Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Business As of January 28, 2017, Burlington Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Company), a Delaware Corporation, through its wholly owned indirect subsidiary Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation (BCFWC), operated 592 retail stores, inclusive of an internet store, in 45 states and Puerto Rico, selling apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children. A majority of those stores offer a home furnishing and linens department and a juvenile furniture department. As of January 28, 2017, the Company operated stores under the names “Burlington Stores” (576 stores), “Cohoes Fashions” (2 stores), “Super Baby Depot” (2 stores), “MJM Designer Shoes” (10 stores), “Burlington Shoes” (1 store) and one online store. Cohoes Fashions offers products similar to those offered by Burlington Stores. MJM Designer Shoes and Burlington Shoes offer moderately priced designer and fashion shoes. The Super Baby Depot stores offer baby clothing, accessories, furniture and other merchandise in the middle to higher price range. During the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017 (Fiscal 2016), the Company opened 30 new stores under the name “Burlington Stores” and closed three Burlington Stores and two MJM Designer Shoes stores. Basis of Consolidation and Presentation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Burlington Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Fiscal Years The Company defines its fiscal year as the 52 or 53 week period ending on the Saturday closest to January 31. Fiscal 2016, and the Fiscal years ended January 30, 2016 (Fiscal 2015) and January 31, 2015 (Fiscal 2014) each consisted of 52 weeks. Use of Estimates Certain amounts included in the Consolidated Financial Statements are estimated based on historical experience, currently available information and management’s judgment as to the expected outcome of future conditions and circumstances. While every effort is made to ensure the integrity of such estimates, actual results could differ from these estimates, and such differences could have a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Secondary Offerings During Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, the Company closed secondary public offerings in which 12,490,154 shares and 42,300,000 shares of its common stock, respectively, were sold by certain of the Company’s stockholders. All of the shares sold in the secondary offerings were offered by selling stockholders. The Company did not receive any of the proceeds from the secondary offerings. The Company incurred $0.2 million and $1.8 million in offering costs related to the secondary offerings during Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, respectively, which are included in the line item “Costs related to debt amendments and secondary offerings” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents represent cash and short-term, highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. Book cash overdrafts are included in the line item “Accounts payable” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Accounts Receivable Accounts receivable consist of credit card receivables, lease incentive receivables and other receivables. Accounts receivable are recorded at net realizable value, which approximates fair value. The Company provides an allowance for doubtful accounts for amounts deemed uncollectible. Inventories Merchandise inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market, as determined by the retail inventory method. Under the retail inventory method, the valuation of inventories at cost and the resulting gross margins are calculated by applying a calculated cost to retail ratio to the retail value of inventories. The Company regularly records a provision for estimated shortage, thereby reducing the carrying value of merchandise inventory. Complete physical inventories of all of the Company’s stores and warehouses are performed no less frequently than annually, with the recorded amount of merchandise inventory being adjusted to coincide with these physical counts. The Company records its cost of merchandise (net of purchase discounts and certain vendor allowances), certain merchandise acquisition costs (primarily commissions and import fees), inbound freight, outbound freight from distribution centers, and freight on internally transferred merchandise in the line item “Cost of sales” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Costs associated with the Company’s distribution, buying, and store receiving functions are included in the line items “Selling, general and administrative expenses” and “Depreciation and amortization” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Product sourcing costs included within the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” amounted to $261.0 million, $229.4 million and $204.1 million during Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, respectively. Depreciation and amortization related to the distribution and purchasing functions for the same periods amounted to $22.6 million, $18.3 million and $15.3 million, respectively. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from 20 and 40 years for buildings, depending upon the expected useful life of the facility, and three to ten years for store fixtures and equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lease term, including any reasonably assured renewal options or the expected economic life of the improvement, whichever is less. Repairs and maintenance expenditures are expensed as incurred. Renewals and betterments, which significantly extend the useful lives of existing property and equipment, are capitalized. Assets recorded under capital leases are recorded at the present value of minimum lease payments and are amortized over the lease term. Amortization of assets recorded as capital leases is included in the line item “Depreciation and amortization” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. The carrying value of all long-lived assets is reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, in accordance with ASC Topic No. 360 “ Impairment of Long-Lived Assets The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to undiscounted pre-tax future net cash flows expected to be generated by that asset. If the undiscounted future cash flows are not adequate to recover the carrying value of the asset, an impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of such assets. Refer to Note 6, “Impairment Charges,” for further discussion of the Company’s measurement of impairment of long-lived assets. Capitalized Computer Software Costs The Company accounts for capitalized software in accordance with ASC Topic No. 