Carter's (CRI) 10-Q 23 Oct 20 2020 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Oct. 16, 2020
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, par value $0.01 per share
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-3912933
Trading Symbol	CRI
Entity Registrant Name	CARTER’S, INC.
Entity Address, Address Line One	Phipps Tower
Entity Address, Address Line Two	3438 Peachtree Road NE
Entity Address, Address Line Three	Suite 1800
Entity Address, City or Town	Atlanta
Entity Address, State or Province	GA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	30326
City Area Code	678
Local Phone Number	791-1000
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Central Index Key	0001060822
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--01-02
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Period End Date	Sep. 26, 2020
Entity File Number	001-31829
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		43,647,576
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Security Exchange Name	NYSE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 831,175	$ 214,311	$ 153,936
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $7,675, $6,354, $4,591, respectively	263,231	251,005	293,203
Finished goods inventories, net of inventory reserves of $30,053, $9,283, and $19,583, respectively	646,608	593,987	723,242
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	56,493	48,454	53,264
Total current assets	1,797,507	1,107,757	1,223,645
Property, plant, and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $576,123, $523,848, and $504,833, respectively	274,574	320,168	330,371
Operating lease assets	619,057	687,024	709,523
Tradenames, net	307,955	334,642	334,705
Goodwill	209,507	229,026	228,235
Customer relationships, net	38,147	41,126	41,890
Other assets	34,874	33,374	31,211
Total assets	3,281,621	2,753,117	2,899,580
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	473,473	183,641	205,782
Current operating lease liabilities	172,364	160,228	158,524
Other current liabilities	115,069	131,631	119,862
Total current liabilities	760,906	475,500	484,168
Long-term debt, net	989,086	594,672	769,525
Deferred income taxes	60,160	74,370	78,916
Long-term operating lease liabilities	587,099	664,372	691,717
Other long-term liabilities	62,489	64,073	62,520
Total liabilities	2,459,740	1,872,987	2,086,846
Commitments and contingencies - Note 14
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock; par value $.01 per share; 100,000 shares authorized; none issued or outstanding at September 26, 2020, December 28, 2019, and September 28, 2019	0	0	0
Common stock, voting; par value $.01 per share; 150,000,000 shares authorized; 43,648,671, 43,963,103 and 44,287,636 shares issued and outstanding at September 26, 2020, December 28, 2019, and September 28, 2019, respectively	436	440	443
Additional paid-in capital	9,258	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(41,402)	(35,634)	(38,908)
Retained earnings	853,589	915,324	851,199
Total stockholders' equity	821,881	880,130	812,734
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 3,281,621	$ 2,753,117	$ 2,899,580

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for credit loss	$ 7,700	$ 6,400	$ 4,600
Inventory Valuation Reserves	30,053	9,283	19,583
Accumulated depreciation	$ 576,123	$ 523,848	$ 504,833
Preferred stock; par value (USD per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock; shares authorized	100,000	100,000	100,000
Preferred stock; issued	0	0	0
Preferred stock; outstanding	0	0	0
Common stock, voting; par value (USD per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, voting; shares authorized	150,000,000	150,000,000	150,000,000
Common stock voting; shares issued	43,648,671	43,963,103	44,287,636
Common stock voting; shares outstanding	43,648,671	43,963,103	44,287,636

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Net sales	$ 865,080	$ 943,322	$ 2,034,437	$ 2,418,764
Cost of goods sold	483,333	540,808	1,170,778	1,376,336
Adverse purchase commitments (inventory and raw materials), net	(1,968)	303	16,166	1,354
Gross profit	383,715	402,211	847,493	1,041,074
Selling, general, and administrative expenses	279,251	296,733	767,237	828,540
Goodwill impairment	0		17,742	0
Intangible asset impairment	0	30,800	26,500	30,800
Operating income	113,527	83,870	56,003	209,105
Interest expense	16,347	9,966	40,523	28,667
Interest income	(330)	(200)	(1,217)	(937)
Other (income) expense, net	(2,758)	483	2,647	474
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	7,823
Income before income taxes	100,268	73,621	14,050	173,078
Income tax provision	19,027	13,369	3,347	34,423
Net income	$ 81,241	$ 60,252	$ 10,703	$ 138,655
Basic net income per common share (USD per share)	$ 1.86	$ 1.35	$ 0.25	$ 3.08
Diluted net income per common share (USD per share)	1.85	1.34	0.24	3.06
Dividend declared per common share (USD per share)	$ 0	$ 0.50	$ 0.60	$ 1.50
International
Net sales	$ 113,795	$ 126,966	$ 242,545	$ 297,768
Goodwill impairment	0	0	17,742	0
Royalty income, net
Net sales	9,063	9,192	19,989	27,371
Royalty income, net | International
Net sales	$ 1,175	$ 910	$ 2,765	$ 2,632

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Jun. 27, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 81,241			$ 60,252			$ 10,703	$ 138,655
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	3,643			(2,347)			(5,768)	3,431
Comprehensive income	$ 84,884	$ 11,737	$ (91,686)	$ 57,905	$ 46,804	$ 37,377	$ 4,935	$ 142,086

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total	Common Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]
Balance at Dec. 29, 2018		$ 869,433	$ 456	$ 0	$ (40,839)	$ 909,816
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 29, 2018			45,629,014
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		4,780	$ 1	4,779	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			72,192
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(4,077)	$ 0	(4,077)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(43,844)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 2	(2)	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			182,722
Stock-based compensation expense		4,613	$ 0	4,613	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(39,966)	$ (5)	(5,313)	0	(34,648)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			(460,257)
Cash dividends declared and paid		(22,756)	$ 0	0	0	(22,756)
Comprehensive income		37,377	0	0	2,911	34,466
Reclassification of tax effects	[1]	0	0	0	(1,500)	1,500
Balance at Mar. 30, 2019		849,404	$ 454	0	(39,428)	888,378
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 30, 2019			45,379,827
Balance at Dec. 29, 2018		869,433	$ 456	0	(40,839)	909,816
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 29, 2018			45,629,014
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income		142,086
Balance at Sep. 28, 2019		$ 812,734	$ 443	0	(38,908)	851,199
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 28, 2019		44,287,636	44,287,636
Balance at Mar. 30, 2019		$ 849,404	$ 454	0	(39,428)	888,378
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 30, 2019			45,379,827
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		1,566	$ 0	1,566	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			26,264
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(49)	$ 0	(49)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(505)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 0	0	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			8,597
Stock-based compensation expense		5,194	$ 0	5,194	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(52,477)	$ (5)	(6,711)	0	(45,761)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			(545,620)
Cash dividends declared and paid		(22,545)	$ 0	0	0	(22,545)
Comprehensive income		46,804	0	0	2,867	43,937
Balance at Jun. 29, 2019		827,897	$ 449	0	(36,561)	864,009
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 29, 2019			44,868,563
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		535	$ 0	535	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			8,490
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(88)	$ 0	(88)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(1,013)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 0	0	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			13,639
Stock-based compensation expense		3,733	$ 0	3,733	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(55,021)	$ (6)	(4,180)	0	(50,835)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			(602,043)
Cash dividends declared and paid		(22,227)	$ 0	0	0	(22,227)
Comprehensive income		57,905	0	0	(2,347)	60,252
Balance at Sep. 28, 2019		$ 812,734	$ 443	0	(38,908)	851,199
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 28, 2019		44,287,636	44,287,636
Balance at Dec. 28, 2019		$ 880,130	$ 440	0	(35,634)	915,324
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 28, 2019		43,963,103	43,963,103
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		$ 1,840	$ 0	1,840	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			33,158
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(4,712)	$ 0	(4,712)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(43,611)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 1	(1)	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			132,759
Stock-based compensation expense		1,945	$ 0	1,945	0	0
Repurchase of common stock		(45,255)	$ (5)	928	0	(46,178)
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)			(474,684)
Cash dividends declared and paid		(26,260)	$ 0	0	0	(26,260)
Comprehensive income		(91,686)	0	0	(12,992)	(78,694)
Balance at Mar. 28, 2020		716,002	$ 436	0	(48,626)	764,192
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 28, 2020			43,610,725
Balance at Dec. 28, 2019		$ 880,130	$ 440	0	(35,634)	915,324
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 28, 2019		43,963,103	43,963,103
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income		$ 4,935
Balance at Sep. 26, 2020		$ 821,881	$ 436	9,258	(41,402)	853,589
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 26, 2020		43,648,671	43,648,671
Balance at Mar. 28, 2020		$ 716,002	$ 436	0	(48,626)	764,192
Balance (in shares) at Mar. 28, 2020			43,610,725
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		1,076	$ 0	1,076	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			14,180
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(77)	$ 0	(77)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(1,016)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 0	0	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			12,287
Stock-based compensation expense		4,540	$ 0	4,540	0	0
Comprehensive income		11,737	0	0	3,581	8,156
Balance at Jun. 27, 2020		733,278	$ 436	5,539	(45,045)	772,348
Balance (in shares) at Jun. 27, 2020			43,636,176
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Exercise of stock options		812	$ 0	812	0	0
Exercise of stock options (in shares)			12,811
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock		(139)	$ 0	(139)	0	0
Withholdings from vesting of restricted stock (in shares)			(1,744)
Restricted stock activity		0	$ 0	0	0	0
Restricted stock activity (in shares)			1,428
Stock-based compensation expense		3,046	$ 0	3,046	0	0
Comprehensive income		84,884	0	0	3,643	81,241
Balance at Sep. 26, 2020		$ 821,881	$ 436	$ 9,258	$ (41,402)	$ 853,589
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 26, 2020		43,648,671	43,648,671
[1]	The Company reclassified $1.5 million of tax benefits from "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" to "Retained earnings" for the tax effects resulting from the December 22, 2017 enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in accordance with the adoption of ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in the first quarter of fiscal 2019.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 81,241	$ 60,252	$ 10,703	$ 138,655
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation of property, plant, and equipment			66,985	68,005
Amortization of intangible assets	900	900	2,784	2,810
Provisions for (recoveries of) excess and obsolete inventory	8,500		20,912	4,567
Goodwill impairment	0		17,742	0
Intangible asset impairments	0	30,800	26,500	30,800
Other asset impairments and loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment, net of recoveries			9,395	407
Amortization of debt issuance costs			1,641	1,087
Stock-based compensation expense	3,046	3,733	9,531	13,540
Unrealized foreign currency exchange loss, net			1,354	176
Provisions for (recoveries of) doubtful accounts receivable from customers			7,702	(2,063)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0	7,823
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense			(16,697)	8,300
Effect of changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable			(21,576)	(32,792)
Finished goods inventories			(76,739)	(152,023)
Prepaid expenses and other assets			(7,660)	(16,688)
Accounts payable and other liabilities			267,551	751
Net cash provided by operating activities			320,128	73,355
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures			(25,212)	(46,138)
Disposals and recoveries from property, plant, and equipment			0	749
Net cash used in investing activities			(25,212)	(45,389)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt			0	500,000
Payment of senior notes due 2021			0	(400,000)
Premiums paid to extinguish debt			0	(5,252)
Payment of debt issuance costs			(7,639)	(5,793)
Borrowings under secured revolving credit facility			644,000	265,000
Payments on secured revolving credit facility			(744,000)	(186,000)
Repurchases of common stock			(45,255)	(147,464)
Dividends paid			(26,260)	(67,528)
Withholdings from vestings of restricted stock			(4,928)	(4,214)
Proceeds from exercises of stock options			3,728	6,881
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities			319,646	(44,370)
Net effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents			2,302	263
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents			616,864	(16,141)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period			214,311	170,077	$ 170,077
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 831,175	$ 153,936	831,175	153,936	$ 214,311
Five Point Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Five [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt			$ 500,000	$ 0

