3250 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, California 94109

www.williams-sonomainc.com

NOTICE OF 20172018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

Instructions for submitting your proxy are provided in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, the Proxy Statement and your proxy card. It is important that your shares be represented and voted at the Annual Meeting. Please submit your proxy through the Internet, by telephone, or by completing the enclosed proxy card and returning it in the enclosed envelope. You may revoke your proxy at any time prior to its exercise at the Annual Meeting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

i

3250 Van Ness Avenue

San Francisco, California 94109

www.williams-sonomainc.com

PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE 20172018 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Our Board of Directors is soliciting your proxy to vote your shares at our 20172018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held on Wednesday, May 31, 201730, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and for any adjournment or postponement of the meeting. Our Annual Meeting will be held at our corporate headquarters located at 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94109.

Our Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended January 29, 2017,28, 2018, or fiscal 2016,2017, including our financial statements for fiscal 2016,2017, is also included with this Proxy Statement and posted on our website atir.williams-sonomainc.com/financial-reports-page. The Annual Report, Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, and the Proxy Statement were first made available to stockholders and posted on our website on or about April , 2017.13, 2018.

What is the purpose of the Annual Meeting?

Stockholders will be asked to vote on the following matters:

What is the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials?

In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to all stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, we are furnishing the proxy materials to certain of our stockholders over the Internet. If you received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, or the Notice, by mail, you will not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials. Instead, the Notice will instruct you as to how you may access and review the proxy materials and submit your vote on the Internet or by telephone. If you received a Notice by mail and would like to receive a printed copy of the proxy materials, please follow the instructions for requesting such materials included in the Notice.

On the date of mailing of the Notice, all stockholders will have the ability to access all of our proxy materials on a website referred to in the Notice. These proxy materials will be available free of charge.

Can I receive future proxy materials bye-mail?

Yes. You may choose to receive future proxy materials bye-mail by following the instructions provided on the website referred to in the Notice. Choosing to receive your future proxy materials bye-mail will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and will reduce the impact of our Annual Meeting on the environment.

If you choose to receive future proxy materials bye-mail, you will receive ane-mail next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and a link to the proxy voting site. Your election to receive proxy materials bye-mail will remain in effect until you terminate it.

Who may vote?

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 3, 2017,2, 2018, the record date, are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting. Each holder of our common stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock owned as of the record date. As of the record date, there were 86,805,36683,260,746 shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote, and there were 354341 stockholders of record, which number does not include beneficial owners of shares held in the name of a bank or brokerage firm. We do not have any outstanding shares of preferred stock.

How do I vote?

You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, electronically by submitting your proxy through the Internet, by telephone or by returning a hard copy of the proxy card before the Annual Meeting. Proxies properly executed, returned to us on a timely basis and not revoked will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained in the proxy. If any matter not described in this Proxy Statement is properly presented for action at the meeting, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will have discretionary authority to vote according to their best judgment.

How do I vote electronically or by telephone?

You may vote by submitting your proxy through the Internet or by telephone. The Internet and telephone voting procedures are designed to authenticate your identity as a Williams-Sonoma, Inc. stockholder, to allow you to vote your shares and to confirm that your instructions have been properly recorded. Specific instructions to be followed for voting on the Internet or by telephone are provided below in this Proxy Statement, in the Notice and on the proxy card.

Shares Registered Directly in the Name of the Stockholder

If your shares are registered directly in your name in our stock records maintained by our transfer agent, Wells FargoEQ Shareowner Services, then you may vote your shares:

Proxies for shares registered directly in your name that are submitted on the Internet or by telephone must be received before noon Pacific Time on Wednesday,Tuesday, May 30, 2017.29, 2018.

Shares Registered in the Name of a Brokerage Firm or Bank

If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm or bank, you should follow the voting instructions on the Notice or the proxyvoting instruction card provided by your brokerage firm or bank.

Can I vote my shares by filling out and returning the Notice?

No. The Notice identifies the items to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, but you cannot vote by marking the Notice and returning it. The Notice provides instructions on how to vote on the Internet or by telephone and how to request paper copies of the proxy materials.

What if I return my proxy card directly to the company, but do not provide voting instructions?

If a signed proxy card is returned to us without any indication of how your shares should be voted, votes will be cast “FOR” the election of the directors named in this Proxy Statement, “FOR” the amendment and restatement

of our 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan, “FOR” the approval, on an advisory basis, of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, “FOR” the option of once every “one year” as the frequency with which stockholders are provided an advisory vote to approve executive compensation,and “FOR” the ratification of the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2018, “FOR” the amendment and restatement of our bylaws to provide for proxy access, and “AGAINST” the stockholder proposal.February 3, 2019.

May I attend the Annual Meeting?

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on April 3, 2017,2, 2018, the record date, are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting. Stockholders planning to attend the Annual Meeting must present photo identification and proof of ownership on the record date in order to be admitted. Proof of ownership can be a brokerage or account statement indicating ownership on April 3, 2017,2, 2018, the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, a proxy card, or a legal proxy or voting instruction card provided by your broker, bank or nominee. We reserve the right to deny admittance to anyone who cannot adequately show proof of share ownership as of the record date.

What are the directions to attend the Annual Meeting?

The following are directions to attend the Annual Meeting from various locations around the San Francisco Bay Area:

From the South Bay

TakeUS-101 Northbound toward San Francisco

Take theUS-101 exit on the left

Keep left at the fork to continue onUS-101 North

Take exit 434A to merge onto MissionStreet/US-101

Turn left atUS-101/South Van Ness Avenue

Continue North on Van Ness Avenue

Destination will be on the right

From the East Bay

TakeI-80 Westbound across the Bay Bridge toward San Francisco

Take exit 1B to merge ontoUS-101 North

Take exit 434A to merge onto MissionStreet/US-101

Turn left atUS-101/South Van Ness Avenue

Continue North on Van Ness Avenue

Destination will be on the right

From the North Bay

TakeUS-101 Southbound across the Golden Gate Bridge toward San Francisco

Exit onto RichardsonAvenue/US-101 toward Lombard Street

Continue to followUS-101

Turn left atUS-101/Van Ness Avenue

Continue North on Van Ness Avenue

Destination will be on the right

How many shares must be present to transact business at the Annual Meeting?

Stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding shares as of the record date must be present in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting so that we may transact business. This is known as a quorum. Shares that are voted in person, on the Internet, by telephone or by signed proxy card, and abstentions and brokernon-votes, will be included in the calculation of the number of shares considered to be present for purposes of determining whether there is a quorum at the Annual Meeting.

What is a brokernon-vote?

The term brokernon-vote refers to shares that are held of record by a broker for the benefit of the broker’s clients but that are not voted at the Annual Meeting by the broker on certainnon-routine matters set forth in New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, Rule 402.08(B) because the broker did not receive instructions from the broker’s clients on how to vote the shares and, therefore, was prohibited from voting the shares.

How many votes are needed to elect directors?

Pursuant to a majority voting bylaw adopted by our Board of Directors and further described in our Amended and Restated Bylaws, the election of each of the nine director nominees requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting with respect to each nominee. The number of shares voted “for” a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that nominee for the nominee to be elected as a director to serve until the next annual meeting or until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified. Your proxy will be voted in accordance with your instructions. If no instructions are given, the proxy holders will vote “FOR” each of the director nominees. If you hold your shares through a brokerage, bank or other nominee, or in “street name,” it is important to cast your vote if you want it to count in the election of directors. If you hold your shares in street name and you do not instruct your bank or broker how to vote your shares in the election of directors, no votes will be cast on your behalf. Brokernon-votes and abstentions will have no effect on the outcome of the election.

Pursuant to the resignation policy adopted by our Board of Directors and further described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, any nominee for director who is not elected shall promptly tender his or her resignation to our Board of Directors following certification of the stockholder vote. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the resignation offer and recommend to our Board of Directors the action to be taken with respect to the offered resignation. In determining its recommendation, the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee shall consider all factors it deems relevant. Our Board of Directors will act on the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation within 90 days following certification of the stockholder vote and will publicly disclose its decision with respect to the director’s resignation offer (and the reasons for rejecting the resignation offer, if applicable).

Any director who tenders his or her resignation pursuant to the resignation policy shall not participate in the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee’s recommendation or Board of Directors action regarding whether to accept the resignation offer. If each member of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee is required to tender his or her resignation pursuant to the resignation policy in the same election, then the independent directors of our Board of Directors who are not required to tender a resignation pursuant to the resignation policy shall consider the resignation offers and make a recommendation to our Board of Directors.

To the extent that one or more directors’ resignations are accepted by our Board of Directors, our Board of Directors in its discretion may determine either to fill such vacancy or vacancies or to reduce the size of the Board within the authorized range.

How many votes are needed to approve Proposals 2, 3 4, 5 and 6?4?

Proposals 2, 4, 53 and 64 require the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of voting power entitled to vote thereon, present in person or represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting. Proxy cards marked “abstain” will have the effect of a “NO” vote and brokernon-votes will have no effect on the outcome of the vote.

The outcome of Proposal 2,3, the advisory vote on the approval of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers, will not be binding on us or the Board. However, the Board and the Compensation Committee will review the voting results and take them into consideration when making future decisions regarding executive compensation.

Are there any stockholder proposals this year?

Yes. We received notice of aNo stockholder proposal requesting inclusionproposals are included in ourthis Proxy Statement, for the Annual Meeting. Please review Proposal 6 for further information about this proposal.

Weand we have not received notice of any stockholder proposals to be raised at thethis year’s Annual Meeting that did not request inclusion in our Proxy Statement.Meeting.

What if I want to change my vote(s)?

You may revoke your proxy prior to the close of voting at the Annual Meeting by any of the following methods:

What is householding?

Householding is a cost-cutting procedure used by us and approved by the SEC to limit duplicate copies of our proxy materials being printed and delivered to stockholders sharing a household. Under the householding procedure, we send only one Notice or Annual Report and Proxy Statement to stockholders of record who share the same address and last name, unless one of those stockholders notifies us that the stockholder would like a separate Notice or Annual Report and Proxy Statement. A separate proxy card is included in the materials for each stockholder of record. A stockholder may notify us that the stockholder would like a separate Notice or Annual Report and Proxy Statement by phone at415-421-7900 or by mail at the following mailing address: Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Attention: Annual Report Administrator, 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94109. If we receive such notification that the stockholder wishes to receive a separate Notice or Annual Report and Proxy Statement, we will promptly deliver such Notice or Annual Report and Proxy Statement. If you wish to update your participation in householding, you may contact your broker or our mailing agent, Broadridge Investor Communications Solutions, at800-542-1061.

