SYY, §1A diff (2020 → 2021)

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following discussion of “risk factors” identifies the most significant factors that may adversely affect our business, operations, financial position or future financial performance. This information should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in this report. The following discussion of risks is not all inclusive but is designed to highlight what we believe are the most significant factors to consider when evaluating our business. These factors could cause our future results to differ from our expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements identified within “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and from historical trends.

Industry and General Economic Risks

Global health developments and economic uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected, and are expected to continue to adversely affect, our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Public health crises, pandemics and epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted our operations directly and may continue to impact us directly, or may continue to disrupt the operations of our business partners, suppliers and customers in ways that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Fear of such events may further alter consumer confidence, behavior and spending patterns, and could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of many countries (or globally), resulting in an economic downturn that could affect customers’ demand for our products.

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In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and its development into a pandemic, governmental authorities in many countries in which we operate, and in which our customers are present and suppliers operate, have imposed mandatory closures, sought voluntary closures and imposed restrictions on, or advisories with respect to, travel, business operations and public gatherings or interactions. Among other matters, these actions have required or strongly urged various venues where foodservice products are served, including restaurants, schools, hotels and cruise liners, to reduce or discontinue operations, which have adversely affected and will continue to adversely affect demand in the foodservice industry, including demand for our products and services. In addition, some consumers are choosing to stay home due to the perceived risk of infection and health risk associated with COVID-19, which is adversely affecting demand in the foodservice industry, including demand for our products and services. Recently, mutations of the virus have arisen, some of which are proving to be particularly aggressive variants. As these variants spread, some governmental authorities have reintroduced certain restrictions and others may decide to do so in the future, which could adversely affect the timing of business reopenings and demand in the foodservice industry.

These events have had, and could continue to have, an adverse impact on numerous aspects of our business, financial condition and results of operations including, but not limited to, our growth, product costs, supply chain disruptions and the potential for inventory spoilage, labor shortages, logistics constraints, customer demand for our products and industry demand generally, difficulties in collecting our accounts receivables and corresponding increases in our bad debt exposure, consumer spending, our liquidity, the price of our securities and trading markets with respect thereto, our ability to access capital markets, and the global economy and financial markets generally. A prolonged or deeper economic downturn that adversely affects our business, financial condition or results of operations could affect our ability to access the credit markets for additional liquidity. A significant downgrade in our credit ratings or adverse conditions in the capital markets may increase the cost of borrowing for us or limit our access to capital. As a result, we may be unable to continue to comply with the debt covenants that are specific to our revolving credit facility, which could result in an event of default. We may see an increase in bankruptcies of customers, which could contribute to an increase in bad debt expense. In the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2020, the company experienced an increase in past due receivables and recognized additional bad debt charges on its trade receivables that were outstanding at the time the pandemic caused closures among our customers in mid-March 2020. These receivables were all created in fiscal 2020 and are referred to as pre-pandemic receivables. As of July 3, 2021, our pre-pandemic receivable balance outstanding is no longer significant and a majority of the amount outstanding is reserved within our allowance for doubtful accounts. If further significant governmental restrictions are imposed in response to the spread of COVID-19 (including any variants thereof), Sysco could experience additional increases in past due receivables, which would have an adverse effect on the company’s financial condition and results of operations.

We have implemented employee safety measures, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, across all our supply chain facilities, including proper hygiene, social distancing, mask use, and temperature screenings. These measures may not be sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our employees. Illness, travel restrictions, absenteeism, or other workforce disruptions could negatively affect our supply chain, distribution, or other business processes. We may face additional production disruptions in the future, which may place constraints on our ability to distribute products in a timely manner or may increase our costs.

The ultimate extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, financial condition and results of operations will depend largely on future developments, including the duration and spread of the outbreak and the related impact on consumer confidence and spending, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with certainty at this time. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, we could experience a longer-term impact on our business, such as costs associated with enhanced health, safety and hygiene requirements in one or more regions in attempts to counteract future outbreaks or the possibility that venues where foodservice products are served are slow to reopen and/or experience reduced customer traffic after reopening.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may change our mix of earnings by customer type and by jurisdiction and has increased the risk that operating losses may occur within certain of our jurisdictions that could lead to the recognition of valuation allowances against certain deferred tax assets in the future, if these losses are prolonged beyond our current expectations. This would negatively impact our income tax expense, net earnings, and balance sheet.

Sustained adverse impacts to our company, certain suppliers, and customers may also affect our future valuation of certain assets, and therefore, may increase the likelihood of an impairment charge, write-off, or reserve associated with such assets, including goodwill, long-lived intangible assets, property and equipment, inventories, accounts receivable, tax assets and other assets.

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and

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subsequent filings with the SEC, such as those risks relating to our level of indebtedness, and may have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

Our industry is characterized by low margins, and periods of significant or prolonged inflation or deflation affect our product costs and may negatively impact our profitability.

The foodservice distribution industry is characterized by relatively high inventory turnover with relatively low profit margins. Volatile food costs have a direct impact on our industry. We experienced an elevated inflation rate of 9.6% combined for the U.S. and Canada during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, primarily in the paper and disposables, poultry and meat categories. The rate accelerated towards the end of the quarter and has continued into the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Periods of significant product cost inflation may adversely affect our results of operations if we are unable to pass on all or a portion of such product cost increases to our customers in a timely manner. In addition, periods of rapidly increasing inflation may adversely affect our business due to the impact of such inflation on discretionary spending by consumers and our limited ability to increase prices in the current, highly competitive environment. Conversely, our business may be adversely affected by periods of product cost deflation, because we make a significant portion of our sales at prices that are based on the cost of products we sell plus a percentage margin. As a result, our results of operations may be adversely affected during periods of product cost deflation, even though our gross profit percentage may remain relatively constant.