THE COMPANY

THE COMPANY	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
THE COMPANY	THE COMPANY Carter's, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company," "its," "us" and "our") design, source, and market branded childrenswear and accessories under the Carter's , OshKosh B'gosh (" OshKosh "), Skip Hop , Child of Mine , Just One You , Simple Joys , Precious Baby , Little Planet , and other brands. The Company's products are sourced through contractual arrangements with manufacturers worldwide for: 1) wholesale distribution to leading department stores, national chains, and specialty retailers domestically and internationally and 2) distribution to the Company's own retail stores and eCommerce sites that market its brand name merchandise and other licensed products manufactured by other companies.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to state fairly the consolidated financial condition, results of operations, comprehensive income (loss), statement of stockholders' equity, and cash flows of the Company for the interim periods presented. Except as otherwise disclosed, all such adjustments consist only of those of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for the fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the current fiscal year ending January 2, 2021 . The preparation of these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. The accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 28, 2019 was derived from the Company's audited consolidated financial statements included in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information and footnote disclosure normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC and the instructions to Form 10-Q. Revision of Previously Issued Financial Statements During the second quarter of fiscal year 2020, it was determined that there were amounts presented incorrectly in the statement of cash flows for the annual and interim year to date periods subsequent to the December 30, 2018 adoption of ASC 842, Leases , due to the presentation of the non-cash impact of the initial and subsequent recognition of the Right of Use ("ROU") assets and lease liabilities within the "Prepaid expenses and other assets" and "Accounts payable and other liabilities" line items, respectively, within operating cash flows. This incorrect presentation had no impact on net cash (used in) provided by operating activities for any of the periods. We assessed the materiality of the incorrect presentation and concluded that the previously issued financial statements were not materially misstated. The presentation errors resulted in an offsetting overstatement of cash used for prepaid expenses and other assets and cash provided by accounts payable and other liabilities of $739 million , $773 million and $815 million for the three, six and nine-months ended March 30, 2019, June 29, 2019 and September 28, 2019, respectively, $828 million for the year ended December 28, 2019 and $29 million for the three months ended March 28, 2020. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statement of cash flows appropriately reflect the corrected presentation of these non-cash activities. In addition, the Company has reclassified and will reclassify prior comparable period amounts to present ROU asset amortization and lease liability payment activity on a net basis within the "Accounts payable and other liabilities" line item. The revisions to the year ended December 31, 2019 and three months ended March 31, 2020 will be presented in future Forms 10-Q and 10-K filings. We will continue to provide supplemental noncash cash flow disclosure information in the notes to the financial statements, as well as correct for the omission of such disclosure during the 2019 interim periods in connection with our 2020 quarterly filings. COVID-19 In December 2019, an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus ("COVID-19") began in Wuhan, China. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and the President of the United States declared a national emergency. As a result of COVID-19, the Company temporarily closed its retail stores in North America and implemented several actions during fiscal 2020 to enhance liquidity and financial flexibility including the deferral of lease payments, reductions in discretionary spending, amending its revolving credit facility, issuing $500 million principal amount of senior notes, and suspending dividends and share repurchases. Beginning in April 2020, the Company suspended rent payments under the leases for our temporarily closed stores in North America and has been in discussions with landlords to obtain rent concessions. The Company considered the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") recent guidance regarding lease concessions as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and has elected to treat these rent concessions as lease modifications. As of September 26, 2020, lease modifications resulting from COVID-19 related rent concessions were not material to the financial statements. The Company continues to negotiate lease concessions with landlords. As of the end of the fiscal quarter, the Company resumed making the required rent payments under these leases. See Note 4 , Leases , for further details on deferral of rent payments under these leases. On May 4, 2020, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, The William Carter Company ("TWCC"), successfully amended its revolving credit facility. This amendment provided for, among other things, a waiver of financial covenants through the balance of fiscal year 2020, revised covenant requirements through the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, and the ability to raise additional unsecured financing at the Company’s discretion. Additionally, on May 11, 2020, TWCC issued $500 million principal amount of senior notes at par, bearing interest at a rate of 5.500% per annum, and maturing on May 15, 2025. See Note 8 , Long-Term Debt , for further details on the amendment to the revolving credit facility and the issuance of $500 million principal amount of senior notes. The Company announced in the first half of fiscal 2020, that in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, it suspended its common stock share repurchase program and its quarterly cash dividend. The Company's Board of Directors will evaluate future capital distributions, including dividend declarations, based on a number of factors, including restrictions under our revolving credit facility, business conditions, our financial performance, and other considerations. The Company also assessed certain accounting matters that generally require consideration of forecasted financial information in context with the information reasonably available to us and the unknown future impacts of COVID-19 as of September 26, 2020 and through the date of this report filing. The accounting matters assessed included, but were not limited to, our allowance for credit losses, inventory reserves, adverse inventory and fabric purchase commitments, stock based compensation, and the carrying value of our goodwill and other long-lived assets. Based on these assessments, in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded impairments on operating lease assets and other long-lived assets for our underperforming retail stores of $1.7 million , and a benefit in excess inventory and fabric purchase commitment charges of $8.5 million related to better than expected sales of inventory that were reserved for in the first fiscal quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19 related disruptions. For the three fiscal quarters ending September 26, 2020 , the Company recorded impairments on operating lease assets and other long-lived assets for our underperforming retail stores of $6.7 million , incremental inventory reserve related charges of $20.9 million , adverse inventory and fabric purchase commitments of $16.2 million , intangible asset impairments of $26.5 million , and goodwill impairment of $17.7 million . There could be a further material impact to our consolidated financial statements in future reporting periods if, at a future date, the Company determines that these assessments of the magnitude and duration of COVID-19, as well as other factors, were incorrect. Additional COVID-19 related charges in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 were $3.3 million , which primarily included costs associated with additional protective equipment and cleaning supplies of $2.5 million . COVID-19 related charges for the three fiscal quarters ending September 26, 2020 were $18.8 million , which primarily included incremental payroll continuation and employee related costs of $12.1 million , costs associated with additional protective equipment and cleaning supplies of $6.8 million , and restructuring costs of $2.3 million , partially offset by a payroll tax benefit of $3.5 million . Accounting Policies The accounting policies the Company follows are set forth in its most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. There have been no material changes to these accounting policies. New accounting pronouncements adopted at the beginning of fiscal 2020 are noted below. Credit Losses (ASU 2016-13) At the beginning of fiscal 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13") . This new guidance changed how entities account for credit impairment for trade and other receivables, as well as for certain financial assets and other instruments. ASU 2016-13 replaced the previous "incurred loss" model with an "expected loss" model, that requires an entity to recognize a loss (or allowance) upon initial recognition of the asset that reflects all future events that will lead to a loss being realized, regardless of whether it is probable that the future event will occur. The Company estimates current expected credit losses based on collection history and management’s assessment of the current economic trends, business environment, customers’ financial condition, accounts receivable aging, and customer disputes that may impact the level of future credit losses. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2016-13 was not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements. Goodwill Impairment Testing (ASU 2017-04) At the beginning of fiscal 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04") . ASU 2017-04 eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill (step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test) to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value (i.e., measure the charge based on the current step 1). Any impairment charge will be limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to an impacted reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 does not change the current guidance for completing step 1 of the goodwill impairment test, and an entity can still perform the current optional qualitative goodwill impairment assessment before determining whether to proceed to step 1. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2017-04 had no impact to the Company's consolidated financial statements. During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company conducted an interim quantitative impairment assessment on the goodwill ascribed to the Other International reporting unit. As a result of this assessment and based on the application of ASU 2017-04, a goodwill impairment charge of $17.7 million was recorded to our Other International reporting unit. See Note 6 , Goodwill and Intangible Assets , for further details on the impairment charge and valuation methodology. Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740) In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes ("ASU 2019-12") , as part of its overall simplification initiative to reduce costs and complexity of applying accounting standards while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to users of financial statements. Amendments include removal of certain exceptions to the general principles of Topic 740, "Income Taxes," and simplification in several other areas. ASU 2019-12 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods therein, with early adoption permitted. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The Company retrospectively adopted the provision related to the classification of taxes partially based on income and has determined that the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its prior period financial statements. The provisions related to intra period tax allocation and interim recognition of enactment of tax laws are being adopted on a prospective basis. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2019-12 was not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION

REVENUE RECOGNITION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
REVENUE RECOGNITION	REVENUE RECOGNITION The Company’s revenues are earned from contracts or arrangements with retail and wholesale customers and licensees. Contracts include written agreements as well as arrangements that are implied by customary practices or law. Disaggregation of Revenue The Company sells its products directly to consumers ("direct-to-consumer") and to other retail companies and partners that subsequently sell the products directly to their own retail customers. The Company also earns royalties from certain of its licensees. Disaggregated revenues from these sources for the third quarter and three quarters ended fiscal 2020 and 2019 were as follows: Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 302,135 $ 37,838 $ 339,973 Direct-to-consumer 449,150 — 75,957 525,107 $ 449,150 $ 302,135 $ 113,795 $ 865,080 Royalty income $ 3,902 $ 3,986 $ 1,175 $ 9,063 Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 706,009 $ 92,110 $ 798,119 Direct-to-consumer 1,085,883 — 150,435 1,236,318 $ 1,085,883 $ 706,009 $ 242,545 $ 2,034,437 Royalty income $ 7,648 $ 9,576 $ 2,765 $ 19,989 Fiscal quarter ended September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 352,256 $ 56,101 $ 408,357 Direct-to-consumer 464,100 — 70,865 534,965 $ 464,100 $ 352,256 $ 126,966 $ 943,322 Royalty income $ 4,244 $ 4,038 $ 910 $ 9,192 Three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 856,713 $ 121,631 $ 978,344 Direct-to-consumer 1,264,283 — 176,137 1,440,420 $ 1,264,283 $ 856,713 $ 297,768 $ 2,418,764 Royalty income $ 10,688 $ 14,051 $ 2,632 $ 27,371 Accounts Receivable from Customers and Licensees The components of Accounts receivable, net, were as follows: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Trade receivables from wholesale customers, net (1) $ 255,214 $ 239,059 $ 277,234 Royalties receivable 8,596 6,982 9,128 Tenant allowances and other receivables 12,064 16,247 16,281 Total gross receivables $ 275,874 $ 262,288 $ 302,643 Less: Wholesale accounts receivable reserves (2) (12,643 ) (11,283 ) (9,440 ) Accounts receivable, net (1) $ 263,231 $ 251,005 $ 293,203 (1) The Company reclassified $1.7 million and $1.3 million of customer support related items from Wholesale accounts receivable reserves into Trade receivables from wholesale customers, net for the periods ended December 28, 2019 and September 28, 2019, respectively. (2) Includes allowance for credit losses of $7.7 million , $6.4 million , and $4.6 million for the periods ended September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively. Contract Assets and Liabilities The Company's contract assets are not material. Contract Liabilities The Company recognizes a contract liability when it has received consideration from a customer and has a future obligation to transfer goods to the customer. Total contract liabilities consisted of the following amounts: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Contract liabilities - current: Unredeemed gift cards $ 15,977 $ 17,563 $ 14,264 Unredeemed customer loyalty rewards 5,510 5,615 5,109 Carter's credit card - upfront bonus (1) 714 714 714 Total contract liabilities - current (2) $ 22,201 $ 23,892 $ 20,087 (1) Carter's credit card - upfront bonus - the Company received an upfront signing bonus from a third-party financial institution, which will be recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement. This amount reflects the current portion of this bonus to be recognized as revenue over the next twelve months. (2) Included with Other current liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

