY ASCENA RESPONSIBILITY — OUR STRATEGY, GOALS, AMBITIONS, AND PROGRESS 12 ASCENA — ASCENA RESPONSIBILITY TO LEAD IN RESPONSIBLE FASHION AND IMPACT OUR COMMUNITIES, INSPIRING ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS TO CHANGE THE WORLD. — OUR GOAL IS TO DOUBLE OUR IMPACT IN SUPPORT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS AND THE CAUSES THEY CARE ABOUT BY 2025.