A shortage of qualified labor could negatively affect our business and materially reduce earnings.

The future success of our operations, including the achievement of our strategic objectives, depends on our ability, and the ability of third parties on which we rely to supply and to deliver our products, to identify, recruit, develop and retain qualified and talented individuals. As a result, any shortage of qualified labor could significantly adversely affect our business. Employee recruitment, development and retention efforts that we or such third parties undertake may not be successful, which could result in a shortage of qualified individuals in future periods. Any such shortage could decrease our ability to effectively serve our customers and achieve our strategic objectives. Such a shortage would also likely lead to higher wages for employees (or higher costs to purchase the services of such third parties) and a corresponding reduction in our results of operations. In the current operating environment, we are experiencing a shortage of qualified labor in certain geographies, particularly with warehouse workers and drivers, resulting in increased costs from certain temporary wage actions, such as hiring and referral and retention bonus programs. See the discussion under “Human Capital Resources” in Item 1, “Business” for additional information regarding our talent acquisition and talent management efforts in the context of these labor shortages. A continuation of such shortages for a prolonged period of time could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Unfavorable macroeconomic conditions in North America and Europe, as well as unfavorable conditions in particular local markets, may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The foodservice industry is characterized by relatively low profit margins, consequently, our results of operations are susceptible to regional, national and international economic trends and uncertainties. Economic conditions can affect us in the following ways:

•Unfavorable conditions can depress sales and/or gross margins in a given market.

•Food cost and fuel cost inflation experienced by the consumer can lead to reductions in the frequency of dining out and the amount spent by consumers for food-away-from-home purchases, which could negatively impact our business by reducing demand for our products.

•Heightened uncertainty in the financial markets negatively affects consumer confidence and discretionary spending, which can cause disruptions with our customers and suppliers.

•Liquidity issues and an inability to consistently access credit markets would impair our ability to market and distribute food products, support our operations and meet our customers’ needs.

•Liquidity issues and the inability of our customers to consistently access credit markets to obtain cash to support their operations can cause temporary interruptions in our ability to conduct day-to-day transactions involving the collection of funds from such customers.

•Liquidity issues and the inability of our suppliers to consistently access credit markets to obtain cash to support their operations can cause temporary interruptions in our ability to obtain the foodservice products and supplies that we need in the quantities and at the prices that we request.

Historically, North America and Europe have experienced, from time to time, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, deteriorating economic conditions and heightened uncertainty in their financial markets, which have adversely

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impacted business and consumer confidence and spending and depressed capital investment and economic activity in the affected regions. If similar unfavorable economic conditions were to arise in the future, or recent volatility in the financial markets and the global economy were to continue, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Economic and political instability and potential unfavorable changes in laws and regulations in international markets could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our international operations subject us to certain risks, including economic and political instability and potential unfavorable changes in laws and regulations in international markets in which we operate. For example, the U.K.’s exit from the EU, which occurred on January 31, 2020 (commonly referred to as “Brexit”), and the resulting significant change to the U.K.’s relationship with the EU and with countries outside the EU (and the laws, regulations and trade deals impacting business conducted between them) could disrupt the overall economic growth or stability of the U.K. and the EU and otherwise negatively impact our European operations.

The Withdrawal Agreement between the U.K. and the EU that established the terms governing the U.K.’s departure provided that, among other things, there would be an ongoing transition period under which the U.K. remained a part of the EU customs and regulatory area until December 31, 2020. On January 1, 2021, the U.K. left the EU Single Market and Customs Union, as well as all EU policies and international agreements. As a result, the free movement of persons, goods, services and capital between the U.K. and the EU ended, and the EU and the U.K. formed two separate markets and two distinct regulatory and legal spaces. On December 24, 2020, the European Commission reached a trade agreement with the U.K. on the terms of its future cooperation with the EU (the “Trade Agreement”). The Trade Agreement offers U.K. and EU companies preferential access to each other’s markets, ensuring imported goods will be free of tariffs and quotas; however, economic relations between the U.K. and the EU will now be on more restricted terms than existed previously. At this time, we cannot predict the impact that the Trade Agreement and any future agreements contemplated under the terms of the Trade Agreement will have on our business and our customers, and it is possible that new terms may adversely affect our operations and financial results. We are currently in the process of evaluating our own risks and uncertainties to ascertain what financial, trade, regulatory and legal implications the Trade Agreement could have on our U.K. and European business operations. This uncertainty also includes the impact on our customers’ business operations and capital planning, as well as the overall impact on restaurants or other customers in the foodservice distribution industry.