LEASES

LEASES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
LEASES [Text Block]	LEASES The Company has operating leases for retail stores, distribution centers, corporate offices, data centers, and certain equipment. The Company's leases generally have initial terms ranging from 1 year to 10 years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to 5 years, and some of which may include options to early terminate the lease. As of September 26, 2020 , the Company's finance leases were not material to the consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of operations, or statements of cash flows. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, during the second quarter of fiscal 2020 the Company suspended rent payments under the leases for our temporarily closed stores in North America. The Company has continued to recognize expense and has established an accrual for the fixed rent payments that were not made. As of September 26, 2020 , the Company accrued $31.8 million in fixed rent payments. The accrued rent is included within Accounts payable on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. As of the end of the fiscal quarter, the Company resumed making the required rent payments under these leases. In the third quarter and for the three quarters of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded operating lease asset impairment charges totaling $1.4 million and $6.1 million , respectively, related to underperforming stores primarily as a result of decreased net revenues and cash flow projections resulting from the COVID-19 disruption and other facility and office closures. See Note 11 , Fair Value Measurements , for further details on the fair value calculations for operating lease assets for the retail stores. The following components of lease expense are included in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Company's consolidated statements of operations for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2020 and 2019 : Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Operating lease cost $ 44,230 $ 45,584 $ 136,180 $ 133,491 Variable lease cost (*) 19,635 15,492 55,139 46,692 Net lease cost $ 63,865 $ 61,076 $ 191,319 $ 180,183 (*) Includes operating lease asset impairment charges, and short-term leases which are immaterial. Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows: Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Weighted average remaining operating lease term (years) 5.6 6.1 Weighted average discount rate for operating leases 3.71% 4.39% Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities in the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2020 was $41.6 million and $139.4 million , respectively. The total cash paid reflects the contractual amounts due to be paid in cash, which includes the suspended rent payments under the leases for our temporarily closed stores. For the three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 , the Company deferred cash payments of $31.8 million , which are included in the statement of cash flows as part of the change in Accounts payable and other liabilities. Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities in the third quarter and three quarters of fiscal 2019 was $48.5 million and $143.7 million , respectively. Non-cash transactions to recognize operating assets and liabilities for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2020 were $7.3 million and $52.5 million , respectively. Non-cash transactions to recognize operating assets and liabilities for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2019 were $41.6 million and $96.0 million , respectively. As of September 26, 2020 , the maturities of lease liabilities were as follows: (dollars in thousands) Operating leases Remainder of 2020 $ 48,575 2021 194,335 2022 158,594 2023 130,414 2024 105,059 2025 76,501 After 2025 128,220 Total lease payments $ 841,698 Less: Interest (82,235 ) Present value of lease liabilities (*) $ 759,463 (*) As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of lease payments. We used the incremental borrowing rate on December 30, 2018, for operating leases that commenced prior to that date. As of September 26, 2020 , the minimum rental commitments for additional operating lease contracts that have not yet commenced, primarily for retail stores, are $11.0 million . These operating leases will commence between fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2023 with lease terms of 6 years to 11 years.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS The components of Accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments $ (32,290 ) $ (26,522 ) $ (29,533 ) Pension and post-retirement obligations (*) (9,112 ) (9,112 ) (9,375 ) Total accumulated other comprehensive loss $ (41,402 ) $ (35,634 ) $ (38,908 ) (*) Net of income taxes of $2.8 million , $2.8 million , and $2.9 million for the period ended September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively. During the first three quarters of both fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019 , no amounts were reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive loss to the statement of operations.

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS The balances and changes in the carrying amount of goodwill attributable to each segment were as follows: (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Balance at December 29, 2018 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 68,713 $ 227,101 Foreign currency impact — — 1,134 1,134 Balance at September 28, 2019 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 69,847 $ 228,235 Balance at December 28, 2019 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 70,638 $ 229,026 Goodwill impairment (*) — — (17,742 ) (17,742 ) Foreign currency impact — — (1,777 ) (1,777 ) Balance at September 26, 2020 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 51,119 $ 209,507 (*) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $17.7 million was recorded to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the goodwill in the Other International reporting unit in the International segment. A summary of the carrying value of the Company's intangible assets were as follows: September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) Weighted-average useful life Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Carter's tradename Indefinite $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 OshKosh tradename (1) Indefinite 70,000 — 70,000 85,500 — 85,500 Skip Hop tradename (2) Indefinite 15,000 — 15,000 26,000 — 26,000 Finite-life tradenames 5-20 years 3,911 1,189 2,722 3,911 1,002 2,909 Total tradenames, net $ 309,144 $ 1,189 $ 307,955 $ 335,644 $ 1,002 $ 334,642 Skip Hop customer relationships 15 years $ 47,300 $ 11,039 $ 36,261 $ 47,300 $ 8,657 $ 38,643 Carter's Mexico customer relationships 10 years 2,875 989 1,886 3,258 775 2,483 Total customer relationships, net $ 50,175 $ 12,028 $ 38,147 $ 50,558 $ 9,432 $ 41,126 September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) Weighted-average useful life Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Carter's tradename Indefinite $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 OshKosh tradename Indefinite 85,500 — 85,500 Skip Hop tradename (3) Indefinite 26,000 — 26,000 Finite-life tradenames 5-20 years 3,911 939 2,972 Total tradenames, net $ 335,644 $ 939 $ 334,705 Skip Hop customer relationships 15 years $ 47,300 $ 7,863 $ 39,437 Carter's Mexico customer relationships 10 years 3,148 695 2,453 Total customer relationships, net $ 50,448 $ 8,558 $ 41,890 (1) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $13.6 million , $1.6 million , and $0.3 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset in the U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset. (2) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $6.8 million , $3.7 million , and $0.5 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset. (3) In the third quarter of fiscal 2019, a charge of $19.1 million , $10.5 million , and $1.2 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset. The carrying values of goodwill and indefinite-lived tradename assets are subject to annual impairment reviews as of the last day of each fiscal year. Between annual assessments, impairment reviews may also be triggered by any significant events or changes in circumstances affecting our business. Due to the decrease in the Company's market capitalization, lower than expected actual sales, and lower projected sales and profitability, primarily due to the impacts from the outbreak of COVID-19, the Company concluded that impairment indicators existed for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. As a result, during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company conducted interim quantitative impairment assessments of 1) the goodwill ascribed to the Other International reporting unit recorded in connection with the allocation of goodwill to the newly created International segment as a result of the acquisition of Bonnie Togs in 2011 and 2) on the value of the Company's indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename assets that was recorded in connection with the acquisition of OshKosh B'Gosh Inc. in July 2005 and Skip Hop Holdings, Inc. in February 2017, respectively. The goodwill impairment assessment for the Other International reporting unit was performed in accordance with ASC 350, "Intangibles--Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350") and compares the carrying value of the Other International reporting unit to its fair value. Consistent with prior practice, the fair value of the Other International reporting unit was determined using discounted cash flows ("income approach") and relevant data from guideline public companies ("market approach"). As a result of this assessment, a goodwill impairment charge of $17.7 million was recorded to our Other International reporting unit in the International segment during the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The goodwill impairment charge recorded on our Other International reporting unit included charges of $9.4 million , $5.2 million , and $3.1 million to Skip Hop, Carter's, and Carter's Mexico goodwill, respectively. The carrying value of the Company's goodwill for the Other International reporting unit after the impairment charge and as of September 26, 2020 was approximately $11.5 million . The OshKosh and Skip Hop indefinite-lived tradename asset assessments were performed in accordance with ASC 350 and were determined using a discounted cash flow analysis which examined the hypothetical cost savings that accrue as a result of not having to license the tradename from another owner. Based on these assessments, charges of $15.5 million and $11.0 million were recorded during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 on our indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename assets, respectively. The charge recorded on our indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset included charges of $13.6 million , $1.6 million , and $0.3 million in the U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset. The charge recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset included charges of $6.8 million , $3.7 million , and $0.5 million in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset. The carrying values of the Company's indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename assets after the impairment charges and as of September 26, 2020 were $70.0 million and $15.0 million , respectively. There were no impairments of goodwill or indefinite-lived or definite-lived intangible assets during the third quarter of fiscal 2020. Although the Company determined that no further impairment exists for the Company's goodwill or indefinite-lived or definite-lived intangible assets, these assets could be at risk for impairment should global economic conditions continue to deteriorate as a result of COVID-19. Amortization expense for intangible assets subject to amortization was approximately $0.9 million for both third fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019 . Amortization expense was approximately $2.8 million for each of the first three quarters of fiscal 2020 and for the first three quarters of fiscal 2019. The estimated amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is as follows: (dollars in thousands) Amortization expense 2021 $ 3,702 2022 $ 3,702 2023 $ 3,660 2024 $ 3,630 2025 $ 3,630

COMMON STOCK

COMMON STOCK	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
COMMON STOCK	COMMON STOCK Open Market Share Repurchases The total aggregate remaining capacity under outstanding repurchase authorizations as of September 26, 2020 was approximately $650.4 million , based on settled repurchase transactions. The authorizations have no expiration date. The Company repurchased and retired shares in open market transactions in the following amounts for the fiscal periods indicated: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Number of shares repurchased — 602,043 474,684 1,607,920 Aggregate cost of shares repurchased (dollars in thousands) $ — $ 55,021 $ 45,255 $ 147,464 Average price per share $ — $ 91.39 $ 95.34 $ 91.71 On March 26, 2020, the Company announced that, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, it suspended its common stock share repurchase program. The timing and amount of any future repurchases will be determined by the Company based on its evaluation of market conditions, share price, other investment priorities, and other factors. Dividends In the first fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2020, the Company declared and paid cash dividends per share of $0.60 . On May 1, 2020, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company suspended its quarterly cash dividend. As a result, the Company did not declare or pay cash dividends in the third fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 . The Board of Directors will evaluate future dividend declarations based on a number of factors, including business conditions, the Company's financial performance, and other considerations. In the third fiscal quarter and three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 , the Company declared and paid cash dividends per share of $0.50 and $1.50 , respectively. Provisions in the Company's secured revolving credit facility have the effect of restricting the Company's ability to pay cash dividends on, or make future repurchases of, its common stock through the date the Company delivers its financial statements and associated certificates relating to the third fiscal quarter of 2021, and could have the effect of restricting the Company's ability to do so thereafter, as described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2019 fiscal year ended December 28, 2019 , and in Note 8 , Long-Term Debt .