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” (Topic No. 350) which requires the capitalization of certain costs incurred in connection with developing or obtaining software for internal use. The Company capitalized $28.2 million and $17.1 million relating to these costs during Fiscal 2016 and Fiscal 2015, respectively. Intangible Assets The Company accounts for intangible assets in accordance with Topic No. 350. The Company’s intangible assets primarily represent tradenames and favorable lease positions. The tradename asset “Burlington” is expected to generate cash flows indefinitely and, therefore, is accounted for as an indefinite-lived asset not subject to amortization. The values of favorable and unfavorable lease positions are amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected lease terms. Amortization of net favorable lease positions is included in the line item “Depreciation and amortization” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company evaluates its intangible assets for possible impairment as follows: Indefinite-lived intangible assets: The Company tests identifiable intangible assets with an indefinite life for impairment on an annual basis, or when a triggering event occurs, relying on a number of factors that include operating results, business plans and projected future cash flows. The impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset with its carrying amount. The Company determines fair value through the relief of royalty method which is a widely accepted valuation technique. In May 2016, the Company’s annual assessment date, the Company performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair values of each of the Company’s identifiable intangible assets are greater than their respective carrying values. There were no impairment charges recorded during Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 or Fiscal 2014 related to indefinite-lived intangible assets. Finite-lived intangible assets: Identifiable intangible assets that are subject to amortization are evaluated for impairment in accordance with Topic No. 360 using a process similar to that used to evaluate other long-lived assets as described in Note 6, “Impairment Charges.” An impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. For the favorable lease positions, if the carrying amount exceeds the estimated expected undiscounted future cash flows, the Company measures the amount of the impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to its fair value. The fair value is estimated by discounting expected future cash flows using the Company’s risk adjusted rate of interest. The Company recorded impairment charges of $1.6 million and $3.3 million related to finite-lived intangible assets during Fiscal 2016 and Fiscal 2015, respectively. These charges are recorded in the line item “Impairment charges–long-lived assets” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of . Refer to Note 6, “Impairment Charges,” for further discussion of the Company’s measurement of impairment of long-lived assets. Goodwill Goodwill represents the excess of the acquisition cost over the estimated fair value of tangible assets and other identifiable intangible assets acquired less liabilities assumed. Topic No. 350 requires a comparison, at least annually, of the carrying value of the assets and liabilities associated with a reporting unit, including goodwill, with the fair value of the reporting unit. The Company determines fair value through multiple widely accepted valuation techniques. These techniques use a variety of assumptions including projected market conditions, discount rates and future cash flows. If the carrying value of the assets and liabilities exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, the Company would calculate the implied fair value of its reporting unit goodwill as compared with the carrying value of its reporting unit goodwill to determine the appropriate impairment charge. In May 2016, the Company’s annual assessment date, the Company performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair value of the Company’s reporting unit was greater than its respective carrying value. There were no impairment charges related to goodwill during Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 or Fiscal 2014. Other Assets Other assets consist primarily of landlord owned store assets that the Company has paid for as part of its lease, deferred financing costs associated with the Company’s senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility (the ABL Line of Credit) and purchased lease rights. Landlord owned assets represent leasehold improvements at certain stores for which the Company has paid, but the landlord has retained title. These assets are amortized over the lease term inclusive of reasonably assured renewal options, and the amortization is included in the line item “Depreciation and amortization” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Deferred financing costs are amortized over the life of the ABL Line of Credit using the interest method of amortization. Amortization of deferred financing costs is recorded in the line item “Interest expense” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Purchased lease rights are amortized over the lease term inclusive of reasonably assured renewal options and the amortization is recorded in the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Both landlord owned assets and