The completion of Brexit could also adversely affect the value of our euro- and pound-denominated assets and obligations. Exchange rates related to the British pound sterling have been more volatile since the U.K. announced it would exit the EU and such volatility may continue in the future. Future fluctuations in the exchange rate between the British pound sterling and the local currencies of our suppliers may have the effect of increasing our cost of goods sold in the U.K., which increases we may not be able to pass on to our customers. Uncertainty surrounding Brexit has contributed to recent fluctuations in the U.K. economy and could result in future disruptions in economic activity in the U.K., Europe or globally, which could adversely affect our operating results and growth prospects. In addition, Brexit could cause financial and capital markets within and outside the U.K. or the EU to constrict, thereby negatively impacting our ability to finance our business, and could cause a substantial dip in consumer confidence and spending that could negatively impact the foodservice distribution industry. Any one of these impacts could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

As an example of political instability, in fiscal 2020, the “yellow vest” protests in France against a fuel tax increase, pension reform and the French government negatively impacted our sales in France. Similarly, future labor disruptions or disputes could disrupt the integration of Brakes France into Sysco France and our operations in France and the EU generally. In addition, if changes occur in laws and regulations impacting the flow of goods, services and workers in either the U.K or France or in other parts of the EU, with respect to Brexit or otherwise, our European operations could also be negatively impacted.

Competition and the impact of GPOs may reduce our margins and make it difficult for us to maintain our market share, growth rate and profitability.

The foodservice distribution industry is fragmented and highly competitive, with local, regional and multi-regional distributors and specialty competitors. Local and regional companies often align themselves with other smaller distributors through purchasing cooperatives and marketing groups, with the goal of enhancing their geographic reach, private label offerings, overall purchasing power, cost efficiencies and ability to meet customer distribution requirements. These suppliers may also rely on local presence as a source of competitive advantage, and they may have lower costs and other competitive advantages due to geographic proximity. Furthermore, barriers to entry by new competitors, or geographic or product line expansion by existing competitors, are low. Additionally, increased competition from non-traditional sources (such as club stores and commercial wholesale outlets with lower cost structures), online direct food wholesalers and cash and carry

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operations have served to further increase pressure on the industry’s profit margins, and continued margin pressure within the industry may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Moreover, some of our customers purchase their products from us through group purchasing organizations, or “GPOs,” in an effort to lower the prices paid by these customers on their foodservice orders. GPOs have a relatively larger presence in the healthcare, lodging and foodservice management customer segments. If these GPOs are able to add a significant number of our customers as members, it may negatively affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Finally, demand for food-away-from-home products is volatile and price sensitive, imposing limits on our customers’ ability to absorb cost increases. New and increasing competitive sources may result in increased focus on pricing and on limiting price increases or may require increased discounting or other concessions. Such competition or other industry pressures may result in margin erosion and/or make it difficult for us to attract and retain customers.

If we are unable to effectively differentiate ourselves from our competitors, our results of operations could be adversely impacted. In addition, even if we are able to effectively differentiate ourselves, we may only be able to do so through increased expenditures or decreased prices, which could also adversely impact our results of operations.

We may not be able to fully compensate for increases in fuel costs, and fuel hedging arrangements intended to contain fuel costs could result in above market fuel costs.

Volatile fuel prices have a direct impact on our industry. We require significant quantities of fuel for our delivery vehicles and are exposed to the risk associated with fluctuations in the market price for fuel. The price and supply of fuel can fluctuate significantly based on international, political and economic circumstances, as well as other factors outside our control, such as actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and other oil and gas producers, regional production patterns, weather conditions and environmental concerns. The cost of fuel affects the price paid by us for products, as well as the costs we incur to deliver products to our customers. Although we have been able to pass along a portion of increased fuel costs to our customers in the past through, among other things, our fuel surcharge program, we may not be able to do so in the future. If fuel costs increase in the future, we may experience difficulties in passing all or a portion of these costs along to our customers, which may adversely affect our results of operations.

We routinely enter into fuel hedging arrangements, including fuel derivatives, to hedge our exposure to volatile fuel prices. Nevertheless, our fuel hedging transactions may not be effective in protecting us from changes in fuel prices, and if fuel prices were to decrease significantly, these hedging arrangements would result in our paying higher-than-market costs for a portion of our diesel fuel. In addition, our future use of fuel derivatives would expose us to the risk that any of our counterparties fails to perform its obligations, whether due to its insolvency or otherwise, which could result in financial losses.

Business and Operational Risks

Conditions beyond our control can interrupt our supplies, increase our product costs and impair our ability to deliver products and services to our customers.

We obtain substantially all of our foodservice and related products from third-party suppliers. Although our purchasing volume can provide benefits when dealing with suppliers, suppliers may not be able to provide the foodservice products and supplies that we need in the quantities and at the prices that we request due to conditions outside of their control. We are also subject to delays caused by interruptions in production and increases in product costs based on conditions outside of our control. These conditions include shortages of qualified labor for our suppliers, work slowdowns, work interruptions, strikes or other job actions by employees of suppliers, short-term weather conditions or more prolonged climate change, crop and other agricultural conditions, water shortages, transportation interruptions (such as shortages of ocean cargo containers), unavailability of fuel or increases in fuel costs, product recalls, competitive demands, civil insurrection or social unrest, terrorist attacks or international hostilities and natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) or other human or animal disease outbreaks or other catastrophic events (including, but not limited to, foodborne illnesses). Many of these conditions outside of our control could also impair our ability to provide our products and services to our customers or increase the cost of doing so. Our current operating environment is constantly shifting in response to COVID-19, placing significant pressure on the food-away-from-home supply chain. Customer demand is currently outpacing available supply in certain categories. Certain suppliers are struggling to meet demand for our orders. Future supply shortages could have an adverse effect on the company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Further, increased frequency or duration of extreme weather conditions, whether due to global climate change or otherwise, could also impair production capabilities, disrupt our supply chain or adversely affect demand for our products. At

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any time, input costs could increase for a prolonged period for a large portion of the products that we sell. Additionally, we procure products from suppliers outside of the U.S., and we are subject to the risks associated with political or financial instability, trade restrictions, tariffs, currency exchange rates, transport capacity and costs and other factors relating to foreign trade, including health and safety restrictions related to epidemics and pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), any or all of which could delay our receipt of products or increase our input costs.