What if I received more than one proxy card?

If you received more than one proxy card, it means that you have multiple accounts with brokers and/or our transfer agent. You must complete each proxy card in order to ensure that all shares beneficially held by you are represented at the meeting. If you are interested in consolidating your accounts, you may contact your broker or our transfer agent, Wells FargoEQ Shareowner Services, at800-468-9716.

Who pays the expenses incurred in connection with the solicitation of proxies?

We pay all of the expenses incurred in preparing, assembling and mailing the Notice or this Proxy Statement and the materials enclosed. We have retained Skinner & Company and MacKenzie Partners, Inc. to assist in the solicitation of proxies at an estimated cost to us of $5,000 and $12,000, respectively.$7,000. Some of our officers or employees may solicit proxies personally or by telephone or other means. None of those officers or employees will receive special compensation for such services.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Director Independence

Our Board of Directors has determined that Adrian D.P. Bellamy, Rose Marie Bravo, Anthony A. Greener, Robert Lord, Grace Puma, Christiana Smith Shi, Sabrina Simmons, Jerry D. Stritzke and Frits van Paasschen meet the independence requirements of our “Policy Regarding Director Independence Determinations”, which is part of our Corporate Governance Guidelines. Accordingly, the Board has determined that none of these director nominees has a material relationship with us and that each of these nominees is independent within the meaning of the NYSE and SEC director independence standards, as currently in effect. Further, each member of our Board committees satisfies the independence requirements of the NYSE and SEC, and any heightened independence standards applicable to each committee on which they serve. The Board’s independence determination was based on information provided by our director nominees and discussions among our officers and directors.directors, including consideration of our purchases of hardware, software and services from IBM in assessing Mr. Lord’s independence.

Board Leadership Structure

We currently separate the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. Adrian D.P.Mr. Bellamy, an independent director, has served as our Chairman of the Board since May 2010. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that in the event that the Chairman of the Board is not an independent director, the Board shall elect a Lead Independent Director. As Mr. Bellamy is an independent director, we have not appointed a separate Lead Independent Director.

Separating the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board maximizes the Board’s independence and aligns our leadership structure with current trends in corporate governance best practices. Our Chief Executive Officer is responsible forday-to-day leadership and for setting the strategic direction of the company, while the Chairman of the Board provides independent oversight and advice to our management team, and presides over Board meetings.

Board Meetings and Executive Sessions

During fiscal 2016,2017, our Board held a total of seven meetings. Each director who was a member of our Board during fiscal 20162017 attended at least 75% of the aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings of the Board held during the period for which such director served as a director and (ii) the total number of meetings held by all committees of the Board on which such director served during the periods that such director served, except for Lorraine Twohill.served.

It is the Board’s policy to have a separate meeting time for independent directors, typically during the regularly scheduled Board meetings. During fiscal 2016,2017, executive sessions were led by our Chairman of the Board, Mr. Bellamy.

Attendance of Directors at Annual Meeting of Stockholders

It is our policy that directors who are nominated for election at our Annual Meeting should attend the Annual Meeting. All but one director who was nominated for election at our 20162017 Annual Meeting attended the meeting.

Board Committees

Our Board has three standing committees: the Audit and Finance Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee. Each committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board. The committee charters are each available on the company’s website atir.williams-sonomainc.com/governance and are also available in print to any stockholder upon request.

The following table sets forth the members of each committee as of April 3, 2017,2, 2018, the functions of each committee, and the number of meetings held during fiscal 2016.2017.

Audit and Finance Committee

The Board has determined that each member of the Audit and Finance Committee is independent under the NYSE rules, as currently in effect, and Rule10A-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Board has determined that Ms. Simmons is a “financialan “audit committee financial expert” under the SEC rules. The Board has also determined that each Audit and Finance Committee member is “financially literate,” as described in the NYSE rules.

Compensation Committee

The Board has determined that each member of the Compensation Committee is independent under the NYSE rules, as currently in effect, is an outside director“outside director” as such term is defined with respect to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and is a“non-employee director director” under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. None of the Compensation Committee members have ever served as an officer of the Company.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Mr. Bellamy, Ms. Bravo, Mr. Greener, Mr. Stritzke and Ms.Lorraine Twohill served as members of the Compensation Committee during fiscal 2016. During2017. No member of this committee was at any time during fiscal 2016,2017 or at any other time an officer or employee of the company, or had any relationship with the company requiring disclosure under Item 404 of RegulationS-K. In addition, none of our executive officers served as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has or had one or more executive officers serving as a member of our Board or Compensation Committee.

Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee

The Board has determined that each member of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee is independent under the NYSE rules currently in effect. Each member of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee is anon-employee director.

During fiscal 2016,2017, in furtherance of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee’s functions, the Committee took the following actions, among other things:

Director Nominations

The Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee’s criteria and process for evaluating and identifying the candidates that it selects, or recommends to the Board for selection, as director nominees are as follows:

There are no differences in the manner in which the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates nominees for director based on whether the nominee is recommended by a stockholder, management or a search firm.

Stockholder Recommendations

The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee will consider recommendations from stockholders regarding possible director candidates for election at next year’s Annual Meeting. Pursuant to our Stockholder Recommendations Policy, the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee considers recommendations for candidates to the Board from stockholders holding no fewer than 500 shares of the company’s common stock continuously for at least six months prior to the date of the submission of the recommendation.

A stockholder that desires to recommend a candidate for election to the Board shall direct the recommendation in writing to Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94109. The recommendation must include: (i) the candidate’s name, home and business contact information; (ii) detailed biographical data and qualifications of the candidate; (iii) information regarding any relationships between the candidate and the company within the last three years; (iv) evidence of the recommending person’s ownership of company common stock; (v) a statement from the recommending stockholder in support of the candidate; and (vi) a written indication by the candidate of his or her willingness to serve if elected. A stockholder that desires to recommend a person directly for election to the Board at the company’s Annual Meeting must also meet the deadlines and other requirements set forth in Rule14a-8 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the company’s Restated Bylaws, each of which are described in the “Stockholder Proposals” section of this Proxy Statement.

Director nominees Grace Puma and Frits van Paasschen were recommended for consideration by the company’s human resources department, which led a search for qualified director candidates. Director nominee Christiana Smith Shi was recommended for consideration by Adrian D.P. Bellamy, the Chairman of the Board, and Ted W. Hall, a member of the Board of Directors. Each director nominated in this Proxy Statement was

recommended for election to the Board by the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Lord was initially recommended for appointment to the Board in 2017 by the company’s human resources department, which led the search for qualified director candidates. The Board did not receive any director nominee recommendation from any stockholder in connection with this Proxy Statement.

Risk Oversight

Board Oversight of Risk

The Board actively manages the company’s risk oversight process and receives regular reports from management on areas of material risk to the company, including operational, financial, legal and regulatory risks. Our Board committees assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in certain areas of risk. The Audit and Finance Committee assists the Board with its oversight of the company’s major financial risk exposures. Additionally, in accordance with NYSE requirements, the Audit and Finance Committee reviews with management the company’s major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, including the company’s risk assessment and risk management policies. The Compensation Committee assists the Board with its oversight of risks arising from our compensation policies and programs and assesses on an annual basis potential material risk to the company from its compensation policies and programs, including incentive and commission plans at all levels. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee assists the Board with its oversight of risks associated with Board organization, Board independence, succession planning, and corporate governance. While each committee is responsible for evaluating certain risks and overseeing the management of such risks, the entire Board is regularly informed through committee reports about such risks.

Evaluation of Risks Relating to Compensation Programs

Our Compensation Committee is responsible for monitoring our compensation policies and programs relative to all our employees, includingnon-executive officers, for potential risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our company. In performing its duties, the Compensation Committee regularly reviews and discusses potential risks that could arise from our employee compensation plans and programs with our management and the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee is responsible for reporting to the Board any material risks associated with our compensation plans and programs, including recommended actions to mitigate such risks.

For fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee retained an independent consultant, Frederic W.F.W. Cook, & Co., or Cook & Co., to identify and assess the risks inherent in the company’s compensation programs and policies. Accordingly, F.W. Cook & Co. evaluated the company’s executive andnon-executive compensation programs for such risk and the mechanisms in our programs designed to mitigate these risks. Among other things, F.W. Cook & Co. reviewed our pay philosophy, forms of incentives, performance metrics, balance of cash and equity compensation, balance of long-term and short-term incentive periods, compensation governance practices, and equity grant administration practices. Based on the assessment, F.W. Cook & Co. concluded that our compensation programs and policies do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our company.

Director Compensation

For fiscal 2016, 2017,non-employee directors received cash compensation and equity grants for their service on our Board, for their service as Chair of the Board or Chair of a Board committee, and for their service on any Board committees of which they are a member, as set forth in the table below. During fiscal 2016,2017, the equity grants were made in the form of restricted stock units. These restricted stock units vest on the earlier of one year from the date of grant or the day before the next regularly scheduled annual meeting.meeting, subject to continued service through the vesting date. The number of restricted stock units granted was determined by dividing the total monetary value of each award, equal to the equity grant as identifiedset forth in the following table below, by the closing price of our common stock on the trading day prior to the grant date, rounding down to the nearest whole share. Directors also received dividend equivalent payments with respect to outstanding restricted stock unit awards.

In addition to the compensation described above,non-employee directors received cash attendance compensation in the amount of $2,000 for each committee meeting they attended for committees of which they are a member. Directors also received reimbursement for travel expenses related to attending our Board, committee or business meetings.Non-employee directors and their spouses receivereceived discounts on our merchandise.

The Board has approved, effective as of the Annual Meeting on May 30, 2018, an increase in the Annual Cash Compensation for Board Service to $80,000, an increase in the Annual Equity Grant for Board Service to $165,000, and the elimination of the $2,000 per meeting fee paid to committee members for each committee meeting they attend. The Board believes this increase and change in structure generally aligns ournon-employee director compensation with our peers, which will allow us to continue to attract and retain top director candidates to serve on our Board.

