Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of presentation. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared from the records of Ross Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) without audit and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments (consisting of only normal, recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position as of November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 , the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 , and cash flows for the nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 . The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of February 3, 2018 , presented herein, has been derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year then ended. Certain information and disclosures normally included in the notes to annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted for purposes of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements. The interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements, including notes thereto, contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 3, 2018 . The results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year. Recently adopted accounting standards. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Accounting Standards Codification "ASC" 606) which, along with subsequent amendments, supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in “Revenue Recognition (ASC 605).” This guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized and requires entities to recognize revenue when the customer obtains control of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. The Company adopted ASC 606 as of February 4, 2018, using the modified retrospective method. Results for reporting periods beginning on or after February 4, 2018 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts were not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with ASC 605. Upon adoption of ASC 606, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to increase beginning retained earnings by $20 million as of February 4, 2018, primarily due to the change in the timing of the recognition of stored value card breakage. The impact of applying ASC 606 was not material to the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 . In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash . ASU 2016-18 requires restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the total beginning and ending amounts on the statement of cash flows. The standard also requires companies who report cash and restricted cash separately on the balance sheet to reconcile those amounts to the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted ASU 2016-18 as of February 4, 2018, using the retrospective method. Significant accounting policies. Except for the updates to accounting policies for revenue recognition and allowance for sales returns as a result of adopting ASC 606 described below, there have been no significant changes to the accounting policies followed by the Company as described in Note A to the audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018. Revenue recognition. The Company recognizes revenue at the point of sale, net of sales taxes collected and an allowance for estimated future returns. Sales taxes collected that are outstanding and the allowance for estimated future returns are included in Accrued expenses and other in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Sales of stored value cards are deferred until they are redeemed for the purchase of Company merchandise. The Company’s stored value cards do not have expiration dates. Based upon historical redemption rates, a small percentage of stored value cards will never be redeemed, which represents breakage. As a result of adopting ASC 606, breakage is estimated and recognized as revenue based upon the historical pattern of customer redemptions. In prior periods, breakage was recorded as a reduction of operating expense when customer redemption was considered remote. Breakage was not material to the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 . The following sales mix table disaggregates revenue by merchandise category for the three and nine month periods ended November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 : Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 3, 2018 October 28, 2017 November 3, 2018 October 28, 2017 Ladies 27 % 28 % 28 % 28 % Home Accents and Bed and Bath 25 % 25 % 24 % 25 % Men's 14 % 13 % 13 % 13 % Shoes 13 % 13 % 14 % 14 % Accessories, Lingerie, Fine Jewelry, and Fragrances 13 % 13 % 13 % 12 % Children's 8 % 8 % 8 % 8 % Total 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % Allowance for sales returns. As a result of the adoption of ASC 606, the Company recognizes allowances for estimated sales returns on a gross basis. This results in (i) an asset recorded for the expected recovery of merchandise inventory and a liability recorded for the refund due to the customer and (ii) a change in sales and related cost of goods sold based on the required reserve for estimated returns. Prior to the adoption of ASC 606, the Company recognized allowances for sales returns on a net basis. Cash, restricted cash, and restricted investments. Restricted cash, cash equivalents, and investments serve as collateral for certain insurance obligations of the Company. These restricted funds are invested in bank deposits, money market mutual funds, U.S. Government and agency securities, and corporate securities and cannot be withdrawn from the Company’s account without the prior written consent of the secured parties. The classification between current and long-term is based on the timing of expected payments of the insurance obligations. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and equivalents in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets that reconcile to the amounts shown on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows: ($000) November 3, 2018 February 3, 2018 October 28, 2017 Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,349,196 $ 1,290,294 $ 1,144,169 Restricted cash and cash equivalents included in: Prepaid expenses and other 8,933 9,412 12,776 Other long-term assets 53,460 53,566 50,992 Total restricted cash and cash equivalents 62,393 62,978 63,768 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash and equivalents $ 1,411,589 $ 1,353,272 $ 1,207,937 In addition to the restricted cash and equivalents in the table above, the Company had restricted investments included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as shown below: ($000) November 3, 2018 February 3, 2018 October 28, 2017 Prepaid expenses and other $ 2,801 $ 2,435 $ 688 Other long-term assets — 403 2,862 Total restricted investments $ 2,801 $ 2,838 $ 3,550 Property and equipment. As of November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 , the Company had $13.0 million and $6.4 million , respectively, of property and equipment purchased but not yet paid. These purchases are included in Property and Equipment, Accounts payable, and Accrued expenses and other in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Cash dividends. Dividends included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows reflect cash dividends paid during the periods shown. Dividends per share reported on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings reflect cash dividends declared during the periods shown. The Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.225 per common share in March, May, and August 2018 and $0.160 per common share in February, May, August, and November 2017, respectively. In November 2018 , the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.225 per common share, payable on December 28, 2018 . Litigation, claims, and assessments. Like many retailers, the Company has been named in class action lawsuits, primarily in California, alleging violation of wage and hour/employment laws and consumer protection laws. Class action litigation remains pending as of November 3, 2018 . The Company is also party to various other legal and regulatory proceedings arising in the normal course of business. Actions filed against the Company may include commercial, product and product safety, consumer, intellectual property, and labor and employment-related claims, including lawsuits in which private plaintiffs or governmental agencies allege that the Company violated federal, state, and/or local laws. Actions against the Company are in various procedural stages. Many of these proceedings raise factual and legal issues and are subject to uncertainties. In the opinion of management, the resolution of pending class action litigation and other currently pending legal and regulatory proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Recently issued accounting standards. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs issued by the FASB. ASUs not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial results. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) . The ASU requires balance sheet recognition for all leases with lease terms greater than one year including a lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company’s annual and interim reporting periods beginning in fiscal 2019. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements .” This update provides an additional (and optional) transition method to adopt the new leases standard, which allows entities to initially apply the new standard at the effective date with a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings and does not require restatement of prior periods. The Company plans to adopt the new leases standard using the optional transition method. In addition, the Company does not plan to elect the transitional package of practical expedients or the use of hindsight upon adoption. The Company is finalizing the expected effect adoption of this new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements. Due to the substantial number of leases that it has, the Company believes this ASU will increase assets and liabilities by a material amount on its consolidated balance sheet. The Company’s current undiscounted minimum commitments under noncancelable operating leases is approximately $3.9 billion . The Company does not believe adoption of this ASU will have a significant impact to its consolidated statements of earnings, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows. |