Our inability to obtain adequate supplies of foodservice and related products and/or to timely provide our products and services and fulfill our other obligations to our customers, whether as a result of any of the foregoing factors or otherwise could mean that we could not fulfill our obligations to customers, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, as our customers may turn to other distributors.

In addition, as a foodservice distributor, it is necessary for us to maintain an inventory of products. Declines in product pricing levels between the time we purchase a product from our suppliers and the time we sell the product to our customers could reduce our margin on that inventory, adversely affecting our results of operations.

Adverse publicity about us or lack of confidence in our products could negatively impact our reputation and reduce earnings.

Maintaining a good reputation and public confidence in the safety of the products we distribute is critical to our business. Sysco’s brand names, trademarks and logos and our reputation are powerful sales and marketing tools, and we devote significant resources to promoting and protecting them. Anything that damages our reputation or public confidence in our products, whether or not justified, including negative publicity about the quality, safety, sustainability or integrity of our products or relating to illegal or unethical activities by our employees, suppliers or agents, could tarnish our reputation and diminish the value of our brand, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Reports, whether true or not, of foodborne illnesses (such as e-coli, avian flu, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, hepatitis A, trichinosis, salmonella, listeria or swine flu) or injuries caused by food tampering could also severely injure our reputation or reduce public confidence in our products. If patrons of our restaurant customers were to become ill from foodborne illnesses, our customers could be forced to temporarily close restaurant locations, which would have an adverse effect on our sales and profitability. In addition, instances of foodborne illnesses or food tampering or other health concerns (even those unrelated to the use of Sysco products) or public concern regarding the safety of our products, can result in negative publicity about the food service distribution industry and materially adversely affect our results of operations.

Damage to our reputation and loss of brand equity could reduce demand for our products and services. This reduction in demand, together with the dedication of time and expense necessary to defend our reputation, would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations, as well as require additional resources to rebuild our reputation and restore the value of our brand. Our business prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected if our public image or reputation were to be tarnished by negative publicity, including dissemination via print, broadcast or social media, or other forms of Internet-based communications. Adverse publicity about regulatory or legal action against us could damage our reputation and image, undermine our customers’ confidence in us and reduce short-term or long-term demand for our products and services, even if the regulatory or legal action is unfounded or not material to our operations. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our relationships with long-term customers may be materially diminished or terminated.

We have long-standing relationships with a number of our customers, many of whom could unilaterally terminate their relationship with us or materially reduce the amount of business they conduct with us at any time. Market competition, customer requirements, customer financial condition and customer consolidation through mergers or acquisitions also could adversely affect our ability to continue or expand these relationships. We may not be able to retain or renew existing agreements, maintain relationships with any of our customers on acceptable terms, or at all, or collect amounts that insolvent customers might owe us. Some of our customer agreements are terminable upon written notice by either us or the customer, which provides some customers with the opportunity to renegotiate their contracts with us on less favorable terms or to award more business to our competitors. The loss of one or more of our major customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our anticipated change to the mix of locally managed customers versus multi-unit customers could reduce our gross and operating margins.

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Gross margin from our multi-unit customers is generally lower than that of our locally managed customers because we typically sell higher volumes of products to these customers and provide a relatively lower level of value-added services than we do to locally managed customers. If sales to our locally managed customers do not grow at the same (or a greater) rate as sales to our multi-unit customers, our operating margins will likely decline. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic generally has negatively affected multi-unit customers less than locally managed customers.

If our sales to multi-unit customers were to continue to increase at a faster pace of growth than sales to our locally managed customers, we will become more dependent on multi-unit customers, as they begin to represent a greater proportion of our total sales. Therefore, a future loss of sales to the larger of these multi-unit customers could have a material negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, as a result of our greater dependence on these customers, they could pressure us to lower our prices and/or offer expanded or additional services at the same prices. In that event, if we were unable to achieve additional cost savings to offset these price reductions and/or cost increases, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected. We may be unable to change our cost structure and pricing practices rapidly enough to successfully compete in such an environment.

Changes in consumer eating habits could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Changes in consumer eating habits (such as a decline in consuming food away from home, a decline in portion sizes, or a shift in preferences toward restaurants that are not our customers) could reduce demand for our products. Consumer eating habits could be affected by a number of factors, including changes in attitudes regarding diet and health or new information regarding the health effects of consuming certain foods. There is a growing consumer preference for sustainable, organic and locally grown products, and a shift towards plant-based proteins and/or animal proteins derived from animals that were humanely treated and antibiotic free.

Changing consumer eating habits also occur due to generational shifts. Millennials, the largest demographic group in terms of spend, seek new and different, as well as more ethnic, menu options and menu innovation. If consumer eating habits change significantly, we may be required to modify or discontinue sales of certain items in our product portfolio, and we may experience higher costs and/or supply shortages associated with our efforts to accommodate those changes as our suppliers adapt to the new eating preferences. Changing consumer eating habits may reduce the frequency with which consumers purchase meals outside of the home. Additionally, changes in consumer eating habits may result in the enactment or amendment of laws and regulations that impact the ingredients and nutritional content of our food products, or laws and regulations requiring us to disclose the nutritional content of our food products. Compliance with these laws and regulations, as well as others regarding the ingredients and nutritional content of our food products, may be costly and time-consuming. We may not be able to effectively respond to changes in consumer health perceptions or resulting new laws or regulations or to adapt our menu offerings to trends in eating habits.