Non-Employee Director Summary Compensation Table

The following table shows the compensation provided to ournon-employee directors during fiscal 2016.2017.

(2)	Represents the taxable value of discount on merchandise.

Patrick J. Connolly, who was one of our directors and our Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer until his retirement on July 31, 2016, is not included in the table above as he was an executive officer, other than a named executive officer, and did not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director.

Director Stock Ownership Policy

The Board has approved a stock ownership policy. Eachnon-employee director must hold at least $400,000 worth of shares of company stock by the fifth anniversary of such director’s initial election to the Board. If a director holds at least $400,000 worth of shares of company stock during the required time period, but the value of such director’s shares decreases below $400,000 due to a drop in the company’s stock price, the director shall be deemed to have complied with this policy so long as the director does not sell shares of company stock. If a director has not complied with this policy during the required time period, then the director may not sell any shares until such director holds at least $400,000 worth of shares of company stock. AllA director’s unvested restricted stock units will not count toward satisfying the ownership requirements. As of April 2, 2018, all of our directors meethave satisfied the ownership requirements or have been on the boardBoard for less than five years.

Corporate Governance Guidelines and Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, both of which apply to all of our employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller, are available on our website atir.williams-sonomainc.com/governance. Copies of our Corporate Governance Guidelines and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are also available upon written request and without charge to any stockholder by writing to: Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94109. To date, there have been no waivers that apply to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller or persons performing similar functions under our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. We intend to disclose any amendment to, or waivers of, the provisions of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that affect our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller or persons performing similar functions by posting such information on our website atir.williams-sonomainc.com/governance.

Communicating with Members of the Board

Stockholders and all other interested parties may send written communications to the Board or to any of our directors individually, includingnon-management directors and the Chairman of the Board, at the following address: Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California 94109. All communications will be compiled by our Corporate Secretary and submitted to the Board or an individual director, as appropriate, on a periodic basis.

PROPOSAL 1

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Upon the recommendation of our Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee, our Board has nominated the persons set forth in the tables below. Our Board has no reason to believe that any of the nominees will be unwilling or unable to serve as a director. However, should a nominee become unwilling or unable to serve prior to the Annual Meeting, our Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee would recommend another person or persons to be nominated by our Board to stand for election, and your proxies would be voted for the person or persons selected by the committee and nominated by our Board.

There are no family or special relationships between any director nominee or executive officer and any other director nominee or executive officer. There are no arrangements or understandings between any director nominee or executive officer and any other person pursuant to which he or she has been or will be selected as our director and/or executive officer.

Information Regarding the Director Nominees

The following table sets forth information, as of April 3, 2017,2, 2018, with respect to each director nominee. We have also included information about each nominee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve as a director of the company, in light of our business and structure, at the time we file this Proxy Statement. Each director nominee furnished the biographical information set forth in the table.

Executive Officer:

Independent Directors:

Nominee		Director Since				Position with the Company and Business Experience, including Directorships Held During Past Five Years		Specific Experience, Qualifications, Attributes and Skills
Anthony A. Greener Age 7677			2007			•  Member of the Compensation Committee and the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee •  Chairman, The Minton Trust (charity) since 2006 •  Trustee, United Learning (education) since 2013 •  Trustee, United Kingdom Sailing Academy (youth development) since 2016 •  Trustee, United Learning (education), 2013 – 2016 •  Director, WNS (Holdings) Limited (outsourcing services), 2007 – 2016 •  Chairman, The St. Giles Trust (charity), 2008 – 2016 •  Director, The United Church Schools Trust (education), 2005 – 2013 •  Chairman, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (education), 2002 – 2008 •  Deputy Chairman, British Telecommunications plc (telecommunications), 2000 – 2006 •  Chairman, Diageo plc (spirits, beer and wine), 1997 – 2000 •  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Guinness plc (beer and spirits), 1992 – 1997		•  Extensive experience as both an executive and director of companies with global brands •  Strong leadership skills with a variety of diverse businesses and organizations, including specialty retailers

Required Vote for This Proposal

The election of each director nominee requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting with respect to each nominee. The number of shares voted “for” a director nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” that nominee for the nominee to be elected as a director to serve until the next annual meeting or until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF ALL OF THE DIRECTOR NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.

PROPOSAL 2

AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR 2001 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

This is a proposal to approve the amendment and restatement of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan, or Incentive Plan, to increase the shares issuable under the Incentive Plan by 4,260,000 shares.

If stockholders approve amending and restating the Incentive Plan, the amended and restated Incentive Plan, or Amended Incentive Plan will replace the current version of the Incentive Plan and would become effective upon the date of the 2018 Annual Meeting.

Summary of Material Changes Being Made to the Current Plan

The Amended Incentive Plan will increase the number of authorized shares of our common stock available for grant by 4,260,000 shares.

As of April 2, 2018, a total of 5,499,602 shares of our common stock remained available for future grants under the Incentive Plan. We believe that the current share reserve amount is insufficient to meet our future needs with respect to attracting, motivating and retaining key executives and employees in a competitive market for talent. We consider the Incentive Plan to be a vital element of our employee compensation program and believe that the continued ability to grant stock awards at competitive levels is in the best interest of the company and our stockholders. We believe the share increase will be sufficient to enable us to grant stock awards under the Amended Incentive Plan for approximately the next two to three years, based on historical grant and forfeiture levels, the recent market prices of our common stock, and anticipated use of equity awards as an incentive and retention tool.

The table below shows the stock awards that were outstanding under the Incentive Plan as of April 2, 2018. As of April 2, 2018, the closing price of our common stock as reported on the NYSE was $49.76 per share.

The table below shows annual dilution and other metrics relating to equity grants under the Incentive Plan for the last three fiscal years. For this purpose, the share counting rule in effect at the time the award was granted was applied and performance stock units are reflected at target.

The table below shows the number of performance stock units awards granted (at target), earned/vested and forfeited within the last three fiscal years.

Awards Subject to Recoupment in the Event of a Restatement of Financial Results

The Incentive Plan was also amended and restated to provide that in the event of a restatement of incorrect financial results, the committee administering the Amended Incentive Plan will have the authority to recoup cash and equity awards paid, earned or granted to executive officers as a result of such restatement if it determines that it is appropriate to do so. Such amendment was made to reflect the terms of the recoupment policy that was adopted by our Compensation Committee in March 2018 to increase accountability and ensure that cash and equity awards are paid, earned or granted to executive officers in a manner that aligns with our financial reporting.

Minimum Vesting Requirement

In addition, the Incentive Plan has been amended and restated to revise the minimum vesting provisions in our Incentive Plan to align with current best practices and to reflect our current practice of generally requiring employees to have been employed for one year from the grant date of their equity awards before they begin to vest into such awards. Previously, the minimum vesting provisions only applied to full value awards and generally required that such awards vest in full no earlier than three years from the date of grant if the applicable award will vest based solely on continued service to us, and no earlier than one year from the date of grant if the applicable award will not vest based solely on continued service to us (or, for awards granted tonon-employee directors, the earlier of one year from the date of grant or the day before the next regularly scheduled annual meeting). The Amended Incentive Plan now provides that 95% of the shares that remain available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan as of the date of the 2018 Annual Meeting must be granted pursuant to equity awards that will not vest in whole or in part prior to theone-year anniversary of the date of grant, subject to

certain exceptions. This new minimum vesting requirement will apply to all types of equity awards granted after the 2018 Annual Meeting and not just full value awards.

AmendedNon-Employee Director Compensation Limit

Additionally, the Incentive Plan has been amended and restated by the Board to revise the maximum annual limit onnon-employee director compensation to cover both cash fees and equity awards tonon-employee directors and provide that stock awards granted during a single fiscal year under the Amended Incentive Plan or otherwise, taken together with any cash fees paid during such fiscal year for services on the Board, will not exceed $750,000 in total value for anynon-employee director. Previously, the Incentive Plan provided that the aggregate grant date fair value of all stock awards granted to anynon-employee director during a calendar year (excluding awards made at the election of anon-employee director in lieu of all or a portion of annual and committee cash retainers) shall not exceed $500,000. In revising the limit, our Board considered the recommendation of the Compensation Committee and F.W. Cook, the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant. In addition, the Board considered the effectiveness and reasonableness of the equity and cash compensation that we offer to ournon-employee directors along with prevalent practices among the company’s proxy peer group (as defined in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section), the current and future responsibilities of ournon-employee directors, and whether such a limit provides sufficient flexibility to adjustnon-employee director compensation in the future if such changes are necessary to remain competitive with our peers. We believe that this revised limit allows us to stay within reasonable bounds of what the market requires in a competitive environment for qualified directors, while also imposing meaningful limits on the amount of compensation that may be awarded to ournon-employee directors.

The Amended Incentive Plan Combines Compensation and Corporate Governance Best Practices

The Amended Incentive Plan includes provisions that are designed to protect our stockholders’ interests and reflect corporate governance best practices.

Board Approval of the Amended Incentive Plan

On March 22, 2018, our Board approved the Amended Incentive Plan, subject to approval from our stockholders at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Our named executive officers and directors have an interest in this proposal because they are eligible to receive plan awards.

Summary of the Amended Incentive Plan

The following provides a summary of the principal features of the Amended Incentive Plan and its operation. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the draft of the Amended Incentive Plan attached as Exhibit A.

Types of Awards are Available under the Amended Incentive Plan

We may grant the following types of incentive awards under the Amended Incentive Plan: (i) stock options; (ii) restricted stock; (iii) restricted stock units; (iv) stock appreciation rights that are settled in shares; (v) dividend equivalents; and (vi) deferred stock awards.

Plan Administration

A committee of at least twonon-employee members of our Board will administer the Amended Incentive Plan (the “committee”). To the extent the company wishes to qualify grants as exempt from the short-swing transaction liability provisions of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended (relating to purchases and sales of our stock within less than six months), the members of the committee must qualify as“non-employee directors.” Further, to make grants to our officers or directors, the members of the committee must qualify as “independent directors” under the applicable requirements and criteria of the New York Stock Exchange. Members of the committee must also qualify as “outside directors” under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, or Section 162(m), to the extent necessary to qualify certain awards as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) (See “Tax Effects as a Result of Grants of Awards under the Incentive Plan” below for more information). The committee has delegated its authority under the Amended Incentive Plan to two members of the Board, but only with respect to grants to certain of our employees who are not “officers” for purposes of Section 16.

