Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to Host Virtual Annual Meeting of Stockholders

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM), today announced that as a result of public health concerns arising out of the coronavirus pandemic, and to help protect the health and safety of its stockholders, employees and other stakeholders, Williams-Sonoma’s 2020 annual meeting of stockholders has been changed to a virtual-only meeting format. Stockholders will not be able to attend the annual meeting in person. The date and time of the annual meeting remains Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., Pacific Time. Williams-Sonoma expect its use of a virtual-only meeting format to be a one-time occurrence.

As described in the previously distributed proxy materials for the annual meeting, stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 6, 2020, the record date, or those with a valid proxy from a bank, brokerage firm or similar organization that held their shares on the record date, are entitled to vote on the matters to be considered at the annual meeting. The items of business are the same as set forth in the 2020 notice of annual meeting and proxy statement dated April 17, 2020.

The platform for the virtual annual meeting includes functionality that affords validated stockholders the same meeting participation rights and opportunities they would have at an in-person meeting. Stockholders who attend the virtual annual meeting by following the instructions below will have the opportunity to vote and submit questions or comments electronically during the meeting.

All stockholders are encouraged to vote and submit their proxies in advance of the meeting by one of the methods described in the previously distributed proxy materials. The proxy card or voting instruction form stockholders previously received may continue to be used. Stockholders who have previously sent proxies, or voted via telephone or internet, do not need to take further action.

Meeting Attendance Instructions

Stockholders of record may attend, vote and submit questions at the annual meeting by visiting https://web.lumiagm.com/204019225. Stockholders wishing to participate may sign in by entering the ten-digit control number included on their proxy card and entering the meeting code WSM2020 (case sensitive). During the meeting, stockholders may cast their vote by following the instructions on the virtual annual meeting website.

If a stockholder holds shares in street name through a bank, broker or other nominee, they must obtain a control number in advance to attend and submit questions at the virtual annual meeting. This number differs from the one found on their voting instruction form. To obtain a control number, stockholders must follow the instructions provided by their bank, broker or other nominee. Once a new control number is obtained, they must follow the steps set forth above to access the virtual annual meeting website.

If a stockholder holds shares in street name, they also must obtain in advance a “legal proxy” from their bank, broker or other nominee to vote during the virtual annual meeting. To cast their vote during the meeting, they must follow the instructions on the virtual annual meeting website for completing an online ballot and submit the completed ballot along with a copy of their legal proxy via email.

Other Meeting Information

Additional information regarding the virtual annual meeting can be found in the Notice of Change of Location of the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission and posted to the Company’s website at ir.williams-sonomainc.com/financial-reports-page.

ABOUT WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. These products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, Pottery Barn Teen, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our free-to-join loyalty program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico and South Korea, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. In 2017, we acquired Outward, Inc., a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and décor industry.

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