In addition, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic downturn, many consumers have preferred to eat at home rather than consume food away from home. If these preferences continue and consumers continue to avoid gathering in public places in large groups, the demand for our products and services could be adversely affected. Moreover, once all governmental restrictions are lifted, it is unclear how quickly customers will return to their prior eating habits, which may be a function of continued concerns over safety or depressed consumer sentiment due to adverse economic conditions, including job losses.

Expanding into international markets and complementary lines of business presents unique challenges, and our expansion efforts with respect to international operations and complementary lines of business may not be successful.

An element of our strategy includes further expansion of operations into international markets and the establishment of international procurement organizations. Our ability to successfully operate in international markets may be adversely affected by political, economic and social conditions beyond our control, public health crises, epidemics and pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), local laws and customs, and legal and regulatory constraints, including compliance with applicable anti-corruption and currency laws and regulations, of the countries or regions in which we currently operate or intend to operate in the future. Risks inherent in our existing and future international operations also include, among others, the costs and difficulties of managing international operations, difficulties in identifying and gaining access to local suppliers, suffering possible adverse tax consequences from changes in tax laws or the unfavorable resolution of tax assessments or audits, maintaining product quality and greater difficulty in enforcing intellectual property rights. Additionally, foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations thereof may have an adverse effect on the financial results of our international operations.

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Another element of our strategy includes the possibility of expansion into businesses that are closely related or complementary to, but not currently part of, our core foodservice distribution business. Our ability to successfully operate in these complementary business markets may be adversely affected by legal and regulatory constraints, including compliance with regulatory programs to which we become subject. Risks inherent in branching out into such complementary markets also include the costs and difficulties of managing operations outside of our core business, which may require additional skills and competencies, as well as difficulties in identifying and gaining access to suppliers or customers in new markets.

Changes in applicable tax laws or regulations and the resolution of tax disputes could negatively affect our financial results.

As a multinational corporation, we are subject to income taxes, as well as non-income-based taxes, in both the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities. Changes in tax laws or tax rulings may have a significant adverse impact on our effective tax rate. For example, the U.S. and many countries where we do business are actively considering or have recently enacted changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals. Recently, the Biden Administration committed to increasing the corporate income tax rate, and to increasing the tax rate applied to profits earned outside the United States. If enacted, the impact of these potential new rules could be material to our tax provision and value of deferred tax assets and liabilities.

Further, in the ordinary course of a global business, there are many intercompany transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination could change if tax laws or tax rulings were to be modified. We are also subject to non-income-based taxes, such as payroll, sales, use, value-added, net worth, property and goods and services taxes, in both the U.S. and various foreign jurisdictions. Although we believe that our income and non-income-based tax estimates are appropriate, there is no assurance that the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes will not be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals.

Given the unpredictability of possible further changes to the U.S. or foreign tax laws and regulations and their potential interdependency, it is very difficult to predict the cumulative effect of such tax laws and regulations on our results of operations and cash flow, but such laws and regulations (and changes thereto) could adversely impact our financial results.

If the products distributed by us are alleged to have caused injury or illness, or to have failed to comply with governmental regulations, we may need to recall our products and may experience product liability claims.

We, like any other foodservice distributor, may be subject to product recalls, including voluntary recalls or withdrawals, if the products we distribute are alleged to have caused injury or illness, to have been mislabeled, misbranded, or adulterated or to otherwise have violated applicable governmental regulations. We may also choose to voluntarily recall or withdraw products that we determine do not satisfy our quality standards, whether for taste, appearance or otherwise, in order to protect our brand and reputation. Any future product recall or withdrawal that results in substantial and unexpected expenditures, destruction of product inventory, damage to our reputation and/or lost sales due to the unavailability of the product for a period of time could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We also face the risk of exposure to product liability claims if the use of products sold by Sysco is alleged to have caused injury or illness. We cannot be sure that consumption of our products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Further, even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image. Umbrella liability insurance that we maintain for product liability claims may not continue to be available at a reasonable cost or, if available, may not be adequate to cover all of our liabilities. We generally seek contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from parties supplying our products, but this indemnification or insurance coverage is limited, as a practical matter, to the creditworthiness of the indemnifying party and the insured limits of any insurance provided by suppliers. If we do not have adequate insurance or contractual indemnification available, product liability relating to defective products could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

If we fail to comply with requirements imposed by applicable law or other governmental regulations, we could become subject to lawsuits, investigations and other liabilities and restrictions on our operations that could significantly and adversely affect our business.

We are subject to regulation by various federal, state, provincial, regional and local governments in the countries in which we operate with respect to many aspects of our business, such as food safety and sanitation, ethical business practices, transportation, minimum wage, overtime, wage payment, wage and hour and employment discrimination, immigration, human

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health and safety, and due to the services we provide in connection with governmentally funded entitlement programs. For a detailed discussion of the laws and regulations to which our business is subject, please refer to “Business – Government Regulation” in Part I, Item 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

From time to time, both federal and state governmental agencies have conducted audits of our billing practices as part of investigations of providers of services under governmental contracts, or otherwise. We also receive requests for information from governmental agencies in connection with these audits. While we attempt to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, we may not be in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations at all times; moreover, we may not be able to comply with all future laws, regulations or interpretations of these laws and regulations.