Shares Available for Issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan

Subject to changes in our capital structure, 36,569,903 shares of our common stock will be reserved and available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan, which includes the 4,260,000 additional shares, plus up to a maximum of 754,160 shares subject to any previously outstanding options under the company’s 1993 Stock Option Plan and the company’s 2000Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan that expired unexercised after March 15, 2006. The shares available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan may be authorized but unissued shares or shares reacquired by the company. Subject to changes in our capital structure, the maximum number of shares that may be issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options will equal the aggregate share number set forth above.

Any shares subject to stock options or stock appreciation rights will be counted against the share reserve as one share for every share subject to such awards. With respect to awards granted on or after May 23, 2006, any shares subject to restricted stock, restricted stock units or deferred stock awards with a per share or unit purchase price lower than 100% of fair market value on the date of grant and, on or May 29, 2015, any dividend equivalents payable in shares will be counted against the share reserve as 1.9 shares for every one share issued pursuant to such awards.

If an award expires or becomes unexercisable without having been exercised in full, or, with respect to restricted stock, restricted stock units or deferred stock awards, is forfeited to or repurchased by the company at its original purchase price due to such award failing to vest, the unpurchased, forfeited or repurchased shares which were subject to such awards will become available for future grant or sale under the Amended Incentive Plan (plus the number of additional shares that counted against the share reserve using the share counting rule in effect at the time the stock award was granted). Shares that have actually been issued under the Amended Incentive Plan under any award will not be returned to the Amended Incentive Plan and will not become available for future distribution under the Amended Incentive Plan; provided, however, that if shares of restricted stock are repurchased by the company at their original purchase price or are forfeited to the company due to such awards failing to vest, such shares will become available for future grant under the Amended Incentive Plan. Shares used to pay the exercise price of an option or stock appreciation right or used to satisfy tax withholding obligations will not become available for future grant or sale under the Amended Incentive Plan. Any payout or forfeiture of dividend equivalents payable only in cash will not reduce or increase the number of shares available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan. To the extent an award under the Amended Incentive Plan (other than a stock appreciation right or stock option) is paid out in cash rather than shares, such cash payment will not result in reducing the number of shares available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan. To the extent, a stock appreciation right or stock option is paid out in cash rather than shares, such cash payment will reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan by the number of shares having a fair market value equal to the cash delivered. In addition, shares purchased by the company with the proceeds of a stock option exercise will not again be made available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan.

To the extent permitted by stock exchange regulations, awards granted or shares issued by the company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, prior awards or obligations of any company acquired by or combined with the company or a subsidiary will not be added to or reduce the maximum limit on shares reserved for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan. In the event that a company acquired by or combined with the company or a subsidiary has shares available under apre-existing plan approved by stockholders that was not adopted in contemplation of the acquisition or combination, to the extent permitted by stock exchange regulations, the shares available for grant under thatpre-existing plan (as adjusted to reflect the acquisition or combination) may be used for awards under the Amended Incentive Plan, and will not reduce or be added back to the number of authorized shares under the Amended Incentive Plan. However, awards using such shares that are available under any suchpre-existing plan (1) will not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of thepre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and (2) will only be made to individuals who were not eligible for awards under the Amended Incentive Plan prior to the acquisition or combination.

Powers of the Committee

Subject to the terms of the Amended Incentive Plan and among other powers, the committee has the sole discretion to: (i) select the employees andnon-employee directors who will receive awards; (ii) determine the terms and conditions of awards such as the exercise price and vesting schedule (see below for certain limitations); and (iii) interpret the provisions of the Amended Incentive Plan and outstanding awards. The committee may not reduce the exercise price of stock options or stock appreciation rights that have been granted, including cancelling an existing stock option or stock appreciation right having an exercise price that exceeds the fair market value of the underlying stock in exchange for a new award (including a stock option or stock appreciation right), cash, other consideration, or a combination thereof, without prior consent from our

stockholders unless such reductions in exercise price are made in connection with changes in our capital structure or with respect to awards that are substituted in connection with the acquisition of other companies.

Eligibility to Receive Awards

The committee selects the employees andnon-employee directors who will be granted awards under the Amended Incentive Plan. The actual number of employees andnon-employee directors who will receive an award under the Amended Incentive Plan cannot be determined in advance because the committee has the discretion to select the participants. As of April 2, 2018, approximately 23,500 employees and ninenon-employee directors were eligible to participate in the Amended Incentive Plan. However, of our employees, our current policy is to grant equity awards generally to employees at the level of director or above, as well as to certain mangers and individual contributors according to the contributions to the company and to remain competitive in the market for these roles. As of April 2, 2018, there were 737 such employees.

Minimum Vesting

All awards granted under the Amended Incentive Plan after the 2018 Annual Meeting will not vest in whole or in part prior to theone-year anniversary of the date of grant (excluding, for this purpose, any (i) awards assumed or substituted in connection with an acquisition and (ii) awards tonon-employee directors that vest on the earlier of the one year anniversary of the date of grant or the next annual meeting of stockholders); provided, however, that up to 5% of the shares available for future distribution under the Amended Incentive Plan immediately following the 2018 Annual Meeting may be granted pursuant to awards without such minimum vesting requirement. However, this minimum vesting requirement will not limit (i) the committee’s ability to grant awards that are subject to agreements providing for accelerated vesting on a termination of employment or service (or to otherwise accelerate vesting), or (ii) any rights to accelerated vesting in connection with a transaction or change of control, whether set forth in the Amended Incentive Plan or otherwise.

Award Eligibility forNon-Employee Directors

Non-employee directors are eligible for any of the awards available under the Amended Incentive Plan. In addition, ournon-employee directors will receive annual awards under thenon-employee director award program portion of the Amended Incentive Plan in connection with their service on our Board. The Amended Incentive Plan provides that such annual awards may be of any type available under the Amended Incentive Plan as determined by the committee. Stock awards granted during a single fiscal year under the Amended Incentive Plan or otherwise, if any, taken together with any cash fees paid during such fiscal year for services on the Board, will not exceed $750,000 in total value for anynon-employee director calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes. Such applicable limit will include the value of any stock awards that are received in lieu of all or a portion of any annual committee cash retainers or other similar cash based payments. For the avoidance of doubt, neither awards granted or compensation paid to an individual for services as an employee or consultant, nor any amounts paid to an individual as a reimbursement of an expense will count against the foregoing limitation.

Stock Options

A stock option is the right to acquire shares of our common stock at a fixed exercise price for a fixed period of time. Under the Amended Incentive Plan, the committee may grant nonqualified stock options and incentive stock options. The committee will determine the number of shares covered by each option, but the committee may not grant more than an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares covered by options or stock appreciation rights to any one person during any calendar year.

Exercise Price of an Option

The exercise price of the shares subject to each option is set by the committee, but cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value on the date of grant of the shares covered by the option. The fair market value of shares

covered by an option is calculated as the closing price of our stock on the trading day prior to the grant date. With respect to an incentive stock option granted to a stockholder who holds more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the company or any parent or subsidiary, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value on the date of grant. Notwithstanding the above, the exercise price of the shares subject to an option may be less than the minimum exercise price set forth above if the stock option is granted as a substitute award in connection with a merger or acquisition, but only to the extent such exercise price does not result in taxation under Section 409A, the loss of incentive stock option status or violate applicable law.

Option Exercises

An option granted under the Amended Incentive Plan generally cannot be exercised until it vests. The committee establishes the vesting schedule of each option at the time of grant, subject to the minimum vesting requirements described above. Options granted under the Amended Incentive Plan expire at the times established by the committee, but not later than seven years after the grant date (and not later than five years after the grant date in the case of an incentive stock option granted to an optionee who is a stockholder who holds more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the company or any parent or subsidiary). Except as the committee may otherwise provide, stock options generally may be exercised, to the extent vested, at any time prior to the earlier of the expiration date of the option or 90 days from the date the optionee ceases to provide services to us for any reason other than death or disability. If the optionee ceases to provide services to us as a result of his or her death or disability, or the optionee dies within 30 days after the optionee ceases to be an employee, the option generally may be exercised, to the extent vested, at any time prior to the earlier of the expiration date of the option or 180 days from the optionee’s death or date of termination as a result of disability.

Payment for the Exercise Price of an Option

The exercise price of each option granted under the Amended Incentive Plan may be paid by any of the methods included in a participant’s option agreement. Such methods may include payment by (i) cash, (ii) certified or bank check, (iii) through the tender of shares that are already owned by the participant, (iv) through a cashless exercise, or (v) through a net exercise. The participant must pay any taxes we are required to withhold at the time of exercise. If permitted by the committee, such taxes may be paid through the withholding of shares issued as a result of an award’s exercise.

Restricted Stock

Restricted stock awards are shares of our common stock granted to participants subject to vesting in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the committee. Awards of restricted stock may be granted at no cost to the participant. The committee will determine the number of shares of restricted stock granted to any participant, but no participant may be granted more than an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares covered by awards of restricted stock, restricted stock units or deferred stock awards during any calendar year.

Restricted Stock Vesting

Vesting of restricted stock awards may be based on the achievement of performance goals established by the committee and/or on continued service to us. The committee determines the vesting schedule of restricted stock awards, subject to the minimum vesting requirements described above.

Restricted Stock Units

Restricted stock units are essentially the same as awards of restricted stock, except that instead of the shares being issued immediately and then being subject to forfeiture or repurchase until vested, the shares or other payments for the award are not actually issued unless and until the award vests. Awards of restricted stock units may be granted at no cost to the participant, as determined by the committee in its discretion. The committee will determine the number of restricted stock units granted to any participant, but no participant may be granted more

than an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares covered by awards of restricted stock units, restricted stock or deferred stock awards during any calendar year. Upon the grant of an award of restricted stock units, the recipient will receive an award agreement that specifies the terms and conditions of the award, including the number of restricted stock units granted and the terms, conditions and restrictions related to the award.