purchased lease rights are assessed for impairment in accordance with Topic No. 360. During Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, the Company recorded impairment charges of $0.1 million, $0.4 million and $0.2 million, respectively, related to purchased lease rights and landlord owned assets. These charges are recorded in the line item “Impairment charges–long-lived assets” in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. Refer to Note 6, “Impairment Charges,” for further discussion of the Company’s measurement of impairment of long-lived assets. Other Current Liabilities Other current liabilities primarily consist of sales tax payable, customer liabilities, accrued payroll costs, self-insurance reserves, accrued operating expenses, payroll taxes payable, current portion of straight line rent liability and other miscellaneous items. Customer liabilities totaled $33.2 million and $32.3 million as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, respectively. The Company has risk participation agreements with insurance carriers with respect to workers’ compensation, general liability insurance and health insurance. Pursuant to these arrangements, the Company is responsible for paying individual claims up to designated dollar limits. The amounts related to these claims are estimated and can vary based on changes in assumptions or claims experience included in the associated insurance programs. An increase in workers’ compensation claims, health insurance claims or general liability claims may result in a corresponding increase in costs related to these claims. Self-insurance reserves as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016 were: (in thousands) Fiscal Years Ended January 28, 2017 January 30, 2016 Short-term self-insurance reserve(a) $ 28,569 $ 25,566 Long-term self-insurance reserve(b) 41,404 37,456 Total $ 69,973 $ 63,022 (a) Represents the portions of the self-insurance reserve expected to be paid in the next twelve months, which was recorded in the line item “Other current liabilities” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. (b) The remaining self-insurance reserve balance was recorded in the line item “Other liabilities” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Other Liabilities Other liabilities primarily consist of deferred lease incentives, the long term portion of self-insurance reserves, the excess of straight-line rent expense over actual rental payments and tax liabilities associated with the uncertain tax positions recognized by the Company in accordance with ASC Topic No. 740 “Income Taxes” (Topic No. 740). Deferred lease incentives are funds received or receivable from landlords used primarily to offset the costs incurred for remodeling of stores. These deferred lease incentives are amortized over the expected lease term, including rent holiday periods and option periods where the exercise of the option can be reasonably assured. Amortization of deferred lease incentives is included in the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. At January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, deferred lease incentives were $180.9 million and $179.3 million, respectively. Revenue Recognition The Company records revenue at the time of sale and delivery of merchandise, net of allowances for estimated future returns. The Company presents sales, net of sales taxes, in its Consolidated Statements of Income. The Company accounts for layaway sales and leased department revenue in compliance with ASC Topic No. 605 “Revenue Recognition” (Topic No. 605). Layaway sales are recognized upon delivery of merchandise to the customer. The amount of cash received upon initiation of the layaway is recorded as a deposit liability in the line item “Other current liabilities” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. Store value cards (gift cards and store credits issued for merchandise returns) are recorded as a liability at the time of issuance, and the related sale is recorded upon redemption. The Company determines an estimated store value card breakage rate by continuously evaluating historical redemption data. Breakage income is recognized monthly in proportion to the historical redemption patterns for those store value cards for which the likelihood of redemption is remote. Other Revenue Other revenue consists of service fees (layaway, shipping and handling, alteration, dormancy and other service charges), subleased rental income and rental income from leased departments as shown in the table below: (in thousands) Fiscal Years Ended January 28, 2017 January 30, 2016 January 31, 2015 Service fees $ 15,779 $ 14,782 $ 14,269 Subleased rental income and other 8,720 8,681 8,495 Rental income from leased departments 413 7,448 12,366 Total $ 24,912 $ 30,911 $ 35,130 Rental income from leased departments results from arrangements at some of the Company’s stores where the Company had granted unaffiliated third parties the right to use designated store space solely for the purpose of selling such third parties’ goods, including such items as fragrances. Rental income is based on an agreed upon percentage of the lease departments’ total revenues. The Company does not own or have any rights to any tradenames, licenses or other intellectual property in connection with the brands sold by such unaffiliated third parties. During Fiscal 2015, the Company began the conversion of its fragrance business, which was previously operated under a licensing arrangement, to an owned category, and such sales are recorded in the line item “Net sales” in our Consolidated Statements of Income. Advertising Costs The Company’s advertising costs consist primarily of national television, direct mail and digital costs. Advertising costs are expensed the first time the advertising takes place, and are included in the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income. During Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, net advertising costs were $81.8 million, $84.7 million and $84.9 million, respectively. Barter Transactions The Company accounts for barter transactions under