If we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations or encounter disagreements with respect to our contracts subject to governmental regulations, including those referred to above, we may be subject to investigations, criminal sanctions or civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, prohibitions on exporting, or seizures or debarments from contracting with such government. The cost of compliance or the consequences of non-compliance, including debarments, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, governmental units may make changes in the regulatory frameworks within which we operate that may require us to incur substantial increases in costs in order to comply with such laws and regulations.

We may incur significant costs to comply with environmental laws and regulations, and we may be subject to substantial fines, penalties or third-party claims for non-compliance.

Our operations are subject to various federal, state, provincial, regional and local laws, rules and regulations in the various countries in which we operate relating to the protection of the environment, including those governing:

•the discharge of pollutants into the air, soil, and water;

•the management and disposal of solid and hazardous materials and wastes;

•employee exposure to hazards in the workplace; and

•the investigation and remediation of contamination resulting from releases of petroleum products and other regulated materials.

In the course of our operations, we operate, maintain and fuel fleet vehicles; store fuel in on-site above and underground storage tanks; operate refrigeration systems; and use and dispose of hazardous substances and food wastes. We could incur substantial costs, including fines or penalties and third-party claims for property damage or personal injury, as a result of any violations of environmental or workplace safety laws and regulations or releases of regulated materials into the environment. In addition, we could incur investigation, remediation or other costs related to environmental conditions at our currently or formerly owned or operated properties.

For example, most of our distribution facilities have ammonia-based refrigeration systems and tanks for the storage of diesel fuel and other petroleum products, which are subject to laws regulating such systems and storage tanks (including the investigation and remediation of soil and groundwater contamination associated with the use of underground storage tanks). Certain of these laws and regulations in the EU may impose liability for costs of investigation or remediation of contamination (which could be material), regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal, and even if such contamination was present prior to the commencement of our operations at the site and was not caused by our activities. In addition, many of our facilities have propane and battery-powered forklifts. Proposed or recently enacted legal requirements, such as those requiring the phase-out of certain ozone-depleting substances, and proposals for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, may require us to upgrade or replace equipment, or may increase our transportation or other operating costs.

If we are unable to finance and integrate acquired businesses effectively, our earnings per share could be materially adversely affected.

Historically, a portion of our growth has come through acquisitions. If we are unable to integrate acquired businesses successfully or realize anticipated economic, operational and other benefits and synergies in a timely manner, our earnings per share may be materially adversely affected. For example, we encountered operational challenges in fiscal 2019 related to our efforts to integrate two businesses in France acquired in connection with the Brakes Group acquisition, which integration efforts have adversely affected our ability to drive growth in sales. Integration of an acquired business may be more difficult when we acquire a business in a market in which we have limited expertise, or with a culture different from Sysco’s.

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A significant expansion of our business and operations, in terms of geography or magnitude, could strain our administrative and operational resources. Significant acquisitions may also require the issuance of material additional amounts of debt or equity, which could materially alter our debt-to-equity ratio, increase our interest expense and decrease earnings per share, and make it difficult for us to obtain favorable financing for other acquisitions or capital investments. In addition, our failure to implement effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures with respect to a significant acquired business could result in material weaknesses and/or a failure to file our periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a timely basis.

We rely on technology in our business, and any cybersecurity incident, other technology disruption or delay in implementing new technology could negatively affect our business and our relationships with customers.

We use technology in substantially all aspects of our business operations, and our ability to serve customers most effectively depends on the reliability of our technology systems. We use software and other technology systems, among other things, to generate and select orders, to load and route trucks, to make purchases, to manage our warehouses and to monitor and manage our business on a day-to-day basis. We also use mobile devices, social networking and other online platforms to connect with our employees, suppliers, business partners and customers. Further, our business involves the storage and transmission of numerous classes of sensitive and/or confidential information and intellectual property, including customers’ and suppliers’ personal information, private information about employees and financial and strategic information about the company and our business partners. This sensitive and/or confidential information and intellectual property are stored on information technology systems controlled by us, as well as systems controlled by third parties, such as our service providers.

These technology systems and the operation thereof are vulnerable to disruption from circumstances beyond our control, including fire, natural disasters, power outages, systems failures, security breaches, espionage, cyber-attacks, viruses, theft and inadvertent release of information. We and our third-party providers experience cyber-incidents of varying degrees from time-to-time, including ransomware and phishing attacks, as well as distributed denial of service attacks and the theft of data. To date, these have not had a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity; however, there can be no assurance that there will not be a material adverse effect in the future, especially if the amount of insurance coverage we maintain is not sufficient to cover claims or liabilities relating to an incident.

Potential consequences of a future material cybersecurity incident include business disruption; disruption to systems; theft, destruction, loss, corruption, misappropriation or unauthorized release of sensitive and/or confidential information or intellectual property (including personal information in violation of one or more privacy laws); reputational and brand damage; and potential liability, including litigation or other legal actions against us or the imposition by governmental authorities of penalties, fines, fees or liabilities, which, in turn, could cause us to incur significantly increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs and the loss of customers.

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many of our employees, contractors and other corporate partners working remotely, we must increasingly rely on information technology systems that are outside our direct control. These systems are potentially vulnerable to cyber-based attacks and security breaches. In addition, cyber criminals are increasing their attacks on individual employees, utilizing interest in pandemic-related information to increase business email compromise scams designed to trick victims into transferring sensitive data or funds, or steal credentials that compromise information systems.