Restricted Stock Unit Vesting

Vesting of restricted stock unit awards may be based on the achievement of performance goals established by the committee and/or on continued service to us. The committee determines the vesting schedule of restricted stock unit awards, subject to the minimum vesting requirements described above.

Stock-Settled Stock Appreciation Rights

A stock-settled stock appreciation right is an award that allows the recipient to receive the appreciation in fair market value between the date of the grant and the exercise date for the number of shares as to which the right is exercised, which is payable only in shares of our common stock. Thus, a stock appreciation right will have value only if the shares increase in value after the date of grant. The increased appreciation will be paid with shares of our common stock of equivalent value. The committee determines the terms of the stock appreciation right, including when the right becomes exercisable. The same expiration rules that apply to options generally also apply to stock appreciation rights. The committee will determine the number of shares covered by each stock appreciation right, but the committee may not grant more than an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares covered by stock appreciation rights or options to any one person during any calendar year.

A stock appreciation right granted under the Amended Incentive Plan generally cannot be exercised until it vests. The committee establishes the vesting schedule of each stock appreciation right at the time of grant, subject to the minimum vesting requirements described above. Stock appreciation rights granted under the Amended Incentive Plan expire at the times established by the committee, but not later than seven years after the grant date.

Upon the grant of an award of stock appreciation rights, the recipient will receive an award agreement that specifies the terms and conditions of the award, including the number of shares subject to the stock appreciation right and the terms, conditions and restrictions related to the award.

Exercise Price of a Stock Appreciation Right

The exercise price of the shares subject to each stock appreciation right is set by the committee, but cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value on the date of grant of the shares covered by the stock appreciation right. The fair market value of shares covered by a stock appreciation right is calculated as the closing price of our stock on the trading day prior to the grant date. Notwithstanding the above, the exercise price of the shares subject to a stock appreciation right may be less than the minimum exercise price set forth above if the stock appreciation right is granted as a substitute award in connection with a merger or acquisition, but only to the extent such exercise price does not result in taxation under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, or Section 409A or violate applicable law.

Dividend and Dividend Equivalent Rights

Dividend equivalent rights are credits, payable in cash or stock and granted at the discretion of the committee (and having such terms approved by the committee), to the account of a participant. The credit is payable in an amount equal to the cash dividends paid on one share for each share represented by an award held by the participant, which at the discretion of the committee may be deemed reinvested in additional shares of stock covered by an award. Stock options and stock appreciation rights shall not be eligible to receive dividends, dividend equivalent rights or any other similar distribution rights.

Dividends payable with respect to a restricted stock award that is subject to performance conditions and dividend equivalent rights with respect to a restricted stock unit award that is subject to performance conditions shall be

held in escrow or deemed reinvested in additional shares of restricted stock or additional restricted stock units, as applicable, subject to the achievement of the applicable performance conditions and shall be otherwise subject to the same terms and conditions applicable to the award.

Deferred Stock Awards

A deferred stock award is the right to receive shares of common stock at the end of a specified deferral period determined by the committee or elected by the participant pursuant to rules set by the committee. The committee may determine that the right to the award vests based on continued service to us and/or on the achievement of specific performance goals established by the committee. The committee determines the vesting schedule of deferred stock awards, subject to the minimum vesting requirements described above.

The participant may defer receipt of the shares beyond vesting (for instance, until termination of employment or other specified time). Deferred stock awards may allow participants to defer income tax until the receipt of the shares. Refer to the questions and answers below dealing with tax consequences of deferred stock awards.

The committee will determine the number of shares of deferred stock awards granted to any participant, but no participant may be granted more than an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares covered by awards of deferred stock awards, restricted stock or restricted stock units during any calendar year.

Further Deferring Shares Covered by a Deferred Stock Award

If the committee permits it, a participant may elect to further defer receipt of the shares payable under a deferred stock award for an additional specified period or until a specified event, if the election is made in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A.

Performance Goals

At the committee’s discretion, one or more of the following performance goals may apply: (i) revenue (on an absolute basis or adjusted for currency effects); (ii) cash flow (including operating cash flow or free cash flow); (iii) cash position; (iv) earnings (which may include earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before taxes, net earnings or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization); (v) earnings per share; (vi) gross margin; (vii) net income; (viii) operating expenses or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue; (ix) operating income or net operating income; (x) return on assets or net assets; (xi) return on equity; (xii) return on sales; (xiii) total stockholder return; (xiv) stock price; (xv) growth in stockholder value relative to the moving average of the S&P 500 Index, or another index; (xvi) return on capital; (xvii) return on investment; (xviii) economic value added; (xix) operating margin; (xx) market share; (xxi) overhead or other expense reduction; (xxii) credit rating; (xxiii) objective customer indicators; (xxiv) improvements in productivity; (xxv) attainment of objective operating goals; (xxvi) objective employee metrics; (xxvii) return ratios; (xxviii) profit; or (xxix) other objective financial metrics relating to the progress of the company or to a subsidiary, division or department of the company.

These performance goals may apply to either the company as a whole or, except with respect to stockholder return metrics, to a region, business unit, affiliate or business segment, or on an individual basis. The goals may be measured on an absolute basis, aper-share basis or relative to apre-established target, to a previous period’s results or to a designated comparison group, in each case as specified by the committee. The performance goals may differ from participant to participant and from award to award. Financial performance measures may be determined in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP, in accordance with accounting standards established by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IASB Standards, or may be adjusted by our committee when established to exclude or include any items otherwise includable or excludable, respectively, under GAAP or under IASB Standards.

Consequences of Changes in our Capital Structure

If we experience a change in our capital structure as a result of a stock dividend, reorganization, merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, recapitalization, reclassification, extraordinary cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, or other similar transaction, our outstanding shares are increased or decreased or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the company, or additional shares or new or different shares or other securities of the company or othernon-cash assets are distributed with respect to such shares or securities, subject to the constraints of applicable law, the committee will make an appropriate or proportionate adjustment to (i) the maximum number of shares available for issuance under the Amended Incentive Plan, (ii) the per person limits on awards, (iii) the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards, and (iv) the exercise price of outstanding stock option or stock appreciation right awards.

Consequences of a Merger or Similar Transaction

In the event that we (i) consummate a merger or consolidation with another corporation, (ii) sell all or substantially all of our assets, (iii) reorganize, (iv) liquidate, or (v) dissolve, the Board may, in its discretion, provide that outstanding awards will be assumed or substituted for by the successor corporation or provide that all outstanding awards will terminate and accelerate vesting immediately prior to the consummation of the transaction. In the event of the acceleration (which will not be automatic and require the exercise of discretion by the Board) and termination of awards in lieu of assumption or substitution, awards other than options and stock appreciation rights will be settled in kind in an amount determined by the committee after taking into consideration the amount per share received by stockholders in the transaction (that is, the transaction price). Under such circumstances, options and stock appreciation rights will be settled in kind in an amount per share equal to the transaction price minus the aggregate exercise price of such options or stock appreciation rights.

Transferability of Awards

Incentive stock options are not transferable, other than by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution. To the extent approved by the committee in accordance with the terms of the Amended Incentive Plan, other awards (including nonqualified stock options) granted under the Amended Incentive Plan that are vested are transferable, but only for no consideration, to family members or to trusts for the benefit of such family members or to such other permitted transferees to the extent covered under a FormS-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Federal Tax Consequences to Participants as a Result of Receiving an Award under the Incentive Plan

The following paragraphs are a summary of the general federal income tax consequences to U.S. taxpayers resulting from awards granted under the Amended Incentive Plan. Tax consequences for any particular individual may be different.

Nonqualified Stock Options

No taxable income generally is reportable when a nonqualified stock option is granted to a participant. Upon exercise, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the purchased shares on the exercise date and the exercise price of the option. Any additional gain or loss recognized upon any later disposition of the shares would be a capital gain or loss. As a result of Section 409A, however, nonqualified stock options granted with an exercise price below the fair market value of the underlying stock may be taxable to participants before exercise of an award, and may be subject to additional taxes under Section 409A and comparable state laws.

Incentive Stock Options

No taxable income is reportable when an incentive stock option is granted or exercised, unless the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, rules apply, in which case AMT taxation will occur in the year of exercise. If the participant exercises the option and then later sells or otherwise disposes of the shares more than two years after

the grant date and more than one year after the exercise date, the difference between the sale price and the exercise price will be taxed as a capital gain or loss. If the participant exercises the option and then later sells or otherwise disposes of the shares before the end of the two or one year holding periods described above, the participant generally will have ordinary income at the time of the sale equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the exercise date, or the sale price, if less, and the exercise price of the option. Any additional gain or loss generally will be taxable at long-term or short-term capital gain rates, depending on whether the participant has held the shares for more than one year.

Restricted Stock

A participant will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of restricted stock unless the participant elects to be taxed at that time. Instead, a participant generally will recognize ordinary income at the time of vesting equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the vesting date and the amount, if any, paid for the shares. However, the recipient of a restricted stock award may elect, through a filing with the Internal Revenue Service, to recognize income at the time he or she receives the award in an amount equal to the fair market value of the shares underlying the award (less any cash paid for the shares) on the date the award is granted.

Restricted Stock Units

A participant generally will not recognize taxable income upon grant of restricted stock units. Instead, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income at the time the restricted stock units are settled equal to the fair market value of the shares on the settlement date less the amount, if any, paid for the shares.

Stock Appreciation Rights

A participant generally will not recognize taxable income upon the grant of a stock appreciation right. Upon exercise, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the exercised shares on the exercise date and the corresponding exercise price of the stock appreciation right. Any additional gain or loss recognized upon any later disposition of the shares would be a capital gain or loss. As a result of Section 409A, however, stock appreciation rights granted with an exercise price below the fair market value of the underlying stock may be taxable to the participant before exercise of an award, and may be subject to additional taxes under Section 409A and comparable state laws.

Dividend Equivalents

A participant generally will recognize ordinary income each time a payment is made or shares are received pursuant to the dividend equivalent equal to the fair market value of the payment made or shares received. If the dividend equivalents are deferred, additional requirements must be met to ensure that the dividend equivalents are taxable upon deferred receipt of cash or shares.