LONG-TERM DEBT

LONG-TERM DEBT	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
LONG-TERM DEBT	LONG-TERM DEBT Long-term debt consisted of the following: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 5.500% Senior Notes due 2025 $ 500,000 $ — $ — 5.625% Senior Notes due 2027 500,000 500,000 500,000 Total senior notes $ 1,000,000 $ 500,000 $ 500,000 Less unamortized issuance-related costs for senior notes (10,914 ) (5,328 ) (5,475 ) Senior notes, net $ 989,086 $ 494,672 $ 494,525 Secured revolving credit facility — 100,000 275,000 Total long-term debt, net $ 989,086 $ 594,672 $ 769,525 Secured Revolving Credit Facility To improve the Company's cash position in light of the uncertainty and disruption related to COVID-19, the Company drew $639.0 million under its secured revolving credit facility in the month of March 2020, and in May 2020 repaid a portion of the outstanding borrowings with the net proceeds of a new $500 million senior notes offering, as discussed below, and cash on hand. During the third quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company repaid the remainder of its borrowings under its secured revolving credit facility with cash on hand. As of September 26, 2020 , the Company had no outstanding borrowings under its secured revolving credit facility, exclusive of $7.0 million of outstanding letters of credit. As of September 26, 2020 , approximately $743.0 million was available for future borrowing. All outstanding borrowings under the Company's secured revolving credit facility are classified as non-current liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets due to contractual repayment terms under the credit facility. On May 4, 2020, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, The William Carter Company ("TWCC"), entered into Amendment No.2 ("Amendment") to its fourth amended and restated credit agreement. This Amendment provided for, among other things, a waiver of financial covenants through the balance of fiscal year 2020, revised covenant requirements through the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, and the ability to raise additional unsecured financing, at the Company’s discretion. Among other things, the Amendment provides that the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio and Lease Adjusted Leverage Ratio covenants, in each case, as defined in the Amendment, are waived during the period from and including the second fiscal quarter of 2020 through and including the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020. Thereafter, the Lease Adjusted Leverage Ratio is set at 5.50 :1.00 for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 and, during the remainder of 2021, gradually steps down to 4.00 :1.00 for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021 and, subject to the consummation of a Material Acquisition (as defined in the Amendment), thereafter. The Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio is set at 1.25 :1.00 for the first fiscal quarter of 2021 and, during the remainder of 2021 and, gradually steps back up to 1.85 :1.00 for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021 and, subject to the consummation of a Material Acquisition, thereafter. In addition, the Amendment provides that during the period from May 4, 2020 through the date the Company delivers its financial statements and associated certificates relating to the third fiscal quarter of 2021, the Company must maintain a minimum liquidity (defined as cash-on-hand plus availability under its secured revolving credit facility) on the last day of each fiscal month of at least $700 million . Also, during this period, the availability of certain exceptions to the lien, investment, indebtedness, and restricted payment negative covenants (including those related to dividend payments and share repurchases) are limited or removed, and any incremental credit extensions and the possibility of collateral and covenant release periods are suspended. Additionally, the Amendment provides that, among other things during the period from May 4, 2020 through the date the Company delivers its financial statements and associated certificates relating to the third quarter of fiscal 2021, interest rate margins applicable to the secured revolving credit facility were initially 2.125% for LIBOR rate loans (which may be adjusted based on a leverage-based pricing grid ranging from 1.125% to 2.375 %) and 1.125% for base rate loans (which may be adjusted based on a leverage-based pricing grid ranging from 0.125% to 1.375% ). The Amendment also provides for a commitment fee initially equal to 0.35% per annum and ranging from 0.15% per annum to 0.40% per annum, based upon a leverage-based pricing grid, which is payable quarterly in arrears with respect to the average daily unused portion of the revolving loan commitments. Approximately $1.2 million , including both bank fees and other third party expenses, has been capitalized in connection with the amendment and is being amortized over the remaining term of the secured revolving credit facility. The interest rate margins applicable to our secured revolving credit facility as of September 26, 2020 were 1.625% for LIBOR rate loans and 0.625% for base rate loans. There were no U.S. dollar borrowings or foreign currency borrowings outstanding on September 26, 2020 . As of September 26, 2020 , the Company was in compliance with the financial and other covenants under the secured revolving credit facility. Senior Notes On May 11, 2020, TWCC issued $500 million principal amount of senior notes at par, bearing interest at a rate of 5.500% per annum, and maturing on May 15, 2025, all of which were outstanding as of September 26, 2020 . TWCC received net proceeds from the offering of the senior notes of approximately $494.5 million , after deducting underwriting fees, which TWCC used to repay borrowings outstanding under the Company's secured revolving credit facility. Approximately $6.5 million , including both bank fees and other third party expenses, has been capitalized in connection with the issuance and is being amortized over the term of the senior notes. Additionally, as of September 26, 2020 , the Company had outstanding $500 million principal amount of senior notes at par, bearing interest at a rate of 5.625% per annum, and maturing on March 15, 2027.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION	STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense as follows: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Stock options $ 597 $ 904 $ 2,065 $ 3,146 Restricted stock: Time-based awards 2,449 2,288 7,798 7,034 Performance-based awards — 299 (1,927 ) 1,957 Stock awards — 242 1,595 1,403 Total $ 3,046 $ 3,733 $ 9,531 $ 13,540 The Company recognizes compensation cost ratably over the applicable performance periods based on the estimated probability of achievement of its performance targets at the end of each period. During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the achievement of performance target estimates was revised resulting in a $2.8 million reversal of previously recognized stock-based compensation expense.

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES As of September 26, 2020 , the Company had gross unrecognized income tax benefits of approximately $13.4 million , of which $11.5 million , if ultimately recognized, may affect the Company's effective income tax rate in the periods settled. The Company has recorded tax positions for which the ultimate deductibility is more likely than not, but for which there is uncertainty about the timing of such deductions. Included in the reserves for unrecognized tax benefits at September 26, 2020 is approximately $2.7 million of reserves for which the statute of limitations is expected to expire within the next 12 months. If these tax benefits are ultimately recognized, such recognition, net of federal income taxes, may affect the annual effective income tax rate for fiscal 2020 or fiscal 2021 along with the effective income tax rate in the quarter in which the benefits are recognized. The Company recognizes interest related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense and recognizes penalties related to unrecognized income tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. During the third fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019 , interest expense on uncertain tax positions was not material. Interest expense recorded on uncertain tax positions was $0.6 million and $0.7 million for the first three quarters of fiscal 2020 and the first three quarters of fiscal 2019 , respectively. The Company had approximately $2.9 million , $2.3 million , and $2.5 million of interest accrued on uncertain tax positions as of September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively. The Company early adopted the provisions of ASU 2019-12 in the first quarter of 2020 in order to simplify its income tax accounting disclosures during 2020 as a result of incurring an operating loss. The Company retrospectively adopted the provision related to the classification of taxes partially based on income and has determined that the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its prior period financial statements. The provisions related to intra period tax allocation and interim recognition of enactment of tax laws are being adopted on a prospective basis. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, ("CARES Act") was signed into law. This law includes several taxpayer favorable provisions that may impact the Company, including an employee retention credit, relaxed interest expense limitations, a carryback of net operating losses, accelerated depreciation on certain store build out costs, and the deferral of employer FICA taxes. It is likely that this act will reduce the Company’s cash requirement for taxes over the balance of fiscal 2020.

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Investments The Company invests in marketable securities, principally equity-based mutual funds, to mitigate the risk associated with the investment return on employee deferrals of compensation. All of the marketable securities are included in Other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and their aggregate fair values were approximately $18.9 million , $19.7 million , and $18.2 million at September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively. These investments are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy. Gains on the investments in marketable securities were $2.5 million and $0.6 million for the third fiscal quarter and three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 , respectively. Gains on the investments in marketable securities were $0.9 million and $2.5 million for the third fiscal quarter and three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 , respectively. These amounts are included in Other (income) expense, net on the Company's consolidated statement of operations. Borrowings As of September 26, 2020 , the Company had no outstanding borrowings under its secured revolving credit facility. The fair value of the Company's senior notes at September 26, 2020 was approximately $1.05 billion . The fair value of these senior notes with a notional value and carrying value (gross of debt cost) of $1.00 billion was estimated using a quoted price as provided in the secondary market, which considers the Company's credit risk and market related conditions, and is therefore within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. Impairment of long-lived tangible assets Long-lived assets, which for the Company primarily consist of operating lease assets and store assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. The asset group is defined as the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are available and is largely independent of cash flows of other groups of assets, which for our retail stores, is at the store level. For impaired assets, the Company recognized a loss equal to the difference between the carrying amount of the asset or asset group and its estimated fair value, which is recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. For operating lease assets, the Company determines the fair value of the assets by discounting the estimated market rental rates over the remaining term of the lease. These estimates can be affected by factors such as future store results, real estate demand, store closure plans, property specific discount rates, and economic conditions that can be difficult to predict. These fair value measurements qualify as level 3 measurements in the fair value hierarchy. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a qualitative indication of impairment related to our store long-lived assets. During the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2020, the Company recorded impairment charges of operating lease assets and other long-lived assets for our underperforming retail stores of $1.7 million and $6.7 million , respectively. The impairment charges were recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested annually, or if a triggering event occurs that indicates an impairment loss may have been incurred, using fair value measurements with unobservable inputs (Level 3). Due to the decrease in the Company's market capitalization, lower than expected actual sales, and lower projected sales and profitability due to the impacts from the outbreak of COVID-19, the Company concluded that impairment indicators existed for the first quarter of fiscal 2020. As a result, during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company conducted interim quantitative impairment assessments on goodwill ascribed to the Other International reporting unit and on the value of the Company's indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename assets that was recorded in connection with the acquisition of OshKosh B'Gosh, Inc. in July 2005 and Skip Hop Holdings, Inc. in February 2017, respectively. Based on these assessments, a goodwill impairment charge of $17.7 million was recorded during the first quarter of fiscal 2020 to our Other International reporting unit in the International segment and charges of $15.5 million and $11.0 million were recorded on our indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename assets, respectively. The charge recorded on our indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset included charges of $13.6 million , $1.6 million , and $0.3 million in the U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset. The charge recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset included charges of $6.8 million , $3.7 million , and $0.5 million in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset. The carrying value of the Company's goodwill for the Other International reporting unit after the impairment charge and as of September 26, 2020 was approximately $11.5 million . The carrying values of the Company's indefinite-lived OshKosh and Skip Hop tradename asset after the impairment charge and as of September 26, 2020 were $70.0 million and $15.0 million , respectively. See Note 6 , Goodwill and Intangibles , for further details on the impairment charges and valuation methodologies.

EARNINGS PER SHARE

EARNINGS PER SHARE	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
EARNINGS PER SHARE	EARNINGS PER SHARE The following is a reconciliation of basic common shares outstanding to diluted common and common equivalent shares outstanding: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Weighted-average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding: Basic number of common shares outstanding 43,193,752 44,144,135 43,237,319 44,640,413 Dilutive effect of equity awards 156,878 287,904 174,351 302,832 Diluted number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding 43,350,630 44,432,039 43,411,670 44,943,245 Basic net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data): Net income $ 81,241 $ 60,252 $ 10,703 $ 138,655 Income allocated to participating securities (837 ) (565 ) (88 ) (1,244 ) Net income available to common shareholders $ 80,404 $ 59,687 $ 10,615 $ 137,411 Basic net income per common share $ 1.86 $ 1.35 $ 0.25 $ 3.08 Diluted net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data): Net income $ 81,241 $ 60,252 $ 10,703 $ 138,655 Income allocated to participating securities (834 ) (563 ) (89 ) (1,239 ) Net income available to common shareholders $ 80,407 $ 59,689 $ 10,614 $ 137,416 Diluted net income per common share $ 1.85 $ 1.34 $ 0.24 $ 3.06 Anti-dilutive awards excluded from diluted earnings per share computation 729,476 691,707 744,499 505,642

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIA

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIABILITIES	OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIABILITIES Other current liabilities that exceeded five percent of total current liabilities, at the end of any comparable period, were as follows: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Income taxes payable $ 18,744 $ 23,269 $ 26,909 There are no Other long-term liabilities that exceeded five percent of total liabilities, at the end of any comparable period.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES The Company is subject to various claims and pending or threatened lawsuits in the normal course of business. The Company is not currently a party to any legal proceedings that it believes would have a material adverse impact on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. The Company's contractual obligations and commitments include obligations associated with leases, the secured revolving credit agreement, senior notes, employee benefit plans, and facility consolidations/closures as disclosed in Note 16 , Organizational Restructuring and Office Consolidation , to the consolidated financial statements. The Company also has minimum inventory purchase commitments, including fabric commitments, with our suppliers which secure a portion of our material needs for future seasons. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our orders may be canceled. As of September 26, 2020 , the Company had an outstanding reserve of $15.4 million

SEGMENT INFORMATION

SEGMENT INFORMATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
SEGMENT INFORMATION	SEGMENT INFORMATION The tables below present certain information for our reportable segments and unallocated corporate expenses for the periods indicated: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, % of September 28, % of September 26, % of September 28, % of Net sales : U.S. Retail $ 449,150 51.9 % $ 464,100 49.2 % $ 1,085,883 53.4 % $ 1,264,283 52.3 % U.S. Wholesale 302,135 34.9 % 352,256 37.3 % 706,009 34.7 % 856,713 35.4 % International 113,795 13.2 % 126,966 13.5 % 242,545 11.9 % 297,768 12.3 % Total net sales $ 865,080 100.0 % $ 943,322 100.0 % $ 2,034,437 100.0 % $ 2,418,764 100.0 % Operating income (loss) : % of Segment Net Sales % of Segment Net Sales % of % of U.S. Retail $ 47,559 10.6 % $ 49,472 10.7 % $ 38,902 3.6 % $ 124,567 9.9 % U.S. Wholesale 65,718 21.8 % 54,391 15.4 % 89,141 12.6 % 145,181 16.9 % International 17,400 15.3 % 6,136 4.8 % (15,819 ) (6.5 )% 15,351 5.2 % Corporate expenses (*) (17,150 ) n/a (26,129 ) n/a (56,221 ) n/a (75,994 ) n/a Total operating income $ 113,527 13.1 % $ 83,870 8.9 % $ 56,003 2.8 % $ 209,105 8.6 % (*) Corporate expenses include expenses related to incentive compensation, stock-based compensation, executive management, severance and relocation, finance, office occupancy, information technology, certain legal fees, consulting fees, and audit fees. (dollars in millions) Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 Charges: U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Organizational restructuring (1) $ 0.3 $ 0.2 $ 0.3 $ 3.4 $ 1.5 $ 1.9 Goodwill impairment — — — — — 17.7 Skip Hop tradename impairment charge — — — 0.5 6.8 3.7 OshKosh tradename impairment charge — — — 13.6 1.6 0.3 Incremental costs associated with COVID-19 pandemic 1.6 1.4 0.3 8.3 8.5 2.0 Retail store operating leases and other long-lived asset impairments, net of gain (2) 1.5 — — 6.3 — 0.2 Total charges $ 3.4 $ 1.6 $ 0.6 $ 32.1 $ 18.4 $ 25.8 (1) The third fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 , the three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 , and the three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 also include corporate charges related to organizational restructuring of $0.4 million , $2.0 million , and $1.6 million , respectively. (2) Impairments include an immaterial gain on the remeasurement of retail store operating leases. (dollars in millions) Fiscal quarter ended September 28, 2019 Three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 Charges: U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Benefit related to sale of inventory previously reserved in China $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ (2.1 ) Reversal of store restructuring costs previously recorded during the third quarter of fiscal 2017 — — — (0.7 ) — — Skip Hop tradename impairment charge 1.2 19.1 10.5 1.2 19.1 10.5 Total charges $ 1.2 $ 19.1 $ 10.5 $ 0.5 $ 19.1 $ 8.4

RESTRUCTURING

RESTRUCTURING	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING AND OFFICE CONSOLIDATION	ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING AND OFFICE CONSOLIDATION In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company announced several organizational restructuring initiatives which included a reorganization of staffing models across multiple functions to drive labor savings and increase efficiencies as well as the consolidation of certain functions into our corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In conjunction with these initiatives, the Company recorded the following charges in selling, general and administrative expenses: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 26, 2020 Severance and other termination benefits $ 181 $ 4,423 Lease exit costs 780 2,495 Relocation and recruiting 253 1,755 Other closure costs — 80 Total $ 1,214 $ 8,753 As of September 26, 2020 , there was approximately $1.3 million in reserves related to severance and other termination benefits expected to be paid out by the end of the year included in Other current liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. The Company expects to incur additional restructuring-related charges of approximately $1.0 million to $2.0 million through fiscal 2021. These charges primarily relate to accelerated depreciation, lease exit costs, severance, and relocation and recruiting costs.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies

BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Credit Losses	Credit Losses (ASU 2016-13) At the beginning of fiscal 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13") .
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy	Goodwill Impairment Testing (ASU 2017-04) At the beginning of fiscal 2020, the Company adopted ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04") . ASU 2017-04 eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill (step 2 of the current goodwill impairment test) to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value (i.e., measure the charge based on the current step 1). Any impairment charge will be limited to the amount of goodwill allocated to an impacted reporting unit. ASU 2017-04 does not change the current guidance for completing step 1 of the goodwill impairment test, and an entity can still perform the current optional qualitative goodwill impairment assessment before determining whether to proceed to step 1. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2017-04 had no impact to the Company's consolidated financial statements. During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company conducted an interim quantitative impairment assessment on the goodwill ascribed to the Other International reporting unit. As a result of this assessment and based on the application of ASU 2017-04, a goodwill impairment charge of $17.7 million was recorded to our Other International reporting unit. See Note 6 , Goodwill and Intangible Assets , for further details on the impairment charge and valuation methodology. Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (Topic 740) In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes ("ASU 2019-12") , as part of its overall simplification initiative to reduce costs and complexity of applying accounting standards while maintaining or improving the usefulness of the information provided to users of financial statements. Amendments include removal of certain exceptions to the general principles of Topic 740, "Income Taxes," and simplification in several other areas. ASU 2019-12 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods therein, with early adoption permitted. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The Company retrospectively adopted the provision related to the classification of taxes partially based on income and has determined that the adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its prior period financial statements. The provisions related to intra period tax allocation and interim recognition of enactment of tax laws are being adopted on a prospective basis. The effect of the adoption of ASU 2019-12 was not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements.

REVENUE RECOGNITION (Tables)

REVENUE RECOGNITION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Disaggregation of Revenue	Disaggregation of Revenue The Company sells its products directly to consumers ("direct-to-consumer") and to other retail companies and partners that subsequently sell the products directly to their own retail customers. The Company also earns royalties from certain of its licensees. Disaggregated revenues from these sources for the third quarter and three quarters ended fiscal 2020 and 2019 were as follows: Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 302,135 $ 37,838 $ 339,973 Direct-to-consumer 449,150 — 75,957 525,107 $ 449,150 $ 302,135 $ 113,795 $ 865,080 Royalty income $ 3,902 $ 3,986 $ 1,175 $ 9,063 Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 706,009 $ 92,110 $ 798,119 Direct-to-consumer 1,085,883 — 150,435 1,236,318 $ 1,085,883 $ 706,009 $ 242,545 $ 2,034,437 Royalty income $ 7,648 $ 9,576 $ 2,765 $ 19,989 Fiscal quarter ended September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 352,256 $ 56,101 $ 408,357 Direct-to-consumer 464,100 — 70,865 534,965 $ 464,100 $ 352,256 $ 126,966 $ 943,322 Royalty income $ 4,244 $ 4,038 $ 910 $ 9,192 Three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Wholesale channel $ — $ 856,713 $ 121,631 $ 978,344 Direct-to-consumer 1,264,283 — 176,137 1,440,420 $ 1,264,283 $ 856,713 $ 297,768 $ 2,418,764 Royalty income $ 10,688 $ 14,051 $ 2,632 $ 27,371 Accounts Receivable from Customers and Licensees The components of Accounts receivable, net, were as follows: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Trade receivables from wholesale customers, net (1) $ 255,214 $ 239,059 $ 277,234 Royalties receivable 8,596 6,982 9,128 Tenant allowances and other receivables 12,064 16,247 16,281 Total gross receivables $ 275,874 $ 262,288 $ 302,643 Less: Wholesale accounts receivable reserves (2) (12,643 ) (11,283 ) (9,440 ) Accounts receivable, net (1) $ 263,231 $ 251,005 $ 293,203 (1) The Company reclassified $1.7 million and $1.3 million of customer support related items from Wholesale accounts receivable reserves into Trade receivables from wholesale customers, net for the periods ended December 28, 2019 and September 28, 2019, respectively. (2) Includes allowance for credit losses of $7.7 million , $6.4 million , and $4.6 million for the periods ended September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively.
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability	The Company recognizes a contract liability when it has received consideration from a customer and has a future obligation to transfer goods to the customer. Total contract liabilities consisted of the following amounts: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Contract liabilities - current: Unredeemed gift cards $ 15,977 $ 17,563 $ 14,264 Unredeemed customer loyalty rewards 5,510 5,615 5,109 Carter's credit card - upfront bonus (1) 714 714 714 Total contract liabilities - current (2) $ 22,201 $ 23,892 $ 20,087 (1) Carter's credit card - upfront bonus - the Company received an upfront signing bonus from a third-party financial institution, which will be recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the agreement. This amount reflects the current portion of this bonus to be recognized as revenue over the next twelve months. (2) Included with Other current liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

LEASES (Tables)

LEASES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Lease Cost and Supplementary Information	The following components of lease expense are included in Selling, general and administrative expenses on the Company's consolidated statements of operations for the third quarter and first three quarters of fiscal 2020 and 2019 : Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Operating lease cost $ 44,230 $ 45,584 $ 136,180 $ 133,491 Variable lease cost (*) 19,635 15,492 55,139 46,692 Net lease cost $ 63,865 $ 61,076 $ 191,319 $ 180,183 (*) Includes operating lease asset impairment charges, and short-term leases which are immaterial. Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows: Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Weighted average remaining operating lease term (years) 5.6 6.1 Weighted average discount rate for operating leases 3.71% 4.39%
Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, Maturity	As of September 26, 2020 , the maturities of lease liabilities were as follows: (dollars in thousands) Operating leases Remainder of 2020 $ 48,575 2021 194,335 2022 158,594 2023 130,414 2024 105,059 2025 76,501 After 2025 128,220 Total lease payments $ 841,698 Less: Interest (82,235 ) Present value of lease liabilities (*) $ 759,463 (*) As most of our leases do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date to determine the present value of lease payments. We used the incremental borrowing rate on December 30, 2018, for operating leases that commenced prior to that date.

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI_2

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The components of Accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments $ (32,290 ) $ (26,522 ) $ (29,533 ) Pension and post-retirement obligations (*) (9,112 ) (9,112 ) (9,375 ) Total accumulated other comprehensive loss $ (41,402 ) $ (35,634 ) $ (38,908 ) (*) Net of income taxes of $2.8 million , $2.8 million , and $2.9 million for the period ended September 26, 2020 , December 28, 2019 , and September 28, 2019 , respectively.

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill by Segment	The balances and changes in the carrying amount of goodwill attributable to each segment were as follows: (dollars in thousands) U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Total Balance at December 29, 2018 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 68,713 $ 227,101 Foreign currency impact — — 1,134 1,134 Balance at September 28, 2019 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 69,847 $ 228,235 Balance at December 28, 2019 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 70,638 $ 229,026 Goodwill impairment (*) — — (17,742 ) (17,742 ) Foreign currency impact — — (1,777 ) (1,777 ) Balance at September 26, 2020 $ 83,934 $ 74,454 $ 51,119 $ 209,507 (*) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $17.7 million was recorded to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the goodwill in the Other International reporting unit in the International segment.
Intangible assets table	summary of the carrying value of the Company's intangible assets were as follows: September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) Weighted-average useful life Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Carter's tradename Indefinite $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 OshKosh tradename (1) Indefinite 70,000 — 70,000 85,500 — 85,500 Skip Hop tradename (2) Indefinite 15,000 — 15,000 26,000 — 26,000 Finite-life tradenames 5-20 years 3,911 1,189 2,722 3,911 1,002 2,909 Total tradenames, net $ 309,144 $ 1,189 $ 307,955 $ 335,644 $ 1,002 $ 334,642 Skip Hop customer relationships 15 years $ 47,300 $ 11,039 $ 36,261 $ 47,300 $ 8,657 $ 38,643 Carter's Mexico customer relationships 10 years 2,875 989 1,886 3,258 775 2,483 Total customer relationships, net $ 50,175 $ 12,028 $ 38,147 $ 50,558 $ 9,432 $ 41,126 September 28, 2019 (dollars in thousands) Weighted-average useful life Gross amount Accumulated amortization Net amount Carter's tradename Indefinite $ 220,233 $ — $ 220,233 OshKosh tradename Indefinite 85,500 — 85,500 Skip Hop tradename (3) Indefinite 26,000 — 26,000 Finite-life tradenames 5-20 years 3,911 939 2,972 Total tradenames, net $ 335,644 $ 939 $ 334,705 Skip Hop customer relationships 15 years $ 47,300 $ 7,863 $ 39,437 Carter's Mexico customer relationships 10 years 3,148 695 2,453 Total customer relationships, net $ 50,448 $ 8,558 $ 41,890 (1) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $13.6 million , $1.6 million , and $0.3 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset in the U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived OshKosh tradename asset. (2) In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, a charge of $6.8 million , $3.7 million , and $0.5 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset. (3) In the third quarter of fiscal 2019, a charge of $19.1 million , $10.5 million , and $1.2 million was recorded on our indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset in the U.S. Wholesale, International, and U.S. Retail segments, respectively, to reflect the impairment of the value ascribed to the indefinite-lived Skip Hop tradename asset.
Schedule of Future Amortization Expense	(dollars in thousands) Amortization expense 2021 $ 3,702 2022 $ 3,702 2023 $ 3,660 2024 $ 3,630 2025 $ 3,630

COMMON STOCK (Tables)

COMMON STOCK (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Schedule of Shares Repurchased and Retired	The Company repurchased and retired shares in open market transactions in the following amounts for the fiscal periods indicated: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Number of shares repurchased — 602,043 474,684 1,607,920 Aggregate cost of shares repurchased (dollars in thousands) $ — $ 55,021 $ 45,255 $ 147,464 Average price per share $ — $ 91.39 $ 95.34 $ 91.71

LONG-TERM DEBT (Tables)

LONG-TERM DEBT (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of long-term debt	Long-term debt consisted of the following: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 5.500% Senior Notes due 2025 $ 500,000 $ — $ — 5.625% Senior Notes due 2027 500,000 500,000 500,000 Total senior notes $ 1,000,000 $ 500,000 $ 500,000 Less unamortized issuance-related costs for senior notes (10,914 ) (5,328 ) (5,475 ) Senior notes, net $ 989,086 $ 494,672 $ 494,525 Secured revolving credit facility — 100,000 275,000 Total long-term debt, net $ 989,086 $ 594,672 $ 769,525

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Table

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]
Summary of recorded stock-based compensation cost	The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense as follows: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Stock options $ 597 $ 904 $ 2,065 $ 3,146 Restricted stock: Time-based awards 2,449 2,288 7,798 7,034 Performance-based awards — 299 (1,927 ) 1,957 Stock awards — 242 1,595 1,403 Total $ 3,046 $ 3,733 $ 9,531 $ 13,540

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Tables)

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Reconciliation of basic common shares outstanding to diluted common and common equivalent shares outstanding	The following is a reconciliation of basic common shares outstanding to diluted common and common equivalent shares outstanding: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 September 26, 2020 September 28, 2019 Weighted-average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding: Basic number of common shares outstanding 43,193,752 44,144,135 43,237,319 44,640,413 Dilutive effect of equity awards 156,878 287,904 174,351 302,832 Diluted number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding 43,350,630 44,432,039 43,411,670 44,943,245 Basic net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data): Net income $ 81,241 $ 60,252 $ 10,703 $ 138,655 Income allocated to participating securities (837 ) (565 ) (88 ) (1,244 ) Net income available to common shareholders $ 80,404 $ 59,687 $ 10,615 $ 137,411 Basic net income per common share $ 1.86 $ 1.35 $ 0.25 $ 3.08 Diluted net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data): Net income $ 81,241 $ 60,252 $ 10,703 $ 138,655 Income allocated to participating securities (834 ) (563 ) (89 ) (1,239 ) Net income available to common shareholders $ 80,407 $ 59,689 $ 10,614 $ 137,416 Diluted net income per common share $ 1.85 $ 1.34 $ 0.24 $ 3.06 Anti-dilutive awards excluded from diluted earnings per share computation 729,476 691,707 744,499 505,642

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM L_2

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIABILITIES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of other current liabilities	Other current liabilities that exceeded five percent of total current liabilities, at the end of any comparable period, were as follows: (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 December 28, 2019 September 28, 2019 Income taxes payable $ 18,744 $ 23,269 $ 26,909 There are no Other long-term liabilities that exceeded five percent of total liabilities, at the end of any comparable period.

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Tables)

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of segment information	The tables below present certain information for our reportable segments and unallocated corporate expenses for the periods indicated: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, % of September 28, % of September 26, % of September 28, % of Net sales : U.S. Retail $ 449,150 51.9 % $ 464,100 49.2 % $ 1,085,883 53.4 % $ 1,264,283 52.3 % U.S. Wholesale 302,135 34.9 % 352,256 37.3 % 706,009 34.7 % 856,713 35.4 % International 113,795 13.2 % 126,966 13.5 % 242,545 11.9 % 297,768 12.3 % Total net sales $ 865,080 100.0 % $ 943,322 100.0 % $ 2,034,437 100.0 % $ 2,418,764 100.0 % Operating income (loss) : % of Segment Net Sales % of Segment Net Sales % of % of U.S. Retail $ 47,559 10.6 % $ 49,472 10.7 % $ 38,902 3.6 % $ 124,567 9.9 % U.S. Wholesale 65,718 21.8 % 54,391 15.4 % 89,141 12.6 % 145,181 16.9 % International 17,400 15.3 % 6,136 4.8 % (15,819 ) (6.5 )% 15,351 5.2 % Corporate expenses (*) (17,150 ) n/a (26,129 ) n/a (56,221 ) n/a (75,994 ) n/a Total operating income $ 113,527 13.1 % $ 83,870 8.9 % $ 56,003 2.8 % $ 209,105 8.6 % (*) Corporate expenses include expenses related to incentive compensation, stock-based compensation, executive management, severance and relocation, finance, office occupancy, information technology, certain legal fees, consulting fees, and audit fees. (dollars in millions) Fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 Three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 Charges: U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Organizational restructuring (1) $ 0.3 $ 0.2 $ 0.3 $ 3.4 $ 1.5 $ 1.9 Goodwill impairment — — — — — 17.7 Skip Hop tradename impairment charge — — — 0.5 6.8 3.7 OshKosh tradename impairment charge — — — 13.6 1.6 0.3 Incremental costs associated with COVID-19 pandemic 1.6 1.4 0.3 8.3 8.5 2.0 Retail store operating leases and other long-lived asset impairments, net of gain (2) 1.5 — — 6.3 — 0.2 Total charges $ 3.4 $ 1.6 $ 0.6 $ 32.1 $ 18.4 $ 25.8 (1) The third fiscal quarter ended September 26, 2020 , the three fiscal quarters ended September 26, 2020 , and the three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 also include corporate charges related to organizational restructuring of $0.4 million , $2.0 million , and $1.6 million , respectively. (2) Impairments include an immaterial gain on the remeasurement of retail store operating leases. (dollars in millions) Fiscal quarter ended September 28, 2019 Three fiscal quarters ended September 28, 2019 Charges: U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International U.S. Retail U.S. Wholesale International Benefit related to sale of inventory previously reserved in China $ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ (2.1 ) Reversal of store restructuring costs previously recorded during the third quarter of fiscal 2017 — — — (0.7 ) — — Skip Hop tradename impairment charge 1.2 19.1 10.5 1.2 19.1 10.5 Total charges $ 1.2 $ 19.1 $ 10.5 $ 0.5 $ 19.1 $ 8.4

RESTRUCTURING (Tables)

RESTRUCTURING (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring and Related Costs	In the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the Company announced several organizational restructuring initiatives which included a reorganization of staffing models across multiple functions to drive labor savings and increase efficiencies as well as the consolidation of certain functions into our corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In conjunction with these initiatives, the Company recorded the following charges in selling, general and administrative expenses: Fiscal quarter ended Three fiscal quarters ended (dollars in thousands) September 26, 2020 September 26, 2020 Severance and other termination benefits $ 181 $ 4,423 Lease exit costs 780 2,495 Relocation and recruiting 253 1,755 Other closure costs — 80 Total $ 1,214 $ 8,753