The actions and controls we have implemented and are implementing to date, or which we seek to cause or have caused third-party providers to implement, may be insufficient to protect our systems, information or other intellectual property. Further, we anticipate devoting significant additional resources to upgrade our security measures generally, including those we employ to protect personal information against these cybersecurity threats.

Further, as we pursue our strategy to grow through acquisitions and to pursue new initiatives that improve our operations and cost structure, we are also expanding and improving our information technologies, resulting in a larger technological presence and corresponding exposure to cybersecurity risk. Failure to adequately assess and identify cybersecurity risks associated with acquisitions and new initiatives would increase our vulnerability to such risks.

Sysco’s efforts to prevent security breaches and cybersecurity incidents, and to implement effective disaster recovery plans, may not be entirely effective to insulate us from technology disruption that could result in adverse effects on our results of operations. Additionally, information technology systems continue to evolve and, in order to remain competitive, we must implement new technologies in a timely and efficient manner. If our competitors implement new technologies more quickly or successfully than we do, such competitors may be able to provide lower cost or enhanced services of superior quality compared to those we provide, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

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In addition, data privacy is subject to frequently changing rules and regulations, which sometimes conflict among the various jurisdictions and countries where we do business. For example, the EU adopted the GDPR, a new regulation that became effective in May 2018, which requires companies to meet certain requirements regarding the handling of personal data. We are working to comply with GDPR and other laws and regulations in this area that apply to us, such as California’s Consumer Privacy Act that became effective January 1, 2020, and we anticipate needing to devote significant additional resources to complying with these laws and regulations. Our failure to successfully implement or comply with appropriate processes to adhere to the requirements of GDPR and other laws and regulations in this area could result in substantial fines or penalties and legal liability and could tarnish our reputation.

We need access to borrowed funds to grow, and any default by us under our indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow and liquidity.

A substantial part of our growth historically has been the result of acquisitions and capital expansion. We anticipate additional acquisitions and capital expansion in the future. As a result, our inability to finance acquisitions and capital expenditures through borrowed funds could restrict our ability to expand. Moreover, any default under the documents governing our indebtedness could have a significant adverse effect on our cash flows, as well as the market value of our common stock.

Our level of indebtedness and the terms of our indebtedness could adversely affect our business and liquidity position.

As described in Note 12, “Debt and Other Financing Arrangements,” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8, as of July 3, 2021, we had approximately $11.1 billion of total indebtedness. This amount included senior notes and borrowings under our revolving credit facility, which supports our U.S. commercial paper program allowing us to issue short-term notes in an aggregate amount not to exceed $2.0 billion scheduled to expire on June 28, 2024.

Certain covenants under our credit facilities place restrictions on some of the actions we may take with respect to our common stock. Our revolving credit agreement, as amended in May 2020 and May 2021, includes a covenant that restricts (1) increases to Sysco’s regular quarterly dividend and (2) repurchases of equity interests of Sysco, in each case, until the earlier of September 2022 or the date on which Sysco has achieved a certain ratio of consolidated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to consolidated interest expense.

Our level of indebtedness could have important consequences for us, including:

•limiting our ability to obtain additional financing, if needed, for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements or other purposes;

•increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments;

•limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; and

•placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt.

Our indebtedness may further increase from time to time for various reasons, including fluctuations in operating results, working capital needs, capital expenditures, potential acquisitions, joint ventures and/or share repurchase programs. Our increased level of indebtedness and the ultimate cost of such indebtedness could have a negative impact on our liquidity, cost of future debt financing and financial results, and our credit ratings may be adversely affected as a result of the incurrence of additional indebtedness. In the future, our cash flow and capital resources may not be sufficient for payments of interest on and principal of our debt, and any alternative financing measures available may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations.

Changes in the method of determining London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate, may adversely affect interest expense related to outstanding debt.

Amounts drawn under our revolving credit facility may bear interest rates in relation to LIBOR, depending on our selection of repayment options. In addition, certain of our outstanding interest rate swap agreements have a floating interest rate in relation to three-month LIBOR. On July 27, 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority in the U.K. announced that it would phase out LIBOR as a benchmark by the end of 2021. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. However, for U.S. dollar LIBOR, the relevant date was deferred to June 30, 2023 for certain tenors (including overnight and one, three, six and 12 months), at which time the LIBOR administrator will cease publication of U.S. dollar LIBOR. Despite this deferral, the LIBOR administrator has advised that no new contracts using

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U.S. dollar LIBOR should be entered into after December 31, 2021. These actions indicate that the continuation of U.S. LIBOR on the current basis cannot be guaranteed after June 30, 2023. Moreover, it is possible that U.S. LIBOR will be discontinued or modified prior to June 30, 2023. The U.S. Federal Reserve, in conjunction with the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee consisting of large U.S. financial institutions, is considering replacing U.S. dollar LIBOR with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), a new index calculated with a broad set of short-term repurchase agreements backed by treasury securities. If LIBOR ceases to exist, we may need to renegotiate the credit facility and any interest rate swap agreements expiring after 2021 and may not be able to do so with terms that are favorable to us. An alternative reference rate could be higher or more volatile than LIBOR prior to its discontinuance, which could result in an increase in the cost of our indebtedness, impacting our financial condition and results of operations. The overall financing market may be disrupted as a result of the phase-out or replacement of LIBOR. Disruption in the financial market or the inability to renegotiate the credit facility or our interest rate swap agreements with favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and operating results. We are evaluating the potential impact of the eventual replacement of the LIBOR benchmark interest rate; however, we are not able to predict whether LIBOR will cease to be available after 2021, whether SOFR will become a widely accepted benchmark in place of LIBOR, or what the impact of such a possible transition to SOFR may be on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be required to pay material amounts under multiemployer defined benefit pension plans.

We contribute to several multiemployer defined benefit pension plans based on obligations arising under collective bargaining agreements covering union-represented employees. Approximately 12% of our current U.S. employees are participants in such multiemployer plans. In fiscal 2021, our total contributions to these plans were approximately $42.9 million. The costs of providing benefits through such plans have increased in recent years. The amount of any increase or decrease in our required contributions to these multiemployer plans will depend upon many factors, including the outcome of collective bargaining, actions taken by trustees who manage the plans, government regulations, changes in the funded status of these plans and the potential payment of a withdrawal liability if we, for any reason, cease to have an ongoing obligation to contribute to a given plan. Based upon the information available to us from the administrators of these plans, none of these plans have assets sufficient to fully pay their liabilities, and therefore all such plans have unfunded vested benefits. Increases in the unfunded liabilities of these plans may result in increased future contribution obligations imposed on us and on other participating employers. Under federal law, significant underfunding experienced by a given plan generally results in increased contribution obligations in the form of surcharges and supplemental contribution obligations. Our risk of such increased payments may be greater if any of the participating employers in these underfunded plans withdraws from a given plan due to insolvency and is not able to contribute an amount sufficient to fund the unfunded liabilities associated with its participants in the plan. We could also be treated as partially withdrawing from participation in one of these plans if the number of our employees participating in a given plan is reduced to a certain percentage over a certain period of time, or if we cease to have an obligation to contribute under one or more, but fewer than all, of the collective bargaining agreements that require us to make contributions to a particular plan. Such reductions in the number of employees participating in these plans could occur as a result of changes in our business operations, such as facility closures or consolidations. Based on the latest information available from plan administrators, we estimate our share of the aggregate withdrawal liability on the multiemployer plans in which we participate could have been as much as $170.2 million as of August 9, 2021. A significant increase to funding requirements could adversely affect the company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Our funding requirements for our company-sponsored qualified pension plan may increase should financial markets experience future declines.

At the end of fiscal 2012, we decided to freeze future benefit accruals under the company-sponsored qualified pension plan (U.S. Retirement Plan) as of December 31, 2012 for all U.S.-based salaried and non-union hourly employees. Effective January 1, 2013, these employees were eligible for additional contributions under an enhanced, defined contribution plan. While these actions will serve to limit future growth in our pension liabilities, we had a sizable pension obligation of $4.5 billion, as compared to assets totaling $4.7 billion, as of July 3, 2021, both of which have sensitivity to financial market factors that could impact our funding requirements. See Note 14, “Company-Sponsored Employee Benefit Plans” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 for a discussion of the funded status of the U.S. Retirement Plan.

The amount of our annual contribution to the U.S. Retirement Plan is dependent upon, among other things, the returns on the U.S. Retirement Plan’s assets and discount rates used to calculate the plan’s liability. In fiscal 2018, we made voluntary contributions of $380 million to the U.S. Retirement Plan, allowing us to set an investment strategy that more closely aligns the duration of the U.S. Retirement Plan’s assets with the duration of its liabilities. As a result, our U.S. Retirement Plan holds a greater amount of investments in fixed income securities, but also holds equity securities. Fluctuations in asset values can cause the amount of our anticipated future contributions to the plan to increase. The projected liability of the U.S. Retirement Plan will be impacted by the fluctuations of interest rates on high quality bonds in the public markets as these are inputs in

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determining our minimum funding requirements. Specifically, decreases in these interest rates have had and may continue to have an adverse effect on our funding obligations. To the extent financial markets experience significant future declines, and/or interest rates on high quality bonds in the public markets decline, our required contributions may increase for future years as our funded status decreases, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

Failure to successfully renegotiate union contracts could result in work stoppages.

As of July 3, 2021, we had approximately 58,000 employees, approximately 19% of whom were represented by unions, primarily the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and unions in France and Sweden. Contract negotiations are handled by each individual operating site. Approximately 1.2% of our union employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements that are subject to renegotiation in fiscal 2022. Failure of our operating sites to effectively renegotiate these contracts could result in work stoppages. Although our operating sites have not experienced any significant labor disputes or work stoppages to date, and we believe they have satisfactory relationships with their unions, a work stoppage due to failure of multiple operating subsidiaries to renegotiate union contracts could have a material adverse effect on us.

Organization and Common Stock Risks

Our authorized preferred stock provides anti-takeover benefits that may not be viewed as beneficial to stockholders.

Under our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Sysco’s Board of Directors is authorized to issue up to 1,500,000 shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval. Issuance of these shares could make it more difficult for anyone to acquire Sysco without approval of the Board of Directors, depending on the rights and preferences of the stock issued. In addition, if anyone attempts to acquire Sysco without approval of the Board of Directors of Sysco, the existence of this undesignated preferred stock could allow the Board of Directors to adopt a shareholder rights plan without obtaining stockholder approval, which could result in substantial dilution to a potential acquirer. As a result, hostile takeover attempts that might result in an acquisition of Sysco, which could otherwise have been financially beneficial to our stockholders, could be deterred.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty, any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision in our amended and restated bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.