Deferred Stock Awards

A participant generally will not have taxable income upon the grant of a deferred stock award. Instead, a participant generally will recognize ordinary income at the time of the receipt of the shares subject to the award equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares at the time of receipt and the amount, if any, paid for the shares. However, an employee participant will be subject to employment taxes (FICA and, where applicable, state disability insurance taxes) at the time a deferred stock award vests, even if the participant has not yet received the shares subject to the award. We do not guarantee the federal or state income tax treatment of the deferred amounts. If the Internal Revenue Service successfully asserts that the deferral was ineffective, the recipient could be liable for taxes, interest and penalties. In addition, the recipient could be liable for additional taxes, penalties and interest as a result of Section 409A and/or comparable state laws.

Tax Effects as a Result of Grants of Awards under the Incentive Plan

We generally will be entitled to a tax deduction in connection with the vesting, settlement or exercise of an award under the Amended Incentive Plan in an amount equal to the ordinary income realized by a participant at the time the participant recognizes such income, such as when a participant exercises a nonqualified stock option. Special rules limit the deductibility of compensation paid to our certain executive officers. Under Section 162(m), the annual compensation paid to any of these executive officers will be deductible only to the extent that such compensation does not exceed $1,000,000 unless such excess compensation satisfies the performance-based compensation exemption. In past years, including fiscal 2017, we have generally designed our performance-based equity awards to maintain federal tax deductibility for executive compensation under Section 162(m). However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in December 2017, repealed the performance-based compensation exemption with respect to tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 other than with respect to written binding arrangements in place on November 2, 2017 that are not later materially modified. While we intend for our performance-based equity awards granted prior to November 2, 2017 to qualify for exemption under Section 162(m), we cannot guarantee that such awards will in fact qualify given the fact-based nature of the performance-based compensation exemption under Section 162(m) and the limited availability of binding guidance thereunder.

Amendment and Termination of Amended Incentive Plan

The Board generally may amend or terminate the Amended Incentive Plan at any time and for any reason, subject to participant consent in certain circumstances. Amendments will be contingent on stockholder approval if required by applicable law, stock exchange listing requirements or if so determined by the Board. By its terms, the Amended Incentive Plan will automatically terminate on March 25, 2025, unless its term is extended or it is earlier terminated by the Board. In addition, as mentioned above and subject to limited exceptions, the committee may not reduce the exercise price of stock options or stock appreciation rights, including cancelling an existing stock option or stock appreciation right having an exercise price that exceeds the fair market value of the underlying stock in exchange for a new award (including a stock option or stock appreciation right), cash, other consideration, or a combination thereof, without prior consent from our stockholders.

Recoupment of Awards

In the event of a restatement of incorrect financial results, the committee will review all cash and equity awards that, in whole or in part, were granted or paid to, or earned by, executive officers (within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act) of the Company based on performance during the financial period subject to such restatement. If any award would have been lower or would not have vested, been earned or been granted based on such restated financial results, the committee may, if it determines appropriate in its sole discretion and to the extent permitted by governing law, (a) cancel such award, in whole or in part, whether or not vested, earned or payable and/or (b) require the award holder to repay to the company an amount equal to all or any portion of the value from the grant, vesting or payment of the award that would not have been realized or accrued based on the restated financial results.

New Plan Benefits

The Amended Incentive Plan does not provide for set benefits or amounts of awards, and we have not approved any awards that are conditioned on stockholder approval of the Amended Incentive Plan. However, as discussed in further detail in the section entitled “Director Compensation” below, each of our currentnon-employee directors will be entitled to receive restricted stock units under the Amended Incentive Plan on the date of our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The following table summarizes the restricted stock unit grants that our currentnon-employee directors as a group will receive if they remain a director following the 2018 Annual Meeting and highlights the fact that none of our executive officers (including our named executive officers) or employees will receive any set benefits or awards that are conditioned upon stockholder approval of the

Amended Incentive Plan. All other future awards to directors, executive officers, employees and consultants of the company under the Amended Incentive Plan are discretionary and cannot be determined at this time.

Historical Plan Benefits

The following table sets forth, for each of the individuals and groups indicated, the total number of shares of our common stock subject to stock awards that have been granted (even if not currently outstanding) under the Incentive Plan, since it originally became effective through April 2, 2018.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table provides information regarding securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans as of January 28, 2018.

Recommendation that the 2001 Long-Term Incentive Plan be Amended and Restated

We believe that the Amended Incentive Plan and the approval of its material terms are essential to our continued success. Our employees are our most valuable asset. Equity awards such as those provided under the Amended Incentive Plan will substantially assist us in continuing to attract and retain employees andnon-employee directors in the extremely competitive labor markets in which we compete. Such awards also are crucial to our ability to motivate employees to achieve our goals. We will benefit from increased stock ownership by selected executives, other employees andnon-employee directors. The increase in the reserve of common stock available under the Amended Incentive Plan will enable us to continue to grant such awards to executives, other eligible employees and ournon-employee directors. If our stockholders do not approve this Proposal Two, the Amended Incentive Plan and the share increase and other amendments described above will not become effective.

Required Vote for this Proposal

To approve this proposal, a majority of voting power entitled to vote thereon, present in person or represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting must vote “FOR” this proposal.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE 2001 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN.

PROPOSAL 3

ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

This is a proposal asking stockholders to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or the “Dodd-Frank Act,” and the applicable SEC rules. This proposal is commonly known as a “Say on Pay” proposal, and gives our stockholders the opportunity to express their views on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers.

Compensation Program and Philosophy

As described in detail under the heading “Executive Compensation,” our executive officer compensation program is constructed to attract, retain and motivate a highly qualified personnel inexecutive team to support of our primary objective of creating long-term value for stockholders, while maintaining direct links between executive pay, individual performance, the company’s financial performance and stockholder returns. A significant portion of individual compensation is directly dependent on the company’s achievement of financial goals, which we believe aligns executive interests with stockholder interests and encourages long-term stockholder returns. Further in alignment with stockholder interests, each of our Named Executive Officers is subject to a stock ownership requirement. The Chief Executive Officer is required to hold five times her base salary, and each of the other Named Executive Officers is required to hold two times his or her base salary in shares of common stock.

Fiscal 20162017 Compensation Summary

To align our executive compensation packages with our executive compensation philosophy, the following compensation decisions were made by the Compensation Committee for fiscal 2016:2017.

In addition to the above summary, stockholders are encouraged to read the “Executive Compensation” section of this Proxy Statement for details about our executive compensation programs, including information about the fiscal 20162017 compensation of our Named Executive Officers.

We are asking our stockholders to indicate their support for our Named Executive Officer compensation as described in this Proxy Statement. This vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our Named Executive Officers and the philosophy, policies and practices described in this Proxy Statement. Accordingly, we ask our stockholders to vote “FOR” the following resolution at the 20172018 Annual Meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the company’s stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Named Executive Officers, as disclosed in the company’s Proxy Statement for the 20172018 Annual Meeting of

Stockholders pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Executive Compensation, the tabular disclosure regarding such compensation and the accompanying narrative disclosure.”

Required Vote for this Proposal

To approve this proposal, a majority of voting power entitled to vote thereon, present in person or represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting must vote “FOR” this proposal.

This Say on Pay vote is advisory, and therefore not binding on the company, the Compensation Committee or our Board. Our Board and our Compensation Committee value the opinions of our stockholders and to the extent there is any significant vote against the Named Executive Officer compensation as disclosed in this Proxy Statement, we will consider our stockholders’ concerns and the Compensation Committee will evaluate whether any actions are necessary to address those concerns.

Under the rules of the NYSE, brokers are prohibited from giving proxies to vote on executive compensation matters unless the beneficial owner of such shares has given voting instructions on the matter. This means that if your broker is the record holder of your shares, you must give voting instructions to your broker with respect to Proposal 23 if you want your broker to vote your shares on the matter.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AS DESCRIBED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO THE COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE RULES OF THE SEC.

PROPOSAL 4

RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

This is a proposal asking stockholders to ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP, or Deloitte, as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2018.February 3, 2019. The Audit and Finance Committee selected Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 28, 2018,February 3, 2019, subject to ratification by our stockholders. Although stockholder ratification of our independent registered public accounting firm is not required by law, as a matter of corporate governance, we are requesting that our stockholders ratify such selection.

A Deloitte representative will be present at the Annual Meeting, and will have the opportunity to make a statement and to respond to appropriate questions.

Deloitte Fees and Services

Deloitte has audited our financial statements for the last 3738 years. Based in part upon information provided by Deloitte, the Audit and Finance Committee determined that Deloitte is independent under applicable independence standards. The Audit and Finance Committee has reviewed and discussed the fees billed by Deloitte for services in fiscal 2016,2017, as detailed below, and determined that the provision ofnon-audit services was compatible with Deloitte’s independence.

Deloitte provided the company with the following services:

Audit Fees

Deloitte billed approximately $2,392,000 for fiscal 2017 and $2,142,000 for fiscal 2016 and $2,021,000 for fiscal 2015 for professional services to (i) audit our consolidated financial statements and perform an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting included in our Annual Report onForm 10-K, (ii) review our condensed consolidated financial statements included in our quarterly reports onForm 10-Q, (iii) audit our 401(k) plan, and (iv) audit our statutory reports for our global entities.

Tax Fees

Deloitte billed a total of approximately $55,000 for fiscal 2017 related to tax consultation services and $100,000 for fiscal 2016 and $110,000 for fiscal 2015 for tax services. Tax services included approximately: (i) $100,000 for fiscal 2016 and $96,000 for fiscal 2015 forrelated to tax compliance services, which included consultation for the preparation of our federal state and local tax returns; and (ii) $14,000 for fiscal 2015 for tax consulting services.return.

All Other Fees

Deloitte billed a total of approximately $11,000 for fiscal 2017 and $32,000 for fiscal 2016 and $30,000 for fiscal 2015 for all other fees. All other fees consisted of sustainability consulting fees and license fees related to the use of Deloitte’s online accounting research tool.

During fiscal 20162017 and 2015,2016, Deloitte did not perform any prohibitednon-audit services or audit-related services for us.

Pre-Approval Policy

All services performed by Deloitte, whether audit ornon-audit services, must bepre-approved by the Audit and Finance Committee or a designated member of the Audit and Finance Committee, whose decisions must be reported to the Audit and Finance Committee at its next meeting.Pre-approval cannot be obtained more than one

year before performance begins and can be for general classes of permitted services such as annual audit services or tax consulting services. All fees paid to Deloitte for fiscal 20162017 and fiscal 20152016 werepre-approved by the Audit and Finance Committee.