BASIS OF PRESENTATION Narrative

BASIS OF PRESENTATION Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019	May 11, 2020
Goodwill [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expense and Other Assets						$ 7,660	$ 16,688
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	$ 1,700					6,700
Provisions for (recoveries of) excess and obsolete inventory	8,500					20,912	4,567
Adverse purchase commitments (inventory and raw materials), net	(1,968)		$ 303			16,166	1,354
Inventory Valuation Reserves	30,053		19,583			30,053	19,583	$ 9,283
Goodwill impairment	0					17,742	0
Other Tax Expense (Benefit)	3,500
Retail
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0					0
International
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0	$ 17,700	0			17,742	0
Inventory and fabric purchase commitments [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Inventory Valuation Reserves	15,400					15,400
Five Point Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Five [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	500,000		$ 0			500,000	0	0	$ 500,000
Interest rate (as a percentage)									5.50%
COVID-19 employee related cost [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Other Expenses						12,100
COVID-19 Protective Equipment [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Other Expenses	2,500					6,800
COVID-19 restructuring cost [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges						2,300
COVID-19 cost [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Other Expenses	$ 3,300					$ 18,800
Revision of Prior Period, Adjustment [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Increase (Decrease) in Prepaid Expense and Other Assets		$ 29,000		$ 739,000	$ 773,000		$ 815,000	$ 828,000

REVENUE RECOGNITION (Details)

REVENUE RECOGNITION (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 865,080	$ 943,322	$ 2,034,437	$ 2,418,764
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	275,874	302,643	275,874	302,643	$ 262,288
Allowance for credit loss	(7,700)	(4,600)	(7,700)	(4,600)	(6,400)
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $7,675, $6,354, $4,591, respectively	263,231	293,203	263,231	293,203	251,005
Wholesale, Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	339,973	408,357	798,119	978,344
Retail, Apparel and Accessory Stores [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	525,107	534,965	1,236,318	1,440,420
Royalty income, net
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	9,063	9,192	19,989	27,371
Retail
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	449,150	464,100	1,085,883	1,264,283
Retail | Wholesale, Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Retail | Retail, Apparel and Accessory Stores [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	449,150	464,100	1,085,883	1,264,283
Retail | Royalty income, net
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	3,902	4,244	7,648	10,688
Wholesale
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	302,135	352,256	706,009	856,713
Wholesale | Wholesale, Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	302,135	352,256	706,009	856,713
Wholesale | Retail, Apparel and Accessory Stores [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Wholesale | Royalty income, net
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	3,986	4,038	9,576	14,051
International
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	113,795	126,966	242,545	297,768
International | Wholesale, Apparel, Piece Goods and Notions [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	37,838	56,101	92,110	121,631
International | Retail, Apparel and Accessory Stores [Member] [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	75,957	70,865	150,435	176,137
International | Royalty income, net
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Net sales	1,175	910	2,765	2,632
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	255,214	277,234	255,214	277,234	239,059
Reclassification of Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current		1,300		1,300	1,700
Royalties receivable [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	8,596	9,128	8,596	9,128	6,982
Tenant allowances and other receivables [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Current	12,064	16,281	12,064	16,281	16,247
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Allowance, Credit Loss [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Allowance for credit loss	$ (12,643)	$ (9,440)	$ (12,643)	$ (9,440)	$ (11,283)

REVENUE RECOGNITION Contract Li

REVENUE RECOGNITION Contract Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Contract with Customer, Liability, Unredeemed gift cards, Current	$ 15,977	$ 17,563	$ 14,264
Unredeemed customer loyalty rewards	5,510	5,615	5,109
Contract with Customer Private label credit card	714	714	714
Total contract liabilities-current	$ 22,201	$ 23,892	$ 20,087

LEASES Operating lease Term of

LEASES Operating lease Term of Contract and Additional information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Accrued Rent	$ 31.8		$ 31.8
Operating Lease, Impairment Loss	1.4		6.1
Lessee Operating Lease Lease Not yet Commenced Liability Incurred	11		11
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$ 41.6	$ 48.5	$ 139.4	$ 143.7
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lessee, Operating Lease Initial Term	1 year
Lessee, Operating Lease, Lease Not yet Commenced, Term of Contract	6 years		6 years
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Lessee, Operating Lease Initial Term	10 years
Lessee, Operating Lease, Option to Extend	5 years
Lessee, Operating Lease, Lease Not yet Commenced, Term of Contract	11 years		11 years

LEASES Lease Cost and Supplemen

LEASES Lease Cost and Supplementary Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease cost	$ 44,230	$ 45,584	$ 136,180	$ 133,491
Variable lease cost	19,635	15,492	55,139	46,692
Lease, Cost	$ 63,865	$ 61,076	$ 191,319	$ 180,183
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	5 years 7 months 6 days	6 years 1 month 6 days	5 years 7 months 6 days	6 years 1 month 6 days
Operating Lease, Weighted Average Discount Rate, Percent	3.71%	4.39%	3.71%	4.39%
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$ 41,600	$ 48,500	$ 139,400	$ 143,700
Non-cash transactions to recognize operating assets and liabilities for new operating leases	$ 7,300	$ 41,600	$ 52,500	$ 96,000

LEASES Lease Maturity (Details)

LEASES Lease Maturity (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Remainder of 2020	$ 48,575
2021	194,335
2022	158,594
2023	130,414
2024	105,059
2025	76,501
After 2025	128,220
Total lease payments	841,698
Less: Interest	(82,235)
Present value of lease liabilities	$ 759,463

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSI_3

ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ (41,402)	$ (38,908)	$ (41,402)	$ (38,908)	$ (35,634)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	3,643	(2,347)	(5,768)	3,431
Cumulative Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	(32,290)	(29,533)	(32,290)	(29,533)	(26,522)
Pension and Post-retirement Liability Adjustment [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ (9,112)	$ (9,375)	(9,112)	(9,375)	(9,112)
Tax impact			$ 2,800	$ 2,900	$ 2,800

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSET_2

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Goodwill by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Gross amount						$ 229,026	$ 227,101
Goodwill impairment	$ 0			$ (17,742)	$ 0
Foreign currency impact				(1,777)	1,134
Goodwill	209,507		$ 228,235	209,507	228,235	229,026
Wholesale
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Gross amount						74,454	74,454
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Foreign currency impact				0	0
Goodwill	74,454		74,454	74,454	74,454
International
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Gross amount						70,638	68,713
Goodwill impairment	0	$ (17,700)	0	(17,742)	0
Foreign currency impact				(1,777)	1,134
Goodwill	51,119		69,847	51,119	69,847
Retail
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Gross amount						$ 83,934	$ 83,934
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Foreign currency impact				0	0
Goodwill	$ 83,934		$ 83,934	$ 83,934	$ 83,934

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSET_3

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Carrying Value of Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net			$ 41,890		$ 41,890
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross			50,448		50,448
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization			8,558		8,558
Intangible asset impairment	$ 0		30,800	$ 26,500	30,800
Carters Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	220,233		220,233	220,233	220,233	$ 220,233
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	15,000		26,000	15,000	26,000	26,000
Intangible asset impairment		$ 11,000
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	70,000		85,500	70,000	85,500	85,500
Intangible asset impairment		15,500
Other Tradenames [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	2,722		2,972	2,722	2,972	2,909
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	3,911		3,911	3,911	3,911	3,911
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	$ 1,189		939	1,189	939	1,002
Other Tradenames [Member] | Minimum
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted-average useful life	5 years
Other Tradenames [Member] | Maximum
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted-average useful life	20 years
Skip Hop Customer Relationships [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 36,261		$ 39,437	36,261	39,437	38,643
Weighted-average useful life	15 years		15 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 47,300		$ 47,300	47,300	47,300	47,300
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	11,039		7,863	11,039	7,863	8,657
Carters Mexico Customer Relationships [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 1,886		$ 2,453	1,886	2,453	2,483
Weighted-average useful life	10 years		10 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 2,875		$ 3,148	2,875	3,148	3,258
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	989		695	989	695	775
Trade Names [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite and Finite Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	309,144		335,644	309,144	335,644	335,644
Indefinite-Lived Trademarks	307,955		334,705	307,955	334,705	334,642
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	1,189		939	1,189	$ 939	1,002
Customer Relationships [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	38,147			38,147		41,126
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	50,175			50,175		50,558
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	12,028			12,028		$ 9,432
Retail | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			500
Retail | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	13,600		13,600
Wholesale | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			6,800
Wholesale | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	1,600		1,600
International | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			3,700
International | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	$ 0	300		$ 300
Retail Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		500	1,200
Wholesale Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		6,800	19,100
International Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 3,700	$ 10,500

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSET_4

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	$ 0			$ 17,742	$ 0
Goodwill	209,507		$ 228,235	209,507	228,235	$ 229,026
Intangible asset impairment	0		30,800	26,500	30,800
Amortization of Intangible Assets	900		900	2,784	2,810
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 11,000
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	15,000		26,000	15,000	26,000	26,000
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		15,500
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	70,000		85,500	70,000	85,500	$ 85,500
International
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0	17,700	0	17,742	0
Goodwill	51,119		69,847	51,119	$ 69,847
International | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			3,700
International | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	300		300
Wholesale Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		6,800	19,100
International Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		3,700	10,500
Retail Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		500	$ 1,200
Skip Hop [Member] | International
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment		9,400
Carter's [Member] | International
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment		5,200
Carters Mexico [Member] | International
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment		$ 3,100
Other International Reporting Unit [Member]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 11,500			$ 11,500

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSET_5

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS Estimated Amortization Expense (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2021	$ 3,702
2022	3,702
2023	3,660
2024	3,630
2025	$ 3,630

COMMON STOCK (Share Repurchases

COMMON STOCK (Share Repurchases) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Remaining capacity under authorization	$ 650,400			$ 650,400
Number of shares repurchased (shares)	0		602,043	474,684	1,607,920
Aggregate cost of shares repurchased	$ 0		$ 55,021	$ 45,255	$ 147,464
Average price per share (USD per share)	$ 0		$ 91.39	$ 95.34	$ 91.71
Dividend declared per common share (USD per share)	$ 0	$ 0.60	$ 0.50	$ 0.60	$ 1.50

LONG-TERM DEBT (Schedule of Lon

LONG-TERM DEBT (Schedule of Long Term Debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	May 11, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 989,086		$ 594,672	$ 769,525
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less unamortized issuance-related costs for senior notes	(10,914)		(5,328)	(5,475)
Senior notes, net	989,086		494,672	494,525
Secured revolving credit facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0		100,000	275,000
Total Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	1,000,000		500,000	500,000
Five Point Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Five [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	500,000	$ 500,000	0	0
Five Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Seven [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross	$ 500,000		$ 500,000	$ 500,000

LONG-TERM DEBT (Details)

LONG-TERM DEBT (Details)	May 05, 2020	Mar. 25, 2020USD ($)	Sep. 26, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 27, 2020USD ($)	Sep. 26, 2020USD ($)	Sep. 28, 2019USD ($)	May 11, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2019USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowings under secured revolving credit facility					$ 644,000,000	$ 265,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt					0	500,000,000
Long-term debt			$ 989,086,000		989,086,000	769,525,000		$ 594,672,000
Outstanding letters of credit			7,000,000		7,000,000
Minimum liquidity			700,000,000		700,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.35%
Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.15%
Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.40%
LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percentage)	2.125%
LIBOR [Member] | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.125%
LIBOR [Member] | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	237.50%
Base Rate [Member] | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.125%
Base Rate [Member] | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.375%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Borrowings under secured revolving credit facility		$ 639,000,000
Long-term debt			0		0	275,000,000		100,000,000
Available for future borrowing			743,000,000		743,000,000
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross			$ 1,200,000		$ 1,200,000
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percentage)			1.625%		1.625%
Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Base Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percentage)	1.125%		0.625%		0.625%
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, face amount			$ 1,000,000,000		$ 1,000,000,000
Debt issuance costs			10,914,000		10,914,000	5,475,000		5,328,000
Senior notes, net			989,086,000		989,086,000	494,525,000		494,672,000
Five Point Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Five [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Senior Long-term Debt				$ 500,000,000	500,000,000	0
Interest rate (as a percentage)							5.50%
Long-term Debt, Gross			$ 500,000,000		500,000,000	0	$ 500,000,000	0
Debt Issuance Costs, Gross							$ 6,500,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt					$ 494,500,000
Fourth fiscal quarter of 2021 [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant, Consolidated Leverage Ratio			4
Debt covenant, fixed charge coverage ratio			1.85
First fiscal quarter of 2021 [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Covenant, Consolidated Leverage Ratio			5.50
Debt covenant, fixed charge coverage ratio			1.25
Five Point Six Two Five Percent Senior Notes due Twenty Twenty Seven [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percentage)			5.625%		5.625%
Long-term Debt, Gross			$ 500,000,000		$ 500,000,000	$ 500,000,000		$ 500,000,000

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Detai

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 3,046		$ 3,733	$ 9,531	$ 13,540
Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	597		904	2,065	3,146
Time-based restricted stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	2,449		2,288	7,798	7,034
Performance Shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	0		299	(1,927)	1,957
Stock-based compensation expense		$ 2,800
Stock Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$ 0		$ 242	$ 1,595	$ 1,403

INCOME TAXES (Details)

INCOME TAXES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Gross unrecognized tax benefits	$ 13.4
Unrecognized tax benefits that if recognized would impact effective tax rate	11.5
Reserves for unrecognized tax benefits	2.7
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Expense	0.6	$ 0.7
Interest accrued on uncertain tax positions	$ 2.9	$ 2.5	$ 2.3

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Fair Va

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Fair Value measurements (Investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Investments	$ 2.5	$ 0.9	$ 0.6	$ 2.5
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Investments	$ 18.9	$ 18.2	$ 18.9	$ 18.2	$ 19.7

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS FAIR _2

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Borrowings) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 989,086,000	$ 594,672,000	$ 769,525,000
Secured revolving credit facility [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0	$ 100,000,000	$ 275,000,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, face amount	1,000,000,000
Fair Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Senior Notes [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 1,050,000,000

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Goodwi

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Goodwill and Intangible Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Dec. 28, 2019
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	$ 0			$ 17,742	$ 0
Intangible asset impairment	0		$ 30,800	26,500	30,800
Goodwill	209,507		228,235	209,507	228,235	$ 229,026
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 15,500
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	70,000		85,500	70,000	85,500	85,500
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		11,000
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets	15,000		26,000	15,000	26,000	$ 26,000
Wholesale Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		6,800	19,100
Wholesale
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Goodwill	74,454		74,454	74,454	74,454
Wholesale | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	1,600		1,600
Wholesale | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			6,800
International
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0	17,700	0	17,742	0
Goodwill	51,119		69,847	51,119	69,847
International | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	300		300
International | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			3,700
Retail
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Goodwill	83,934		83,934	83,934	83,934
Retail | Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	13,600		13,600
Retail | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			500
International Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		3,700	10,500
Retail Segment [Member] | Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 500	1,200
Operating Segments [Member] | Wholesale
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment			19,100		19,100
Operating Segments [Member] | International
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment			10,500		10,500
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment			$ 1,200		$ 1,200
Other International Reporting Unit [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 11,500			$ 11,500

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Impairm

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Impairment of Long-Lived tangible assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 26, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	$ 1.7	$ 6.7

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Details)

EARNINGS PER SHARE (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Weighted-average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding:
Basic number of common shares outstanding	43,193,752	44,144,135	43,237,319	44,640,413
Dilutive effect of equity awards	156,878	287,904	174,351	302,832
Diluted number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding	43,350,630	44,432,039	43,411,670	44,943,245
Basic net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data):
Net income	$ 81,241	$ 60,252	$ 10,703	$ 138,655
Income allocated to participating securities	(837)	(565)	(88)	(1,244)
Net income available to common shareholders	$ 80,404	$ 59,687	$ 10,615	$ 137,411
Basic net income per common share (USD per share)	$ 1.86	$ 1.35	$ 0.25	$ 3.08
Diluted net income per common share (in thousands, except per share data):
Net income	$ 81,241	$ 60,252	$ 10,703	$ 138,655
Income allocated to participating securities	(834)	(563)	(89)	(1,239)
Net income available to common shareholders	$ 80,407	$ 59,689	$ 10,614	$ 137,416
Diluted net income per common share (USD per share)	$ 1.85	$ 1.34	$ 0.24	$ 3.06
Anti-dilutive awards excluded from diluted earnings per share computation (in shares)	729,476	691,707	744,499	505,642

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM L_3

OTHER CURRENT AND LONG-TERM LIABILITIES (Other Current Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes payable	$ 18,744	$ 23,269	$ 26,909

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES C

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitment Reserves (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 26, 2020	Dec. 28, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Inventory Valuation Reserves	$ 30,053	$ 9,283	$ 19,583
Inventory and fabric purchase commitments [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Inventory Valuation Reserves	$ 15,400

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details)

SEGMENT INFORMATION (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	$ 0			$ 17,742	$ 0
Net sales	865,080		$ 943,322	2,034,437	2,418,764
Operating Income (Loss)	$ 113,527		$ 83,870	$ 56,003	$ 209,105
Operating income (loss) as percentage of segment net sales	13.10%		8.90%	2.80%	8.60%
Intangible asset impairment	$ 0		$ 30,800	$ 26,500	$ 30,800
Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Net sales	302,135		352,256	706,009	856,713
Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Net sales	449,150		464,100	1,085,883	1,264,283
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0	$ 17,700	0	17,742	0
Net sales	113,795		126,966	242,545	297,768
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 865,080		$ 943,322	$ 2,034,437	$ 2,418,764
Percentage of total net sales	100.00%		100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Operating Segments [Member] | Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 200			$ 1,500
Operating Costs and Expenses	1,600		$ 19,100	18,400	$ 19,100
Net sales	$ 302,135		$ 352,256	$ 706,009	$ 856,713
Percentage of total net sales	34.90%		37.30%	34.70%	35.40%
Operating Income (Loss)	$ 65,718		$ 54,391	$ 89,141	$ 145,181
Operating income (loss) as percentage of segment net sales	21.80%		15.40%	12.60%	16.90%
Intangible asset impairment			$ 19,100		$ 19,100
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 300			$ 3,400
Operating Costs and Expenses	3,400		1,200	32,100	500
Net sales	$ 449,150		$ 464,100	$ 1,085,883	$ 1,264,283
Percentage of total net sales	51.90%		49.20%	53.40%	52.30%
Operating Income (Loss)	$ 47,559		$ 49,472	$ 38,902	$ 124,567
Operating income (loss) as percentage of segment net sales	10.60%		10.70%	3.60%	9.90%
Intangible asset impairment			$ 1,200		$ 1,200
Operating Segments [Member] | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 300			$ 1,900
Operating Costs and Expenses	600		10,500	25,800	8,400
Net sales	$ 113,795		$ 126,966	$ 242,545	$ 297,768
Percentage of total net sales	13.20%		13.50%	11.90%	12.30%
Operating Income (Loss)	$ 17,400		$ 6,136	$ (15,819)	$ 15,351
Operating income (loss) as percentage of segment net sales	15.30%		4.80%	(6.50%)	5.20%
Intangible asset impairment			$ 10,500		$ 10,500
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 400			$ 2,000	1,600
Corporate expenses	(17,150)		(26,129)	(56,221)	$ (75,994)
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		11,000
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			6,800
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			500
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	$ 0			$ 3,700
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Wholesale Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		6,800	19,100
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | International Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		3,700	10,500
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Retail Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 500	$ 1,200

SEGMENT INFORMATION SEGMENT CHA

SEGMENT INFORMATION SEGMENT CHARGES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Mar. 28, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 28, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income	$ 113,527		$ 83,870	$ 56,003	$ 209,105
Intangible asset impairment	0		30,800	26,500	30,800
Goodwill impairment	0			17,742	0
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	1,700			6,700
Operating Lease, Impairment Loss	1,400			6,100
Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0			0
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment	0	$ 17,700	0	17,742	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	300			3,400
Benefit related to sale of inventory previously reserved			0		0
Operating income	47,559		49,472	38,902	124,567
Other Restructuring Costs			0		(700)
Intangible asset impairment			1,200		1,200
Other Cost and Expense, Operating	1,600			8,300
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	1,500			6,300
Operating Costs and Expenses	3,400		1,200	32,100	500
Operating Segments [Member] | Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	200			1,500
Benefit related to sale of inventory previously reserved			0		0
Operating income	65,718		54,391	89,141	145,181
Other Restructuring Costs			0		0
Intangible asset impairment			19,100		19,100
Other Cost and Expense, Operating	1,400			8,500
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	0			0
Operating Costs and Expenses	1,600		19,100	18,400	19,100
Operating Segments [Member] | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	300			1,900
Benefit related to sale of inventory previously reserved			0		(2,100)
Operating income	17,400		6,136	(15,819)	15,351
Other Restructuring Costs			0		0
Intangible asset impairment			10,500		10,500
Other Cost and Expense, Operating	300			2,000
Impairment of Operating lease and Other long-Lived Asset	0			200
Operating Costs and Expenses	600		$ 10,500	25,800	$ 8,400
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		15,500
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member] | Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	13,600		13,600
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member] | Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	1,600		1,600
Oshkosh Trade Name [Member] | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0	300		300
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment		$ 11,000
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			500
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | Wholesale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	0			6,800
Skip Hop Trade Name [Member] | International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intangible asset impairment	$ 0			$ 3,700

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Details)

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Details) - Selling, General and Administrative Expenses - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 26, 2020	Sep. 26, 2020
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 1,214	$ 8,753
Severance and other termination benefits
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	181	4,423
Lease exit costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	780	2,495
Relocation and recruiting
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	253	1,755
Other closure costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Charges	$ 0	$ 80

RESTRUCTURING RESERVE (Details)

RESTRUCTURING RESERVE (Details) $ in Millions	Sep. 26, 2020USD ($)
Severance and other termination benefits
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring Reserve	$ 1.3
Minimum
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	1
Maximum
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Expected Cost	$ 2