ASC Topic No. 845 “Nonmonetary Transactions.” Barter transactions with commercial substance are recorded at the estimated fair value of the products exchanged, unless the products received have a more readily determinable estimated fair value. Revenue associated with barter transactions is recorded at the time of the exchange of the related assets. During Fiscal 2016 and Fiscal 2015, the Company exchanged $ 0.6 and $0.1 million, respectively, of inventory for certain advertising credits. The following table summarizes the prepaid advertising expense which was included in the line items “Prepaid and other current assets” and “Other assets” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016: (in thousands) January 28, 2017 January 30, 2016 Prepaid and other current assets $ 2,677 $ 3,300 Other assets 1,024 2,196 Total prepaid advertising expense $ 3,701 $ 5,496 The following table details barter credit usage for Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, which are included in the line item “Selling, general and administrative expenses” on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income: (in thousands) Fiscal Years Ended January 28, 2017 January 30, 2016 January 31, 2015 Barter credit usage $ 2,384 $ 2,551 $ 2,650 Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Topic No. 740. Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and such amounts as measured by tax laws. A valuation allowance against the Company’s deferred tax assets is recorded when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, management is required to make assumptions and to apply judgment, including forecasting future earnings, taxable income, and the mix of earnings in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. Management periodically assesses the need for a valuation allowance based on the Company’s current and anticipated results of operations. The need for and the amount of a valuation allowance can change in the near term if operating results and projections change significantly. Topic No. 740 requires the recognition in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements of the impact of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, if that position is “more likely than not” of being sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authority, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as part of income taxes. Other Income, Net Other income, net, consists of breakage income, net gains and losses from disposition of fixed assets, investment income gains and losses, and other miscellaneous income items. During Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, the Company recognized $3.3 million, Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income is comprised of net income, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges, less amounts reclassified into earnings. Lease Accounting The Company leases store locations, distribution centers and office space used in its operations. The Company accounts for these types of leases in accordance with ASC Topic No. 840, “Leases” (Topic No. 840), and subsequent amendments, which require that leases be evaluated and classified as operating or capital leases for financial reporting purposes. Assets held under capital leases are included in the line item “Property and equipment—net of accumulated depreciation and amortization” in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets. For leases classified as operating, the Company calculates rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lesser of the lease term including renewal options, if reasonably assured, or the economic life of the leased premises, taking into consideration rent escalation clauses, rent holidays and other lease concessions. The Company commences recording rent expense during the store fixturing and merchandising phase of the leased property. Stock-Based Compensation The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic No. 718, “Stock Compensation” (Topic No. 718), which requires companies to record stock compensation expense for all non-vested and new awards beginning as of the grant date. As of January 28, 2017, there were 5,789,898 shares available for issuance under the Company’s 2013 Management Incentive Plan as defined in Note 12, “Stock-Based Compensation.” As of January 28, 2017, there were 2,646,123 options outstanding and 744,634 shares of non-vested restricted stock outstanding under the Company’s Management Incentive Plans. During Fiscal 2016, Fiscal 2015 and Fiscal 2014, the Company recognized non-cash stock compensation expense in the amount of $16.0 million, $11.2 million and $6.3 million, respectively. Refer to Note 12 for further details. Net Income Per Share Net income per share is calculated using the treasury stock method. Refer to Note 11, “Net Income Per Share,” for further details. Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash, cash equivalents and investments. The Company manages the credit risk associated with cash equivalents and investments by investing with high-quality institutions and, by policy, limiting investments only to those which meet prescribed investment guidelines. The Company maintains cash accounts that, at times, may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses from maintaining cash accounts in excess of such limits. Management believes that it is not exposed to any significant risks on its cash and cash equivalent accounts. Segment Information The Company reports segment information in accordance with ASC Topic No. 280 “Segment Reporting.” The Company has one reportable segment. The Company is an off-price retailer that offers customers a complete line of value-priced apparel, including: ladies sportswear, menswear, coats, family footwear and youth apparel as well as baby furniture, accessories, home décor and gifts. Sales percentage by major product category is as follows: Category Fiscal 2016 Fiscal 2015 Fiscal 2014 Women’s ready-to-wear apparel 24 % 24 % 24 % Accessories and footwear 22 % 22 % 22 % Menswear 20 % 21 % 20 % Youth apparel/baby 16 % 16 % 18 % Home 12 % 11 % 9 % Coats 6 % 6 % 7 % |