Required Vote for this Proposal

To approve this proposal, a majority of voting power entitled to vote thereon, present in person or represented by proxy, at the Annual Meeting must vote “FOR” this proposal.

If stockholders vote against this proposal, the Audit and Finance Committee will consider interviewing other independent registered public accounting firms. There can be no assurance, however, that it will choose to appoint another independent registered public accounting firm if this proposal is not approved.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE SELECTION OF DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JANUARY 28, 2018.

PROPOSAL 5

AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF BYLAWS

TO PROVIDE FOR PROXY ACCESS

Our Board of Directors recommends that you vote “FOR” this proposal (Proposal 5) and “AGAINST” the stockholder’s proxy access proposal (Proposal 6). We believe this Proposal 5 is in the best interests of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and its stockholders.

Brief Overview of the Board Proposal

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is committed to acting in the best interests of our stockholders and to sound corporate governance guidelines and practices. The Board believes that eligible stockholders should be able to use the company’s proxy materials to include their director candidates for election to the Board, and consequently the Board recommends stockholders vote “FOR” the proxy access bylaw (the “Bylaw”) set forth in Exhibit A, which is based on the clear market standard of “3/3/20/20.” Approximately 85% of the companies that have adopted proxy access to date have used this market standard, which allows:

To prevent abuse by investors who hold a small amount of stock, who do not have a meaningful long-term interest in the company, or who want to further special interests, and

During fiscal 2016,2017, we discussed the following other matters, among other things, with Deloitte:

The Audit and Finance Committee hereby reports as follows:*

(1) The Audit and Finance Committee has reviewed and discussed the company’s audited financial statements with management and Deloitte;

(2) The Audit and Finance Committee has discussed with Deloitte the matters required by PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 1301,Communications with Audit Committees;

(3) The Audit and Finance Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from Deloitte required by the applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding Deloitte’s communications with the Audit and Finance Committee concerning independence and has discussed with Deloitte its independence; and

Based on the review and discussions referred to in items (1) through (3) above, the Audit and Finance Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for fiscal 20162017 for filing with the SEC.

AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adrian T. Dillon,Sabrina Simmons, Chair

Ted W. HallRobert Lord

Sabrina SimmonsGrace Puma

Christiana Smith Shi

INFORMATION CONCERNING EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following table provides certain information about our executive officers as of April 3, 2017.2, 2018. Our executive officers are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of our Board, subject to rights, if any, under employment contracts.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes our compensation program, the compensation decisions we made under our program, and the reasoning underlying those decisions. This discussion and analysis focuses on the compensation of our “Named Executive Officers,” who in fiscal 20162017 were:

Sandra N. StanglJames Brett resigned as President, Pottery Barn BrandsWest Elm Brand effective March 15,June 5, 2017.

Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Executive Summary

Our compensation decisions begin with the objective of paying for performance. For fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee took the following steps in support of the Company’scompany’s executive pay for performance philosophy.pay-for-performance philosophy:

Further, the Compensation Committee added the following components beginning in fiscal 2018 to further support the company’spay-for-performance philosophy and to align with compensation governance best practices:

Fiscal 2017 Performance Highlights

Fiscal 2017 was another year of solid performance for our company, driven by growth in both e-commerce and retail revenues over last year. Fiscal 2017 financial achievements included:

In addition to actual results,absolute year-over-year performance, sustained company performance against our peers and retail industry is reviewed and considered when making compensation decisions and to confirm that the compensation program has been effective in incenting and linking performance with appropriate rewards. According to Standard & Poor’sCapital IQ, when comparing our three-year performance against our peer group across Return on Equity, Return on Assets, Return on Invested Capital, and Net Income metrics, we performed at the 71^st percentile.

We also consider how our performance results were achieved. Our company values guide the way we think about and approach our business, and we measure executive performance with respect to these values as we make compensation decisions. This assessment is reflected in the compensation recommendations that our Chief Executive Officer makes to the Compensation Committee with respect to the other Named Executive Officers and the Compensation Committee’s decisions with respect to the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer.

Our Values

Everything we do revolves around our mission to enhance our customers’ lives at home. We are committed to quality and service, and delivering an inspiring retail experience. Our core values include:

People First

We believe that our company has no limit and is driven by our associates and their imagination. We are committed to an environment that attracts, motivates and recognizes high performance.

Customers

We are here to please our customers – without them, nothing else matters.

Quality

We take pride in everything we do. From our people to our products, and in our relationships with business partners and our community, quality is our signature.

Stockholders

We are committed to providing a superior return to our stockholders. It’s everyone’s job.

Integrity

We do business with the highest level of integrity. Every day, in everything we do.

Corporate Responsibility

We will build sustainability into every corner of our enterprise so that our continued financial success will enhance the lives of our many stakeholders, the communities where we have a business presence and the natural environment upon which we rely.

Fiscal 2016 Performance Highlights

Fiscal 2016 was a year of solid performance for our company, and we experienced growth in both net revenues and earnings per share despite a challenging retail environment. Our overall growth was driven by our highly profitable e-commerce business, which expanded to almost 52% of our total revenues. Fiscal 2016 financial achievements included:

Our Compensation Program Aligns and Advances Executive and Stockholder Interests

Our compensation program is constructed to attract, motivate and retain exceptional executives in support of our primary objective to create long-term value for stockholders. Fundamentally, we believe that earnings and earnings per share, or EPS, are the measures most closely aligned withprimary drivers of long-term stockholder value creation and, as such, each executive’s bonus payout and PSUs areis dependent on the company’s achievement of earnings based goals.an EPS goal.

The chart below illustrates the year over yearyear-over-year increases of our target EPS goal under our 2001 Incentive Bonus Plan, as well as the EPS level at which our actual EPS.annual bonus plan funded for that year. Our performance goal is consistently set higher than both the previous year’s target and actual EPS performance.

Similarly, our stock ownership guidelines and time-based equity compensation encouragealign our executives to deliver long-termexecutives’ interests and experience directly with our stockholders’ interests, and emphasize the objective of sustained growth in our stock price.price over the long term. The Chief Executive Officer is required to hold five times her base salary, and each of the other Named Executive Officers is required to hold two times his or her base salary in shares of common stock. We believe this dual focus on earnings growth and long-term stock price appreciation appropriately aligns executive and stockholder interests. When we exceed targeted performance levels and/or our stock price appreciates, our executives’ realized compensation is substantially increased. When we do not achieve targeted performance levels, or when the stock price decreases, our executives’ actual earned compensation is significantly reduced.

The charts below summarize our EPS growth and total stockholder return (TSR) over the past five years, and compare our five-year cumulative TSR to our proxy peer group companies and certain market indices. These

returns assume an initial investment of $100 and reinvestment of dividends. Company performance against our peers and retail industry is reviewed and considered when making compensation decisions, and to confirm that the compensation program has been effective in incenting and linking performance with appropriate rewards.

Stockholders Supported Our Compensation Program in 2016Alignment of Pay and Performance

Our stockholders express their views on ourexecutive compensation program and compensation decisions annually by casting votes in favor of or against our annual Say on Pay proposal. At the 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, over 99%is designed to align real pay delivery with performance. Ninety percent of the votes cast were in favor of our Say on Pay proposal. The Compensation Committee considered this advisory vote in determining whether our stockholders continue to support our compensation policies and our compensation decisions, and concluded that it demonstrates continued support.

Overview of 2016 Compensation Decisions

In fiscal 2016, we continued to advance our business and strategic objectives. Our compensation decisions for fiscal 2016 were intended to reward the achievements of fiscal 2016, drive strong performance in fiscal 2017, provide incentives for long-term growth, and retain our key executives. These decisions included:

We believe our fiscal 2016 long-term incentive structure provides an appropriate mix of retention for our topChief Executive Officer and an average of 86% of the compensation for our other named executive talentofficers is dependent on performance under our short and at-risk incentive to drive long-term performance.incentive-based programs.

The charts below illustrate the proportion of each element of our Named Executive Officers’ and our Chief Executive Officer’s fiscal 20162017 compensation as reported in the Summary Compensation Table on page 51.56.

OverviewAs shown above, 69% of the compensation for the Chief Executive Officer Compensation

Since becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2010, Ms. Alber’s leadershipand 72% of the company has driven year-over-year gainscompensation for the other Named Executive Officers is delivered through long-term incentives, both in revenuethe form of time-based restricted stock units and EPS. The compensationperformance-based restricted stock units, such that a significant portion of our Chief Executive Officer is designed tothe realizable pay for performance; 90% of Ms. Alber’s total compensation opportunity for fiscal 2016 was comprised of variable incentive-based compensation, which aligns with and advances stockholders’ interests. Listed below are the main elements of pay and a summary of the Compensation Committee’s decisions relatedeach executive is tied directly to the compensationcompany stock price and the achievement of our Chief Executive Officer for fiscal 2016.

•

Long-Term Incentives.We granted long-term incentive awards of 82,088 RSUs with a one-year performance-based vesting requirement and a time-based vesting schedule of 25% per year over a four-year period. Additionally, we granted 82,088 PSUs at target payout subject to a cumulative three-year earnings goal and a three-year cliff vesting schedule.

Compensation Governance

We maintain compensation practices that are aligned with prevalent and sustainable corporate governance principles intended to encourage actions that are in the long-term interests of stockholders and the company, and discourage actions such as excessive risk-taking and other actions contrary to the long-term interests of stockholders. Below, we highlight key elements of our compensation governance.

Compensation Practices We Follow

In response, the Compensation Committee made the following changes beginning in fiscal 2018 to our executive compensation program:

Compensation Practices We Do Not Follow

Roles in Determining Executive Compensation

The Compensation Committee makes compensation decisions related to the compensation of the Named Executive Officers with the input and recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer (other than with respect to her own compensation). Management provides the Compensation Committee with analyses and recommendations developed internally with the Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee reviews these materials with its compensation consultant and considers the consultant’s advice as part of its decision-making process, including the consultant’s advice regarding the selection of appropriate peers for inclusion in the company’s proxy peer group. With respect to the Chief Executive Officer’s base salary, the Compensation Committee makes a recommendation to the independent members of the Board of Directors, and all independent Directors determine any base salary adjustments for the Chief Executive Officer.

Role of Compensation Committee

Each year, the Compensation Committee determines appropriate business targets for the fiscal year and evaluates executives’ performance against those targets. As the Compensation Committee structures the executive compensation program, it considers the accounting and tax implications of each compensation element, as well as stockholder dilution in the case of equity awards. The Compensation Committee updates the Board of

Directors regarding compensation decisions for executives and for the Chief Executive Officer, with the exception of adjustments to her base salary, which are determined by the independent members of the Board, as described above. The Compensation Committee’s role is further detailed in the Compensation Committee Charter, which is available on the company’s website atir.williams-sonomainc.com/governance.

In making compensation decisions, the Compensation Committee reviews each executive’s past and current compensation and analyzes each of the following:

Role of Our Chief Executive Officer and Management

The Chief Executive Officer is present at Compensation Committee meetings (except when her own compensation is being deliberated and established) and makes recommendations regarding the compensation program in general and each executive’s compensation specifically. Her recommendations are made in the context of peer group and other relevant data, and are based on a quantitative analysis and comparison of each executive’s performance against fiscal year business and strategic objectives and her qualitative evaluation of each executive’s contributions to the company’s long-term objectives. Further, she provides input on each

executive’s respective responsibilities and growth potential, as well as their equity position and potential for wealth accumulation. Other members of management are also present at portions of Compensation Committee meetings to provide background information regarding the company’s business and strategic objectives.

Role of Independent Compensation Committee Consultant

Frederic W.F.W. Cook & Co., or Cook & Co., is the independent executive compensation consultant for the Compensation Committee. F.W. Cook & Co. provides services only as directed by the Compensation Committee and has no other relationship with the company. The Compensation Committee has reviewed its relationship with F.W. Cook & Co. and has identified no conflicts of interest.

In fiscal 2016,2017, F.W. Cook & Co. provided the Compensation Committee with publicly disclosed proxy data related to Named Executive Officer compensation. The Compensation Committee occasionally requests that F.W. Cook & Co. attend its meetings and receives from F.W. Cook, & Co., on an annual basis, anin-depth update on general and retail industry compensation trends and developments.

In addition, in fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee asked F.W. Cook & Co. to evaluate the risk inherent in our executive andnon-executive compensation programs. Their report concluded that, among other things:

After considering this evaluation, the Compensation Committee concluded that our compensation programs do not encourage executives to take on business and operating risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the company.

Role of Market Data

The Compensation Committee, the Chief Executive Officer and management believe that knowledge of general market practices and the specific compensation practices of our proxy peer group, listed below, is important in assessing the design and competitiveness of our compensation package. When market data is reviewed, it is considered as a reference point, rather than a fixed policy, for compensation positioning and decision-making. We do not set compensation to meet specific benchmarks or percentiles. For fiscal 2016, our executives’ target total direct compensation is at or above the 75^th percentile of our proxy peer group. When target total direct compensation was set at the beginning of fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee confirmed the resulting competitive positioning was appropriate for our executiveseach executive given ourtheir individual experience, complexity of role, business unit performance, and the company’s consistently strong operating performance and sustained revenue and earnings growth in recent years. In addition, the Compensation Committee determined that setting total direct compensation at this level is appropriate given the executives’ continued strong performance and valuable experience operating in our complex multi-channel business model.

Our Proxy Peer Group

The Compensation Committee uses a peer group composed of public companies in the retail industry to review competitive compensation data for the company’s executives. The Compensation Committee evaluates this proxy peer group on an annual basis to ensure that the companies selected remain appropriate. The proxy peer group for fiscal 20162017 was selected by the Compensation Committee based on the guiding criteria described below, with advice from Cook & Co.F.W. Cook. Certain proxy peer companies may not meet all selection criteria, but are included

because they are direct competitors of our business, direct competitors for our executive talent, have a comparable business model, or for other reasons. The proxy peer group guiding criteria for fiscal 20162017 was as follows:

Our Fiscal 20162017 Proxy Peer Group

For fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee reviewed the proxy peer group guiding criteria against our current revenues and market capitalization. In addition, the Compensation Committee considered compensation peer companies used by proxy advisory firms, other majore-retailers, and other major retailers with sustained positive total stockholder return. Upon completion of its review, the Compensation Committee made the followingdid not make any changes to the proxy peer group for fiscal 2016.2017.

For fiscal 2016,2017, our proxy peer group consisted of the following 15 public companies:

The following table provided by F.W. Cook, & Co., based on publicly available information as of April 3, 2017,2, 2018, provides a financial overview of the proxy peer group companies in order to compare their revenues, net income, and market capitalization as a group relative to the company.

Overview of Chief Executive Officer Compensation

Ms. Alber’s incentive based compensation for fiscal 2017 was determined based on achievement of company financial performance, as highlighted above in “Fiscal 2017 Performance Highlights,” and her leadership accomplishments, which included:

Ninety percent of Ms. Alber’s total compensation opportunity for fiscal 2017 is comprised of variable incentive-based compensation, which aligns with and rewards advancing stockholders’ interests. Ms. Alber’s realized pay is also impacted by whether the aggressive performance targets established in the PSU program are achieved. For example, the PSUs awarded in 2014 and 2015 did not meet the threshold earnings growth goals and therefore did not vest. This resulted in a total forfeiture of approximately 45% of the target total compensation opportunity awarded to Ms. Alber in 2014 and 2015.

Components of Our Compensation Program, 20162017 Decisions and the Decision-Making Process

Our compensation program for our Named Executive Officers is made up of the four components listed below, which are designed to create long-term value for stockholders and to attract, motivate and retain outstanding executives.

Base Salary

In March 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee reviewed and set the fiscal 20162017 base salaries of our Named Executive Officers, other than Mr. Bellos and Ms. Benson, based on overall company performance and performance relative to our proxy peer companies, an analysis of each executive’s position relative to executives in our proxy peer group, other market data, each executive’s experience (as well as past, current and anticipated contributions to the company’s success), and the Chief Executive Officer’s recommendations (other than with respect to her own base salary). Following this review, the base salaries for each of oursuch Named Executive Officers, remained unchanged.other than the Chief Executive Officer, were increased.

Base salaries for Mr. Bellos and Ms. Benson were determined as part of their respective promotions. In determining their base salaries, the Compensation Committee reviewed market data for similar roles with reference to their current compensation and their respective increased duties and responsibilities.

In executive session at a meeting in March 2016,2017, without the Chief Executive Officer present, the Compensation Committee reviewed Ms. Alber’s base salary. The Compensation Committee concluded that Ms. Alber’s base salary would remain unchanged for fiscal 2016.2017.

The following table shows the fiscal 20152016 and fiscal 20162017 base salaries for ourthe Named Executive Officers.

At the beginning of each fiscal year, the Compensation Committee reviews and establishes individual bonus targets for each Named Executive Officer and threshold, target and maximum EPS goals under the Bonus Plan which determine the funding pool from which executive bonuses are paid.

In addition, the Compensation Committee sets a primary performance goal that must be achieved, which establishes the maximum bonus payable under the Bonus Plan to each Named Executive Officer subject to the Compensation Committee’s discretion to reduce such amount. For fiscal 2016,2017, this goal was positive net cash flow provided by operating activities as reported inprovided on the company’s consolidated statements of cash flows. This

primary goal was met in fiscal 2016,2017, and the Compensation Committee used negative discretion to determine the actual payout to each Named Executive Officer based on achievement of the EPS goal and each individual’s performance, as described below.

Fiscal 20162017 Bonus Targets

At a meeting held in March 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee reviewed the bonus targets under the Bonus Plan for each Named Executive Officer.Officer, other than Mr. Bellos and Ms. Benson. The Compensation Committee considered the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer, which were informed by the following factors:

The target bonuses as a percentage of base salary under the Bonus Plan remained unchanged for fiscal 2016.2017.

In executive session at a meeting in March 2016,2017, without the Chief Executive Officer present, the Compensation Committee reviewed Ms. Alber’s bonus target and concluded that her bonus target would remain unchanged for fiscal 20162017 as her target total cash compensation iswas properly positioned.positioned and commensurate with her current duties and responsibilities.

The bonus targets for Mr. Bellos and Ms. Benson were established by the Compensation Committee as part of their respective promotions, informed by the same factors listed above for the other Named Executive Officers.

The target bonuses as a percentage of base salary under the Bonus Plan for fiscal 20152016 and fiscal 20162017 are listed below for each Named Executive Officer.

unusual items and the effect of changes in accounting principles).principles from GAAP EPS for fiscal 2017. The bonus pool was funded at $3.61, which was at 95% of target. The target performance goal required significant improvement over fiscal 20152016 results. The threshold goal also required an overall increase in annual EPS over fiscal 2015 results. For fiscal 2016 we achieved performance below target but above threshold resulting in a lower bonus payoutresults for bonuses to Ms. Alber. Bonus amounts for Ms. Whalen, Ms. Hayes and Mr. Brett reflect performance against individual and business unit goals. Ms. Stangl did not earn a bonus for fiscal 2016 as she was not employed on the date that bonuses werebe paid as provided under the Bonus Plan.Plan in fiscal 2017.

Individual Bonus Objectives

In addition toOnce the bonus pool has been funded based on EPS results,performance under the Bonus Plan, individual performance is assessed in order to determine the payout of bonuses.bonuses from the pool. The Compensation Committee believes that the achievement of individual objectives is critical to the overall success of the company and, as such, bonuses are paid, in part, to reflect individual achievement. For example, if an executive fails to fully meet some or all individual objectives, the executive’s bonus may be significantly reduced

or even eliminated. Conversely, if the objectives are overachieved, awards may be subject to less or no reduction from the maximum amount payable to the executive based on our achievement of the primary positive net cash flow goal described above.

The Compensation Committee decides the bonus amount, if any, for the Chief Executive Officer in an executive session in which the Chief Executive Officer is not present. In March 2017,2018, the Compensation Committee reviewed the fiscal 20162017 performance of each Named Executive Officer and considered the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer for Named Executive Officers other than herself. For fiscal 2016,2017, the Compensation Committee approved the bonus payments in the table below under the Bonus Plan for each Named Executive Officer, which were informed by the following factors: