Central Garden & Pet (CENT) 10-Q 7 May 19 2019 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Apr. 29, 2019
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Mar. 30, 2019
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Trading Symbol	CENT
Entity Registrant Name	CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO
Entity Central Index Key	0000887733
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-28
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		12,145,135
Class A Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		44,476,424
Class B Common Stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,652,262

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 329,724	$ 482,106	$ 132,265
Restricted cash	16,115	10,899	13,948
Accounts receivable (less allowance for doubtful accounts of $16,818, $20,976 and $24,125)	456,129	275,908	395,151
Inventories, net	517,158	427,823	465,522
Prepaid expenses and other	33,161	20,562	26,677
Total current assets	1,352,287	1,217,298	1,033,563
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment—net	217,538	217,647	210,563
Goodwill	281,177	281,177	268,243
Other intangible assets—net	142,798	152,265	141,530
Other assets	52,340	38,822	50,064
Total	2,046,140	1,907,209	1,703,963
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	157,596	110,259	150,975
Accrued expenses	136,413	102,583	116,414
Current portion of long-term debt	5,119	122	20
Total current liabilities	299,128	212,964	267,409
Long-term debt	692,646	692,031	691,084
Deferred taxes and other long-term obligations	55,064	49,380	40,368
Equity:
Additional paid-in capital	592,331	590,168	393,852
Accumulated earnings	407,117	362,923	310,810
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(1,280)	(1,218)	(673)
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	998,749	952,449	704,508
Noncontrolling interest	553	385	594
Total equity	999,302	952,834	705,102
Total	2,046,140	1,907,209	1,703,963
Common stock, $0.01 par value: 12,145,135 shares outstanding at March 30, 2019, March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018
Equity:
Common stock	121	121	121
Total equity	121	121	121
Class A common stock, $0.01 par value: 44,386,792, 38,171,595 and 43,953,265 shares outstanding at March 30, 2019, March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018
Equity:
Common stock	444	439	382
Total equity	444	439	382
Class B stock, $0.01 par value: 1,652,262 shares outstanding
Equity:
Common stock	16	16	16
Total equity	$ 16	$ 16	$ 16

Condensed Consolidated Balanc_2

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Accounts receivable allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 16,818	$ 24,125	$ 20,976
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common Stock
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	12,145,135	12,145,135	12,145,135
Class A Common Stock
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	44,386,792	43,953,265	38,171,595
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Class B Common Stock
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares)	1,652,262	1,652,262	1,652,262
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.01

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 673,701	$ 613,094	$ 1,135,691	$ 1,055,105
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	467,650	418,637	799,458	728,811
Gross profit	206,051	194,457	336,233	326,294
Selling, general and administrative expenses	143,898	128,671	263,899	237,987
Operating income	62,153	65,786	72,334	88,307
Interest expense	(10,640)	(10,575)	(21,254)	(17,980)
Interest income	2,255	693	4,792	880
Other income (expense)	500	1,505	308	(1,584)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	54,268	57,409	56,180	69,623
Income tax expense (benefit)	11,546	11,643	11,819	(2,593)
Income including noncontrolling interest	42,722	45,766	44,361	72,216
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	331	532	167	735
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	$ 42,391	$ 45,234	$ 44,194	$ 71,481
Net income per share attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.74	$ 0.89	$ 0.78	$ 1.41
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.73	$ 0.86	$ 0.76	$ 1.36
Weighted average shares used in the computation of net income per share:
Basic (in shares)	57,050	50,871	56,976	50,816
Diluted (in shares)	58,026	52,658	58,013	52,693

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Income including noncontrolling interest	$ 42,722		$ 45,766		$ 44,361	$ 72,216
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	212		234		(62)	278
Total comprehensive income	42,934	$ 1,365	46,000	$ 26,494	44,299	72,494
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	331		532		167	735
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	$ 42,603		$ 45,468		$ 44,132	$ 71,759

Condensed Consolidated Statem_3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 44,361	$ 72,216
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	24,229	22,285
Amortization of deferred financing costs	916	833
Stock-based compensation	5,907	5,536
Deferred income taxes	6,044	(14,763)
Gain on sale of property and equipment	(16)	(11)
Other	(710)	2,984
Change in assets and liabilities (excluding businesses acquired):
Accounts receivable	(159,933)	(154,712)
Inventories	(59,630)	(57,965)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(2,772)	(10,273)
Accounts payable	41,332	40,712
Accrued expenses	20,818	(1,848)
Other long-term obligations	135	1,048
Net cash used by operating activities	(79,319)	(93,958)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property and equipment	(14,302)	(17,566)
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	(11,137)	(63,372)
Investments	(1,749)	(6,555)
Other investing activities	(368)	(2,180)
Net cash used in investing activities	27,556	89,673
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt	(36,466)	(360)
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	300,000
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0	23,000
Repayments under revolving line of credit	0	(23,000)
Repurchase of common stock, including shares surrendered for tax withholding	(3,739)	(8,473)
Payment of contingent consideration liability	(66)	(123)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest	0	(1,597)
Payment of financing costs	0	(4,765)
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(40,271)	284,682
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(20)	120
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(147,166)	101,171
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	493,005	45,042
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	345,839	146,213
Supplemental information:
Cash paid for interest	$ 21,298	$ 13,397

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The condensed consolidated balance sheets of Central Garden & Pet Company and subsidiaries (the “Company” or “Central”) as of March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 , the condensed consolidated statements of operations and the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three and six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 have been prepared by the Company, without audit. In the opinion of management, the interim financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods presented. For the Company’s foreign business in the UK, the local currency is the functional currency. Assets and liabilities are translated using the exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date. Income and expenses are translated at the average exchange rate for the period. Deferred taxes are not provided on translation gains and losses because the Company expects earnings of its foreign subsidiary to be permanently reinvested. Transaction gains and losses are included in results of operations. Due to the seasonal nature of the Company’s garden business, the results of operations for the three and six months ended March 30, 2019 are not indicative of the operating results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year. These interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual audited financial statements, accounting policies and financial notes thereto, included in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The September 29, 2018 balance sheet presented herein was derived from the audited financial statements. Noncontrolling Interest Noncontrolling interest in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements represents the 20% interest not owned by Central in a consolidated subsidiary. Since the Company controls this subsidiary, its financial statements are consolidated with those of the Company, and the noncontrolling owner’s 20% share of the subsidiary’s net assets and results of operations is deducted and reported as noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets and as net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 8, Supplemental Equity Information, for additional information. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash The Company considers cash and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at date of purchase to be cash and cash equivalents. Restricted cash includes cash and highly liquid instruments that are used as collateral for stand-alone letter of credit agreements related to normal business transactions. These agreements require the Company to maintain specified amounts of cash as collateral in segregated accounts to support the letters of credit issued thereunder, which will affect the amount of cash the Company has available for other uses. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets to the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows as of March 30, 2019, March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018, respectively (in thousands). March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 329,724 $ 132,265 $ 482,106 Restricted cash 16,115 13,948 10,899 Total Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 345,839 $ 146,213 $ 493,005 Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition and Nature of Products and Services The Company manufactures, markets and distributes a wide variety of branded, private label and third-party pet and garden products to wholesalers, distributors and retailers, primarily in the United States. The majority of the Company’s revenue is generated from the sale of finished pet and garden products. The Company also recognizes a minor amount of non-product revenue (less than one percent of consolidated net sales) comprising third-party logistics services, merchandising services and royalty income from sales-based licensing arrangements. Product and non-product revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of the contracts with customers are satisfied. The Company recognizes product revenue when control over the finished goods transfers to its customers, which generally occurs upon shipment to, or receipt at, customers’ locations, as determined by the specific terms of the contract. These revenue contracts generally have single performance obligations. Non-product revenue is recognized as the services are provided to the customer in the case of third-party logistics services and merchandising services or as third-party licensee sales occur for royalty income. Revenue, which includes shipping and handling charges billed to the customer, is reported net of variable consideration and consideration payable to our customers, including applicable discounts, returns, allowances, trade promotion, unsaleable product, consumer coupon redemption and rebates. Shipping and handling costs that occur before the customer obtains control of the goods are deemed to be fulfillment activities and are accounted for as fulfillment costs. Key sales terms are established on a frequent basis such that most customer arrangements and related incentives have a one year or shorter duration. As such, the Company does not capitalize contract inception costs. Product fulfillment costs are capitalized as a part of inventoriable costs in accordance with US GAAP and our inventory policies. The Company generally does not have unbilled receivables at the end of a period. Deferred revenues are not material and primarily include advance payments for services that have yet to be rendered. The Company does not receive noncash consideration for the sale of goods. Amounts billed and due from our customers are classified as receivables and require payment on a short-term basis; therefore, the Company does not have any significant financing components. Sales Incentives and Other Promotional Programs The Company routinely offers sales incentives and discounts through various regional and national programs to our customers and consumers. These programs include product discounts or allowances, product rebates, product returns, one-time or ongoing trade-promotion programs with customers and consumer coupon programs that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs of such programs. The costs associated with these activities are accounted for as reductions to the transaction price of the Company’s products and are, therefore, recorded as reductions to gross sales at the time of sale. The Company bases its estimates of incentive costs on historical trend experience with similar programs, actual incentive terms per customer contractual obligations and expected levels of performance of trade promotions, utilizing customer and sales organization inputs. The Company maintains liabilities at the end of each period for the estimated incentive costs incurred but unpaid for these programs. Differences between estimated and actual incentive costs are generally not material and are recognized in earnings in the period such differences are determined. Reserves for product returns, accrued rebates and promotional accruals are included in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as part of accrued expenses, and the value of inventory associated with reserves for sales returns is included within prepaid and other current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Practical Expedients The Company elected the following practical expedients upon its adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC Topic 606). • Significant financing component - The Company elected not to adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component as the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the transfer of a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less. • Shipping and handling costs - The Company elected to account for shipping and handling activities that occur before the customer has obtained control of a good as fulfillment activities rather than as a promised service. • Measurement of transaction price - The Company has elected to exclude from the measurement of transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on, and concurrent with, a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the Company from a customer for sales taxes. Income Taxes On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Government enacted the 2017 Tax Act, which was comprehensive new tax legislation. The SEC Staff issued guidance on income tax accounting for the 2017 Tax Act on December 22, 2017, which allows companies to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company has not made any measurement period adjustments. The Company's accounting for the impact of the 2017 Tax Act has now been completed as of the period ending December 29, 2018. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Revenue Recognition In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") ASC Topic 606, which replaces numerous requirements in U.S. GAAP, including industry-specific requirements, and provides companies with a single revenue recognition model for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. On September 30, 2018, the beginning of the Company’s fiscal year 2019, the Company adopted the requirements of ASC Topic 606 using the modified retrospective method. Upon completing its implementation assessment of Topic ASC 606, the Company concluded that no adjustment was required to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application. The comparative information has also not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. Additional disclosures required by ASC Topic 606 are presented within the Revenue Recognition policy disclosure and in Note 11 Segment Information. On the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets, reserves for customer product returns and return allowances are now included as part of accrued expenses, rather than accounts receivable, net, and the value of inventory associated with reserves for sales returns is included within prepaid and other current assets Had the Company not adopted the provisions under this ASU, its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2019 would have been presented as follows (in thousands): As Presented March 31, 2019 Adjustments Balances without Adoption of ASC 606 March 31, 2019 Current assets Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts $ 456,129 $ (8,280 ) $ 447,849 Prepaid expenses and other $ 33,161 $ (4,980 ) $ 28,181 Total current assets $ 1,352,287 $ (13,260 ) $ 1,339,027 Current liabilities Accrued expenses $ 136,413 $ (13,260 ) $ 123,153 Total current liabilities $ 299,128 $ (13,260 ) $ 285,868 Statement of Cash Flows In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (ASU 2016-15). The ASU provides additional clarification guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance as of September 30, 2018 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (ASU 2016-18) . This ASU clarifies the presentation of restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. Amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending cash balances on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the provisions under this ASU on September 30, 2018, on a retrospective basis. This resulted in an increase in beginning of period and end of period cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $12.6 million and $13.9 million , respectively, and a decrease of $1.3 million of cash used in investing activities to the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended March 31, 2018. Business Combinations In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business (ASU 2017-01), which requires an evaluation of whether substantially all of the fair value of assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If so, the transaction does not qualify as a business. The guidance also requires an acquired business to include at least one substantive process and narrows the definition of outputs. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance as of September 30, 2018. The adoption of this ASU had no impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the period ended March 30, 2019, but may have an impact on accounting for any future acquisitions the Company may have . Income Taxes In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740) . ASU 2016-16 amends accounting guidance for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory to require the recognition of taxes when the transfer occurs. The amendment was effective for us September 30, 2018. A modified retrospective approach is required for transition to the new guidance, with a cumulative-effect adjustment consisting of the net impact from (1) the write-off of any unamortized expense previously deferred and (2) recognition of any previously unrecognized deferred tax assets, net of any valuation allowance. The new guidance does not include any specific new disclosure requirements. Adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 did not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Financial Instruments In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities . The updated guidance enhances the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The guidance requires equity investments, excluding equity method investments or investees that are consolidated, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income and enhanced disclosures about those investments. The guidance also simplifies the impairment assessments of equity investments without readily determinable fair value. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, and the adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 (ASU 2016-02), Leases (Topic 842) . ASU 2016-02 requires companies to generally recognize on the balance sheet operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-02 on September 29, 2019 and expects to elect certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. The Company will elect the optional transition method that allows for a cumulative-effect adjustment in the period of adoption and will not restate prior periods. The Company is implementing a new lease system in connection with the adoption of this standard and is currently in the implementation phase. The Company currently expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard, and the Company will record significant long-term operating lease liabilities and long-term right-of-use assets upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02. Goodwill and Intangible Assets In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The new guidance simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by removing the second step of the two-step impairment test. The amendment requires an entity to perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The new guidance is effective for annual periods or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, or the Company's first quarter of fiscal 2021. The amendment should be applied on a prospective basis. Based on the Company's most recent annual goodwill impairment test performed as of July 1, 2018, there were no reporting units for which the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeded its fair value; therefore, this ASU would not currently have an impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. However, if upon adoption the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would be impacted by the amount of impairment recognized. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract . This ASU aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). ASU 2018-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company in fiscal 2021. The amendments in this ASU should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2018-15 will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Fair Value Disclosures In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Me asurement . This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. ASU 2018-13 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted and is effective for the Company in fiscal 2021. The amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2018-13 will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements ASC 820 establishes a single authoritative definition of fair value, a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure of fair value measurements. ASC 820 requires financial assets and liabilities to be categorized based on the inputs used to calculate their fair values as follows: Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, which reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk). The Company’s financial instruments include cash and equivalents, short term investments consisting of bank certificates of deposit, accounts receivable and payable, derivative instruments, short-term borrowings, and accrued liabilities. The carrying amount of these instruments approximates fair value because of their short-term nature. Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of March 30, 2019 (in thousands): Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (a) $ — $ — $ 7,729 $ 7,729 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 7,729 $ 7,729 The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of March 31, 2018 (in thousands): Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (a) $ — $ — $ 9,148 $ 9,148 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 9,148 $ 9,148 The following table presents our financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of September 29, 2018 : Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (b) $ — $ — $ 8,224 $ 8,224 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 8,224 $ 8,224 (a) The liability for contingent consideration relates to an earn-out for B2E, acquired in December 2012, future performance-based contingent payments for Hydro-Organics Wholesale, Inc., acquired in October 2015 and future performance-based contingent payment for Segrest, Inc., acquired in October 2016. The fair value of the estimated contingent consideration arrangement is determined based on the Company’s evaluation as to the probability and amount of any earn-out that will be achieved based on expected future performance by the acquired entity. This is presented as part of long-term liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. (b) The liability for contingent consideration relates to an earn-out for B2E, acquired in December 2012, future performance-based contingent payments for Hydro-Organics Wholesale, Inc., acquired in October 2015, future performance-based contingent payment for Segrest, Inc., acquired in October 2016, and future performance-based contingent payments for Bell Nursery, acquired in March 2018. The contingent period for Bell Nursery expired in December 2018. Performance thresholds that would have necessitated payment were not met, and accordingly, no payment was made. The fair value of the estimated contingent consideration arrangement is determined based on the Company’s evaluation as to the probability and amount of any earn-out that will be achieved based on expected future performance by the acquired entity. This is presented as part of long-term liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. The following table provides a summary of the changes in fair value of the Company's Level 3 financial instruments for the periods ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 (in thousands): Amount Balance September 29, 2018 $ 8,224 Estimated contingent performance-based consideration established at the time of acquisition — Changes in the fair value of contingent performance-based payments established at the time of acquisition (429 ) Performance-based payments (66 ) Balance March 30, 2019 $ 7,729 Amount Balance September 30, 2017 $ 9,343 Estimated contingent performance-based consideration established at the time of acquisition — Changes in the fair value of contingent performance-based payments established at the time of acquisition (72 ) Performance-based payments (123 ) Balance March 31, 2018 $ 9,148 Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Non-Recurring Basis The Company measures certain non-financial assets and liabilities, including long-lived assets, goodwill and intangible assets, at fair value on a non-recurring basis. Fair value measurements of non- assets and non-financial liabilities are used primarily in the impairment analyses of long-lived assets, goodwill and other intangible assets. During the period ended March 31, 2018 , the Company was not required to measure any significant non-financial assets and liabilities at fair value. As a result of one of our retail customers exiting the live fish business, the carrying value of $2.5 million of amortizable intangible assets were written down to their estimated fair value, resulting in impairment charges of $2.5 million , which were included in selling, general and administrative expenses during the period ended March 30, 2019 . Fair Value of Other Financial Instruments In December 2017, the Company issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 5.125% senior notes due February 2028 (the "2028 Notes"). The estimated fair value of the Company's 2028 Notes as of March 30, 2019 , March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018 was $278.2 million , $285.4 million and $285.5 million , respectively, compared to a carrying value of $295.9 million , $295.3 million and $295.6 million , respectively. In November 2015, the Company issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 6.125% senior notes due November 2023 (the “2023 Notes”). The estimated fair value of the Company’s 2023 Notes as of March 30, 2019 , March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018 was $417.7 million , $419.0 million and $414.4 million , respectively, compared to a carrying value of $396.3 million , $395.6 million and $396 million , respectively.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions Arden Companies In February 2019, the Company purchased the remaining 55% interest in Arden Companies, a manufacturer of outdoor cushions and pillows, for $13.4 million . Accordingly, the Company remeasured its previously held investment at its acquisition-date fair value and recorded a provisional gain of approximately $3 million as part of selling, general and administrative expenses in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations. The purchase price exceeded the estimated fair value of the net tangible assets acquired by approximately $19 million , which is included in other assets on the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 30, 2019. Subsequent to the acquisition, approximately $36 million of cash was used to eliminate most of the acquired long-term debt. The Company has not yet finalized the allocation of the purchase price to the fair value of the tangible assets, intangible assets and liabilities acquired. Once the purchase price valuation work is complete, the provisional gain on the Company's previously held interest will be finalized. Financial results of Arden have been included in the results of operations within the Garden segment since the date of acquisition of the remaining 55% interest.

Inventories, net

Inventories, net	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories, net	Inventories, net Inventories, net of allowance for obsolescence, consist of the following (in thousands): March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 Raw materials $ 136,879 $ 117,370 $ 117,539 Work in progress 58,529 40,491 35,691 Finished goods 305,569 293,988 263,845 Supplies 16,181 13,673 10,748 Total inventories, net $ 517,158 $ 465,522 $ 427,823

Goodwill

Goodwill	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill	Goodwill The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually (as of the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter), or whenever events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount, by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If it is determined that it is more likely than not the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, it is unnecessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the two-step test is performed to identify potential goodwill impairment. Based on certain circumstances, the Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test, which compares the fair value of the Company’s reporting units to their related carrying values, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company performs an additional step to determine the implied fair value of goodwill associated with that reporting unit. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by first allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities and then computing the excess of the reporting unit’s fair value over the amounts assigned to the assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment, and, accordingly, the Company recognizes such impairment. The Company’s goodwill impairment analysis also includes a comparison of the aggregate estimated fair value of its two reporting units to the Company’s total market capitalization. No impairment of goodwill was recorded for the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018.

Other Intangible Assets

Other Intangible Assets	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Intangible Assets	Other Intangible Assets The following table summarizes the components of gross and net acquired intangible assets: Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) March 30, 2019 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 18.6 $ (15.2 ) $ — $ 3.4 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 89.2 (15.2 ) (26.0 ) 48.0 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 128.3 (47.5 ) (2.5 ) 78.3 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 26.0 (15.5 ) — 10.5 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.2 — (1.2 ) 6.0 Total 33.2 (15.5 ) (1.2 ) 16.5 Total other intangible assets $ 250.7 $ (78.2 ) $ (29.7 ) $ 142.8 Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2018 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 16.9 $ (13.4 ) $ — $ 3.5 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 87.5 (13.4 ) (26.0 ) 48.1 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 115.7 (37.5 ) — 78.2 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 22.1 (13.5 ) — 8.6 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.8 — (1.2 ) 6.6 Total 29.9 (13.5 ) (1.2 ) 15.2 Total other intangible assets $ 233.1 $ (64.4 ) $ (27.2 ) $ 141.5 Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) September 29, 2018 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 18.6 $ (14.2 ) $ — $ 4.4 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 89.2 (14.2 ) (26.0 ) 49.0 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 128.3 (42.5 ) — 85.8 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 25.4 (14.5 ) — 10.9 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.8 — (1.2 ) 6.6 Total 33.2 (14.5 ) (1.2 ) 17.5 Total other intangible assets $ 250.7 $ (71.2 ) $ (27.2 ) $ 152.3 Other acquired intangible assets include contract-based and technology-based intangible assets. The Company evaluates long-lived assets, including amortizable and indefinite-lived intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates indefinite-lived intangible assets on an annual basis. Factors indicating the carrying value of the Company’s amortizable intangible assets may not be recoverable were not present in fiscal 2018 , and accordingly, no impairment testing was performed on these assets. As a result of one of our retail customers exiting the live fish business, factors indicating the carrying value of certain amortizable intangible assets may not be recoverable were present during the quarter ended March 30, 2019. The Company performed impairment testing on these assets, found the carrying value was not recoverable and accordingly, recorded an impairment charge in its Pet segment of approximately $2.5 million as part of selling, general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. The Company amortizes its acquired intangible assets with definite lives over periods ranging from 3 to 25 years; over weighted average remaining lives of 4 years for marketing-related intangibles, 10 years for customer-related intangibles and 11 years for other acquired intangibles. Amortization expense for intangibles subject to amortization was approximately $3.4 million and $2.9 million for the three months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 , respectively, and $6.9 million and $5.7 million for the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 , respectively, and is classified within selling, general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations. Estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets in each of the succeeding five years is estimated to be approximately $10 million per year from fiscal 2019 through fiscal 2023. .

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-Term Debt Long-term debt consists of the following: March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 (in thousands) Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 $ 400,000 $ 400,000 $ 400,000 Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 300,000 300,000 300,000 Unamortized debt issuance costs (7,791 ) (9,053 ) (8,425 ) Net carrying value 692,209 690,947 691,575 Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 — — — Other notes payable 5,556 157 578 Total 697,765 691,104 692,153 Less current portion (5,119 ) (20 ) (122 ) Long-term portion $ 692,646 $ 691,084 $ 692,031 Senior Notes $300 Million 5.125% Senior Notes On December 14, 2017, the Company issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 5.125% senior notes due February 2028 (the "2028 Notes"). The Company will use the net proceeds from the offering to finance future acquisitions and for general corporate purposes. The Company incurred approximately $4.8 million of debt issuance costs in conjunction with this transaction, which included underwriter fees and legal, accounting and rating agency expenses. The debt issuance costs are being amortized over the term of the 2028 Notes. The 2028 Notes require semiannual interest payments on February 1 and August 1, commencing August 1, 2018. The 2028 Notes are unconditionally guaranteed on a senior basis by the Company's existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries who are borrowers under or guarantors of Central's senior secured revolving credit facility or who guarantee the 2023 Notes. The Company may redeem some or all of the 2028 Notes at any time, at its option, prior to January 1, 2023 at the principal amount plus a “make whole” premium. At any time prior to January 1, 2021, the Company may also redeem, at its option, up to 35% of the original aggregate principal amount of the notes with the proceeds of certain equity offerings at a redemption price of 105.125% of the principal amount of the notes. The Company may redeem some or all of the 2028 Notes, at its option, at any time on or after January 1, 2023 for 102.563% , on or after January 1, 2024 for 101.708% , on or after January 1, 2025 for 100.854% , and on or after January 1, 2026 for 100.0% , plus accrued and unpaid interest. The holders of the 2028 Notes have the right to require us to repurchase all or a portion of the 2028 Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest upon the occurrence of a change of control. The 2028 Notes contain customary high yield covenants, including covenants limiting debt incurrence and restricted payments, subject to certain baskets and exceptions. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of March 30, 2019 . $400 Million 6.125% Senior Notes On November 9, 2015, the Company issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 6.125% senior notes due November 2023 (the "2023 Notes"). In December 2015, the Company used the net proceeds from the offering, together with available cash, to redeem its $400 million aggregate principal amount of 8.25% senior subordinated notes due March 1, 2018 ("2018 Notes") at a price of 102.063% of the principal amount and to pay fees and expenses related to the offering. The 2023 Notes are unsecured senior obligations and are subordinated to all of the Company’s existing and future secured debt, including the Company’s Credit Facility, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness. The Company incurred approximately $6.3 million of debt issuance costs in conjunction with these transactions, which included underwriter fees and legal, accounting and rating agency expenses. The debt issuance costs are being amortized over the term of the 2023 Notes. The 2023 Notes require semiannual interest payments on May 15 and November 15. The 2023 Notes are unconditionally guaranteed on a senior basis by each of the Company’s existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries which are borrowers under or guarantors of Central’s senior secured revolving credit facility. The 2023 Notes are unsecured senior obligations and are subordinated to all of the Company’s existing and future secured debt, including the Company’s Credit Facility, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness. The Company may redeem some or all of the 2023 Notes at any time, at its option, at any time on or after November 15, 2018 for 104.594% , at any time on or after November 15, 2019 for 103.063% , on or after November 15, 2020 for 101.531% and on or after November 15, 2021 for 100% , plus accrued and unpaid interest. The holders of the 2023 Notes have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or a portion of the 2023 Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the notes repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest upon the occurrence of a change of control. The 2023 Notes contain customary high yield covenants, including covenants limiting debt incurrence and restricted payments, subject to certain baskets and exceptions. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of March 30, 2019 . Asset-Based Loan Facility Amendment On April 22, 2016, the Company entered into an amended and restated credit agreement which provides up to a $400 million principal amount senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility, with up to an additional $200 million principal amount available with the consent of the Lenders if the Company exercises the accordion feature set forth therein (collectively, the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility matures on April 22, 2021. The Company may borrow, repay and reborrow amounts under the Credit Facility until its maturity date, at which time all amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility must be repaid in full. As of March 30, 2019 , there were no borrowings outstanding and no letters of credit outstanding under the Credit Facility. There were other letters of credit of $8.2 million outstanding as of March 30, 2019 . The Credit Facility is subject to a borrowing base, calculated using a formula based upon eligible receivables and inventory, minus certain reserves and subject to restrictions. As of March 30, 2019 , the borrowing base and remaining borrowing availability was $374.0 million . Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at an index based on LIBOR or, at the option of the Company, the Base Rate (defined as the highest of (a) the SunTrust prime rate, (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5% and (c) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00% ), plus, in either case, an applicable margin based on the Company’s consolidated senior leverage ratio. Such applicable margin for LIBOR-based borrowings fluctuates between 1.25% - 1.50% , and was 1.25% as of March 30, 2019 , and such applicable margin for Base Rate borrowings fluctuates between 0.25% - 0.5% , and was 0.25% as of March 30, 2019 . As of March 30, 2019 , the applicable interest rate related to Base Rate borrowings was 5.8% , and the applicable interest rate related to LIBOR-based borrowings was 3.8% . The Company incurred approximately $1.2 million of debt issuance costs in conjunction with this transaction, which included underwriter fees, legal and accounting expenses. The unamortized debt issuance costs are included in other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheets and are being amortized over the term of the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility contains customary covenants, including financial covenants which require the Company to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1.00 :1.00 upon reaching certain borrowing levels. The Credit Facility is secured by substantially all assets of the Company. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants under the Credit Facility during the quarter ended March 30, 2019 .

Supplemental Equity Information

Supplemental Equity Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Supplemental Equity Information	Supplemental Equity Information The following table provides a summary of the changes in the carrying amounts of equity attributable to controlling interest and noncontrolling interest through the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 . Controlling Interest (in thousands) Common Class A Class Additional Retained Accumulated Total Noncontrolling Total September 29, 2018 $ 121 $ 439 $ 16 $ 590,168 $ 362,923 $ (1,218 ) $ 952,449 $ 385 $ 952,834 Comprehensive income — — — — 1,803 (274 ) 1,529 (164 ) 1,365 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,261 — — 2,261 — 2,261 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — — — (386 ) — — (386 ) — (386 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 1 — 408 — — 409 — 409 Balance December 29, 2018 $ 121 $ 441 $ 16 $ 592,451 $ 364,726 $ (1,492 ) $ 956,263 $ 221 $ 956,484 Comprehensive income $ — $ — $ — $ — 42,391 212 42,603 331 $ 42,934 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,473 — — 2,473 — 2,473 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — 2 — (1,773 ) — — (1,771 ) — (1,771 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 1 — (820 ) — — (819 ) — (819 ) Other — — — — — — — 1 1 Balance March 30, 2019 $ 121 $ 444 $ 16 $ 592,331 $ 407,117 $ (1,280 ) $ 998,749 $ 553 $ 999,302 Controlling Interest (in thousands) Common Stock Class A Common Stock Class B Stock Additional Paid In Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Noncontrolling Interest Total Balance September 30, 2017 $ 122 $ 380 $ 16 $ 396,790 $ 239,329 $ (951 ) $ 635,686 $ 1,456 $ 637,142 Comprehensive income — — — — 26,247 44 26,291 203 26,494 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,143 — — 2,143 — 2,143 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — — — (2,397 ) — — (2,397 ) — (2,397 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — — — 166 — — 166 — 166 Distribution to Noncontrolling interest — — — — — — — (1,597 ) (1,597 ) Balance December 30, 2017 $ 122 $ 380 $ 16 $ 396,702 $ 265,576 $ (907 ) $ 661,889 $ 62 $ 661,951 Comprehensive income $ — $ — $ — $ — 45,234 234 45,468 532 46,000 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,321 — — 2,321 — 2,321 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement (1 ) — — (3,873 ) — — (3,874 ) — (3,874 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 2 — (1,298 ) — — (1,296 ) — (1,296 ) Distribution to Noncontrolling interest — — — — — — — — — Balance March 31, 2018 $ 121 $ 382 $ 16 $ 393,852 $ 310,810 $ (673 ) $ 704,508 $ 594 $ 705,102

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $5.9 million and $5.5 million for the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 , respectively, as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses. The tax benefit associated with share-based compensation expense for the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 was $1.4 million and $1.5 million , respectively.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings Per Share The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations for income from continuing operations (in thousands except share and per share amounts). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019 Income Shares Per Share Income Shares Per Share Basic EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 42,391 57,050 $ 0.74 $ 44,194 56,976 $ 0.78 Effect of dilutive securities: Options to purchase common stock 609 (0.01 ) 639 (0.01 ) Restricted shares 367 — 398 (0.01 ) Diluted EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 42,391 58,026 $ 0.73 $ 44,194 58,013 $ 0.76 Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 March 31, 2018 Income Shares Per Share Income Shares Per Share Basic EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 45,234 50,871 $ 0.89 $ 71,481 50,816 $ 1.41 Effect of dilutive securities: Options to purchase common stock 1,092 (0.02 ) 1,120 (0.03 ) Restricted shares 695 (0.01 ) 757 (0.02 ) Diluted EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 45,234 52,658 $ 0.86 $ 71,481 52,693 $ 1.36 Options to purchase 2.8 million shares of common stock at prices ranging from $8.56 to $38.10 per share were outstanding at March 30, 2019 , and options to purchase 2.7 million shares of common stock at prices ranging from $6.43 to $36.94 per share were outstanding at March 31, 2018 . For the three months ended March 30, 2019 , 1.8 million options outstanding were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the option exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common shares and therefore, the effect of including these options would be antidilutive. For the three months ended March 31, 2018 , all options outstanding were included in the computation of diluted earnings per share. For the six months ended March 30, 2019 , 1.8 million options outstanding were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share because the option exercise prices were greater than the average market price of the common shares and therefore, the effect of including these options would be antidilutive. For the six months ended March 31, 2018 , all options outstanding were included in the computation of diluted earnings per share.

Segment Information

Segment Information	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information Management has determined that the Company has two operating segments, which are also reportable segments based on the level at which the Chief Operating Decision Maker reviews the results of operations to make decisions regarding performance assessment and resource allocation. These operating segments are Pet segment and Garden segment and are presented in the table below (in thousands). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 30, March 31, March 30, March 31, Net sales: Pet segment $ 338,183 $ 321,653 $ 678,599 $ 646,737 Garden segment 335,518 291,441 457,092 408,368 Total net sales $ 673,701 $ 613,094 $ 1,135,691 $ 1,055,105 Operating Income Pet segment 26,984 32,784 56,739 68,960 Garden segment 53,355 50,746 48,718 53,046 Corporate (18,186 ) (17,744 ) (33,123 ) (33,699 ) Total operating income 62,153 65,786 72,334 88,307 Interest expense - net (8,385 ) (9,882 ) (16,462 ) (17,100 ) Other income (expense) 500 1,505 308 (1,584 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 11,546 11,643 11,819 (2,593 ) Income including noncontrolling interest 42,722 45,766 44,361 72,216 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 331 532 167 735 Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,391 $ 45,234 $ 44,194 $ 71,481 Depreciation and amortization: Pet segment $ 8,039 $ 6,944 $ 16,095 $ 14,089 Garden segment 2,312 1,707 5,138 3,276 Corporate 1,526 2,471 2,996 4,920 Total depreciation and amortization $ 11,877 $ 11,122 $ 24,229 $ 22,285 March 30, March 31, September 29, Assets: Pet segment $ 700,638 $ 660,344 $ 683,938 Garden segment 687,951 581,105 407,483 Corporate 657,551 462,514 815,788 Total assets $ 2,046,140 $ 1,703,963 $ 1,907,209 Goodwill (included in corporate assets above): Pet segment $ 268,289 $ 262,770 $ 268,289 Garden segment 12,888 5,473 12,888 Total goodwill $ 281,177 $ 268,243 $ 281,177 The tables below present the Company's disaggregated revenues by segment (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Other pet products $ 233.0 $ — $ 233.0 $ 442.3 $ — $ 442.3 Dog and cat products 105.2 — 105.2 236.3 — 236.3 Garden controls and fertilizer products — 113.8 113.8 — 138.1 138.1 Other garden supplies — 221.7 221.7 — 319.0 319.0 Total $ 338.2 $ 335.5 $ 673.7 $ 678.6 $ 457.1 $ 1,135.7 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Other pet products $ 218.8 $ — $ 218.8 $ 413.9 $ — $ 413.9 Dog and cat products 102.9 — 102.9 232.8 — 232.8 Garden controls and fertilizer products — 112.9 112.9 — 142.5 142.5 Other garden supplies — 178.5 178.5 — 265.9 265.9 Total $ 321.7 $ 291.4 $ 613.1 $ 646.7 $ 408.4 $ 1,055.1

Consolidating Condensed Financi

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries	Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries Certain 100% wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company (as listed below, collectively the “Guarantor Subsidiaries”) have guaranteed fully and unconditionally, on a joint and several basis, the obligation to pay principal and interest on the Company’s 2023 Notes and 2028 Notes. Certain subsidiaries and operating divisions are not guarantors of the 2023 Notes and 2028 Notes. Those subsidiaries that are guarantors and co-obligors of the 2023 Notes and 2028 Notes are as follows: Arden Companies, LLC Farnam Companies, Inc. Four Paws Products Ltd. Gulfstream Home & Garden, Inc. Hydro-Organics Wholesale, Inc. IMS Trading, LLC IMS Southern, LLC K&H Manufacturing, LLC Kaytee Products, Inc. Matson, LLC New England Pottery, LLC Pennington Seed, Inc. (including Gro Tec, Inc., NEXGEN Turf Research, LLC and All-Glass Aquarium Co., Inc.) Pets International, Ltd. Segrest, Inc. (including Blue Springs Hatchery, Inc., Segrest Farms, Inc., Florida Tropical Distributors International, Inc., Sun Pet, Ltd, Aquatica Tropicals, Inc., Quality Pets, LLC and Midwest Tropicals, LLC) T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Wellmark International (including B2E Corporation, B2E Microbials, LLC, B2E Manufacturing, LLC, Four Star Microbial Products, LLC and B2E Biotech LLC) In lieu of providing separate audited financial statements for the Guarantor Subsidiaries, the Company has included the accompanying consolidating condensed financial statements based on the Company’s understanding of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s interpretation and application of Rule 3-10 of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation S-X. CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 214,042 $ 35,191 $ 449,810 $ (25,342 ) $ 673,701 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 163,133 30,343 297,864 (23,690 ) 467,650 Gross profit 50,909 4,848 151,946 (1,652 ) 206,051 Selling, general and administrative expenses 47,135 10,485 87,930 (1,652 ) 143,898 Operating income (loss) 3,774 (5,637 ) 64,016 — 62,153 Interest expense (10,482 ) (141 ) (17 ) — (10,640 ) Interest income 2,250 5 — — 2,255 Other (expense) income 305 243 (48 ) — 500 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates (4,153 ) (5,530 ) 63,951 — 54,268 Income tax expense (benefit) (1,748 ) (55 ) 13,349 — 11,546 Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates 44,796 — (101 ) (44,695 ) — Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interest 42,391 (5,475 ) 50,501 (44,695 ) 42,722 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest — 331 — — 331 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,391 $ (5,806 ) $ 50,501 $ (44,695 ) $ 42,391 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 195,464 $ 32,433 $ 412,348 $ (27,151 ) $ 613,094 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 151,868 24,192 268,072 (25,495 ) 418,637 Gross profit 43,596 8,241 144,276 (1,656 ) 194,457 Selling, general and administrative expenses 41,677 6,532 82,118 (1,656 ) 128,671 Operating income (loss) 1,919 1,709 62,158 — 65,786 Interest expense (10,510 ) (62 ) (3 ) — (10,575 ) Interest income 692 1 — — 693 Other income 1,108 200 197 — 1,505 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates (6,791 ) 1,848 62,352 — 57,409 Income tax expense (benefit) (13,753 ) (1,549 ) 26,945 — 11,643 Equity in earnings of affiliates 38,272 — 3,841 (42,113 ) — Net income including noncontrolling interest 45,234 3,397 39,248 (42,113 ) 45,766 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 532 — — 532 Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 45,234 $ 2,865 $ 39,248 $ (42,113 ) $ 45,234 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 387,448 $ 58,820 $ 729,644 $ (40,221 ) $ 1,135,691 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 299,146 52,346 485,547 (37,581 ) 799,458 Gross profit 88,302 6,474 244,097 (2,640 ) 336,233 Selling, general and administrative expenses 90,800 17,836 157,903 (2,640 ) 263,899 Operating income (loss) (2,498 ) (11,362 ) 86,194 — 72,334 Interest expense (20,979 ) (255 ) (20 ) — (21,254 ) Interest income 4,783 9 — — 4,792 Other income (expense) 342 27 (61 ) — 308 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates (18,352 ) (11,581 ) 86,113 — 56,180 Income tax expense (benefit) (3,836 ) (311 ) 15,966 — 11,819 Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates 58,710 — (1,213 ) (57,497 ) — Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interest 44,194 (11,270 ) 68,934 (57,497 ) 44,361 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 167 — — 167 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 44,194 $ (11,437 ) $ 68,934 $ (57,497 ) $ 44,194 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 354,525 $ 46,176 $ 698,772 $ (44,368 ) $ 1,055,105 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 277,347 36,008 457,123 (41,667 ) 728,811 Gross profit 77,178 10,168 241,649 (2,701 ) 326,294 Selling, general and administrative expenses 78,316 10,437 151,935 (2,701 ) 237,987 Operating income (loss) (1,138 ) (269 ) 89,714 — 88,307 Interest expense (17,895 ) (78 ) (7 ) — (17,980 ) Interest income 878 2 — — 880 Other income (expense) (1,810 ) 254 (28 ) — (1,584 ) Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates (19,965 ) (91 ) 89,679 — 69,623 Income tax expense (benefit) 672 (267 ) (2,998 ) — (2,593 ) Equity in earnings of affiliates 92,118 — 941 (93,059 ) — Net income including noncontrolling interest 71,481 176 93,618 (93,059 ) 72,216 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 735 — — 735 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 71,481 $ (559 ) $ 93,618 $ (93,059 ) $ 71,481 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income (loss) $ 42,391 $ (5,475 ) $ 50,501 $ (44,695 ) $ 42,722 Other comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation 212 127 35 (162 ) 212 Total comprehensive income (loss) 42,603 (5,348 ) 50,536 (44,857 ) 42,934 Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests — 331 — — 331 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,603 $ (5,679 ) $ 50,536 $ (44,857 ) $ 42,603 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income $ 45,234 $ 3,397 $ 39,248 $ (42,113 ) $ 45,766 Other comprehensive income (loss): Foreign currency translation 234 206 (48 ) (158 ) 234 Total comprehensive income (loss) 45,468 3,603 39,200 (42,271 ) 46,000 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 532 — — 532 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 45,468 $ 3,071 $ 39,200 $ (42,271 ) $ 45,468 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income (loss) $ 44,194 $ (11,270 ) $ 68,934 $ (57,497 ) $ 44,361 Other comprehensive loss: — — — — Foreign currency translation (62 ) (2 ) (60 ) 62 (62 ) Total comprehensive income (loss) 44,132 (11,272 ) 68,874 (57,435 ) 44,299 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 167 — — 167 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 44,132 $ (11,439 ) $ 68,874 $ (57,435 ) $ 44,132 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income $ 71,481 $ 176 $ 93,618 $ (93,059 ) $ 72,216 Other comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation 278 249 (64 ) (185 ) 278 Total comprehensive income 71,759 425 93,554 (93,244 ) 72,494 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 735 — — 735 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 71,759 $ (310 ) $ 93,554 $ (93,244 ) $ 71,759 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 322,149 $ 6,354 $ 1,221 $ — $ 329,724 Restricted cash 10,888 — 5,227 — 16,115 Accounts receivable, net 134,251 22,844 299,034 — 456,129 Inventories 138,778 46,035 332,345 — 517,158 Prepaid expenses and other 8,355 1,386 23,420 — 33,161 Total current assets 614,421 76,619 661,247 — 1,352,287 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 29,701 36,180 151,657 — 217,538 Goodwill 20,578 7,414 253,185 — 281,177 Other long-term assets 47,512 6,273 147,035 (5,682 ) 195,138 Intercompany receivable 59,152 — 680,937 (740,089 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,688,163 — — (1,688,163 ) — Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 41,488 $ 21,833 $ 94,275 $ — $ 157,596 Accrued expenses 55,181 6,200 75,032 — 136,413 Current portion of long-term debt 119 — 5,000 — 5,119 Total current liabilities 96,788 28,033 174,307 — 299,128 Long-term debt 692,459 — 187 — 692,646 Intercompany payable 662,927 77,163 — (740,090 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 26,248 (26,248 ) — Other long-term obligations 8,604 — 52,142 (5,682 ) 55,064 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity 998,749 20,737 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 998,749 Noncontrolling interest 553 — 553 Total equity 998,749 21,290 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 999,302 Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 123,840 $ 7,170 $ 1,255 $ — $ 132,265 Restricted cash 13,948 — — — 13,948 Accounts receivable, net 132,218 19,938 242,995 — 395,151 Inventories 137,108 43,438 284,976 — 465,522 Prepaid expenses and other 6,157 2,086 18,434 — 26,677 Total current assets 413,271 72,632 547,660 — 1,033,563 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 35,314 34,632 140,617 — 210,563 Goodwill 15,058 — 253,185 — 268,243 Other long-term assets 56,612 14,642 132,916 (12,576 ) 191,594 Intercompany receivable 54,117 — 610,760 (664,877 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,539,309 — — (1,539,309 ) — Total $ 2,113,681 $ 121,906 $ 1,685,138 $ (2,216,762 ) $ 1,703,963 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 48,659 $ 19,752 $ 82,564 $ — $ 150,975 Accrued expenses 63,951 5,303 47,160 — 116,414 Current portion of long-term debt — — 20 — 20 Total current liabilities 112,610 25,055 129,744 — 267,409 Long-term debt 690,947 — 137 691,084 Intercompany payable 597,619 67,258 — (664,877 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 25,228 (25,228 ) — Other long-term obligations 7,997 — 44,947 (12,576 ) 40,368 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity (deficit) 704,508 28,999 1,485,082 (1,514,081 ) 704,508 Noncontrolling interest — 594 — — 594 Total equity 704,508 29,593 1,485,082 (1,514,081 ) 705,102 Total $ 2,113,681 $ 121,906 $ 1,685,138 $ (2,216,762 ) $ 1,703,963 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET September 29, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 474,210 $ 6,005 $ 1,891 $ — $ 482,106 Restricted cash 10,899 — — — 10,899 Accounts receivable, net 94,657 9,647 171,604 — 275,908 Inventories 123,178 32,556 272,089 — 427,823 Prepaid expenses and other assets 6,304 1,455 12,803 — 20,562 Total current assets 709,248 49,663 458,387 — 1,217,298 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 33,484 33,840 150,323 — 217,647 Goodwill 20,578 7,414 253,185 — 281,177 Other long-term assets 62,199 7,469 133,145 (11,726 ) 191,087 Intercompany receivable 40,365 — 769,886 (810,251 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,618,378 — — (1,618,378 ) — Total $ 2,484,252 $ 98,386 $ 1,764,926 $ (2,440,355 ) $ 1,907,209 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 33,122 $ 4,759 $ 72,378 $ — $ 110,259 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 44,142 4,746 53,695 — 102,583 Current portion of long term debt 116 — 6 — 122 Total current liabilities 77,380 9,505 126,079 — 212,964 Long-term debt 691,869 — 162 — 692,031 Intercompany payable 753,933 56,318 — (810,251 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 25,036 (25,036 ) — Other long-term obligations 8,621 — 52,485 (11,726 ) 49,380 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity (deficit) 952,449 32,178 1,561,164 (1,593,342 ) 952,449 Noncontrolling interest — 385 — — 385 Total equity 952,449 32,563 1,561,164 (1,593,342 ) 952,834 Total $ 2,484,252 $ 98,386 $ 1,764,926 $ (2,440,355 ) $ 1,907,209 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net cash used by operating activities $ (23,565 ) $ (17,128 ) $ (38,626 ) $ — $ (79,319 ) Additions to property and equipment (1,716 ) (3,350 ) (9,236 ) — (14,302 ) Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired (11,137 ) — — — (11,137 ) Investments (1,749 ) — — — (1,749 ) Other investing activities (368 ) — — — (368 ) Intercompany investing activities (18,788 ) — 88,949 (70,161 ) — Net cash (used) provided by investing activities (33,758 ) (3,350 ) 79,713 (70,161 ) (27,556 ) Repayments of long-term debt (3 ) — (36,463 ) — (36,466 ) Repurchase of common stock (3,739 ) — — — (3,739 ) Payment of contingent consideration liability — — (66 ) — (66 ) Intercompany financing activities (91,005 ) 20,844 — 70,161 — Net cash provided (used) by financing activities (94,747 ) 20,844 (36,529 ) 70,161 (40,271 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (2 ) (17 ) (1 ) — (20 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (152,072 ) 349 4,557 — (147,166 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 485,109 6,005 1,891 — 493,005 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 333,037 $ 6,354 $ 6,448 $ — $ 345,839 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net cash used by operating activities $ (36,868 ) $ (11,840 ) $ (38,863 ) $ (6,387 ) $ (93,958 ) Additions to property, plant and equipment (4,923 ) (494 ) (12,149 ) — (17,566 ) Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired (63,372 ) — — — (63,372 ) Investments (6,555 ) — — — (6,555 ) Other investing activities (2,180 ) — — — (2,180 ) Intercompany investing activities (17,512 ) — 51,377 (33,865 ) — Net cash (used) provided by investing activities (94,542 ) (494 ) 39,228 (33,865 ) (89,673 ) Repayments under revolving line of credit (23,000 ) — — — (23,000 ) Borrowings under revolving line of credit 23,000 — — — 23,000 Repayments of long-term debt — — (360 ) — (360 ) Issuance of long-term debt 300,000 — — — 300,000 Payment of financing costs (4,765 ) — — — (4,765 ) Repurchase of common stock (8,473 ) — — — (8,473 ) Distribution to parent — (6,387 ) — 6,387 — Distribution to noncontrolling interest — (1,597 ) — — (1,597 ) Payment of contingent consideration — — (123 ) — (123 ) Intercompany financing activities (49,789 ) 15,924 — 33,865 — Net cash provided (used) by financing activities 236,973 7,940 (483 ) 40,252 284,682 Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 342 (129 ) (93 ) — 120 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 105,905 (4,523 ) (211 ) — 101,171 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 31,883 11,693 1,466 — 45,042 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 137,788 $ 7,170 $ 1,255 $ — $ 146,213

Contingencies

Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies	Contingencies The Company may from time to time become involved in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. Currently, the Company is not a party to any legal proceedings that management believes would have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations with the exception of the proceeding below. In 2012, Nite Glow Industries, Inc and its owner, Marni Markell, (“Nite Glow”) filed suit in the United States District Court for New Jersey against the Company alleging that the applicator developed and used by the Company for certain of its branded topical flea and tick products infringes a patent held by Nite Glow and asserted related claims for breach of contract and misappropriation of confidential information based on the terms of a Non-Disclosure Agreement. On June 27, 2018, a jury returned a verdict in favor of Nite Glow on each of the three claims and awarded damages of approximately $12.6 million. The case is currently in the post-trial motion phase of proceedings and is expected to proceed to appeal once all such motions have been resolved. Unless the verdicts are over-turned in the post-trial proceedings, the Company intends to vigorously pursue its rights on appeal and believes that it will prevail on the merits. While the Company believes that the ultimate resolution of this matter will not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and the final resolution of this matter may result in expense to the Company in excess of management's expectations. During fiscal 2013, the Company received notices from several states stating that they have appointed an agent to conduct an examination of the books and records of the Company to determine whether it has complied with state unclaimed property laws. In addition to seeking unclaimed property subject to escheat laws, the states may seek interest, penalties and other relief. The examinations are at an early stage and, as such, management is unable to determine the impact, if any, on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. The Company has experienced, and may in the future experience, issues with products that may lead to product liability, recalls, withdrawals, replacements of products, or regulatory actions by governmental authorities. The Company has not experienced recent issues with products, the resolution of which management believes would have a material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

Basis of Presentation (Policies

Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Noncontrolling Interest	Noncontrolling Interest Noncontrolling interest in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements represents the 20% interest not owned by Central in a consolidated subsidiary. Since the Company controls this subsidiary, its financial statements are consolidated with those of the Company, and the noncontrolling owner’s 20% share of the subsidiary’s net assets and results of operations is deducted and reported as noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets and as net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest in the consolidated statements of operations. See Note 8, Supplemental Equity Information, for additional information.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash The Company considers cash and all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at date of purchase to be cash and cash equivalents. Restricted cash includes cash and highly liquid instruments that are used as collateral for stand-alone letter of credit agreements related to normal business transactions. These agreements require the Company to maintain specified amounts of cash as collateral in segregated accounts to support the letters of credit issued thereunder, which will affect the amount of cash the Company has available for other uses.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Revenue Recognition and Nature of Products and Services The Company manufactures, markets and distributes a wide variety of branded, private label and third-party pet and garden products to wholesalers, distributors and retailers, primarily in the United States. The majority of the Company’s revenue is generated from the sale of finished pet and garden products. The Company also recognizes a minor amount of non-product revenue (less than one percent of consolidated net sales) comprising third-party logistics services, merchandising services and royalty income from sales-based licensing arrangements. Product and non-product revenue is recognized when performance obligations under the terms of the contracts with customers are satisfied. The Company recognizes product revenue when control over the finished goods transfers to its customers, which generally occurs upon shipment to, or receipt at, customers’ locations, as determined by the specific terms of the contract. These revenue contracts generally have single performance obligations. Non-product revenue is recognized as the services are provided to the customer in the case of third-party logistics services and merchandising services or as third-party licensee sales occur for royalty income. Revenue, which includes shipping and handling charges billed to the customer, is reported net of variable consideration and consideration payable to our customers, including applicable discounts, returns, allowances, trade promotion, unsaleable product, consumer coupon redemption and rebates. Shipping and handling costs that occur before the customer obtains control of the goods are deemed to be fulfillment activities and are accounted for as fulfillment costs. Key sales terms are established on a frequent basis such that most customer arrangements and related incentives have a one year or shorter duration. As such, the Company does not capitalize contract inception costs. Product fulfillment costs are capitalized as a part of inventoriable costs in accordance with US GAAP and our inventory policies. The Company generally does not have unbilled receivables at the end of a period. Deferred revenues are not material and primarily include advance payments for services that have yet to be rendered. The Company does not receive noncash consideration for the sale of goods. Amounts billed and due from our customers are classified as receivables and require payment on a short-term basis; therefore, the Company does not have any significant financing components. Sales Incentives and Other Promotional Programs The Company routinely offers sales incentives and discounts through various regional and national programs to our customers and consumers. These programs include product discounts or allowances, product rebates, product returns, one-time or ongoing trade-promotion programs with customers and consumer coupon programs that require the Company to estimate and accrue the expected costs of such programs. The costs associated with these activities are accounted for as reductions to the transaction price of the Company’s products and are, therefore, recorded as reductions to gross sales at the time of sale. The Company bases its estimates of incentive costs on historical trend experience with similar programs, actual incentive terms per customer contractual obligations and expected levels of performance of trade promotions, utilizing customer and sales organization inputs. The Company maintains liabilities at the end of each period for the estimated incentive costs incurred but unpaid for these programs. Differences between estimated and actual incentive costs are generally not material and are recognized in earnings in the period such differences are determined. Reserves for product returns, accrued rebates and promotional accruals are included in the condensed consolidated balance sheets as part of accrued expenses, and the value of inventory associated with reserves for sales returns is included within prepaid and other current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. Practical Expedients The Company elected the following practical expedients upon its adoption of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC Topic 606). • Significant financing component - The Company elected not to adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component as the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between the transfer of a promised good or service to a customer and when the customer pays for that good or service will be one year or less. • Shipping and handling costs - The Company elected to account for shipping and handling activities that occur before the customer has obtained control of a good as fulfillment activities rather than as a promised service. • Measurement of transaction price - The Company has elected to exclude from the measurement of transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on, and concurrent with, a specific revenue-producing transaction and collected by the Company from a customer for sales taxes.
Income Tax	Income Taxes On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Government enacted the 2017 Tax Act, which was comprehensive new tax legislation. The SEC Staff issued guidance on income tax accounting for the 2017 Tax Act on December 22, 2017, which allows companies to record provisional amounts during a measurement period not to extend beyond one year of the enactment date. During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company has not made any measurement period adjustments. The Company's accounting for the impact of the 2017 Tax Act has now been completed as of the period ending December 29, 2018.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Revenue Recognition In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") ASC Topic 606, which replaces numerous requirements in U.S. GAAP, including industry-specific requirements, and provides companies with a single revenue recognition model for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. On September 30, 2018, the beginning of the Company’s fiscal year 2019, the Company adopted the requirements of ASC Topic 606 using the modified retrospective method. Upon completing its implementation assessment of Topic ASC 606, the Company concluded that no adjustment was required to the opening balance of retained earnings at the date of initial application. The comparative information has also not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. Additional disclosures required by ASC Topic 606 are presented within the Revenue Recognition policy disclosure and in Note 11 Segment Information. On the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets, reserves for customer product returns and return allowances are now included as part of accrued expenses, rather than accounts receivable, net, and the value of inventory associated with reserves for sales returns is included within prepaid and other current assets Had the Company not adopted the provisions under this ASU, its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2019 would have been presented as follows (in thousands): As Presented March 31, 2019 Adjustments Balances without Adoption of ASC 606 March 31, 2019 Current assets Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts $ 456,129 $ (8,280 ) $ 447,849 Prepaid expenses and other $ 33,161 $ (4,980 ) $ 28,181 Total current assets $ 1,352,287 $ (13,260 ) $ 1,339,027 Current liabilities Accrued expenses $ 136,413 $ (13,260 ) $ 123,153 Total current liabilities $ 299,128 $ (13,260 ) $ 285,868 Statement of Cash Flows In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (ASU 2016-15). The ASU provides additional clarification guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance as of September 30, 2018 on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (ASU 2016-18) . This ASU clarifies the presentation of restricted cash on the statement of cash flows. Amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending cash balances on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the provisions under this ASU on September 30, 2018, on a retrospective basis. This resulted in an increase in beginning of period and end of period cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of $12.6 million and $13.9 million , respectively, and a decrease of $1.3 million of cash used in investing activities to the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the six months ended March 31, 2018. Business Combinations In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Clarifying the Definition of a Business (ASU 2017-01), which requires an evaluation of whether substantially all of the fair value of assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets. If so, the transaction does not qualify as a business. The guidance also requires an acquired business to include at least one substantive process and narrows the definition of outputs. The Company adopted the provisions of this guidance as of September 30, 2018. The adoption of this ASU had no impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for the period ended March 30, 2019, but may have an impact on accounting for any future acquisitions the Company may have . Income Taxes In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740) . ASU 2016-16 amends accounting guidance for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory to require the recognition of taxes when the transfer occurs. The amendment was effective for us September 30, 2018. A modified retrospective approach is required for transition to the new guidance, with a cumulative-effect adjustment consisting of the net impact from (1) the write-off of any unamortized expense previously deferred and (2) recognition of any previously unrecognized deferred tax assets, net of any valuation allowance. The new guidance does not include any specific new disclosure requirements. Adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 did not have an impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Financial Instruments In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities . The updated guidance enhances the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The guidance requires equity investments, excluding equity method investments or investees that are consolidated, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income and enhanced disclosures about those investments. The guidance also simplifies the impairment assessments of equity investments without readily determinable fair value. The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, and the adoption of the new guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements. Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 (ASU 2016-02), Leases (Topic 842) . ASU 2016-02 requires companies to generally recognize on the balance sheet operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-02 on September 29, 2019 and expects to elect certain practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance. The Company will elect the optional transition method that allows for a cumulative-effect adjustment in the period of adoption and will not restate prior periods. The Company is implementing a new lease system in connection with the adoption of this standard and is currently in the implementation phase. The Company currently expects that most of its operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard, and the Company will record significant long-term operating lease liabilities and long-term right-of-use assets upon the adoption of ASU 2016-02. Goodwill and Intangible Assets In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other: Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The new guidance simplifies the subsequent measurement of goodwill by removing the second step of the two-step impairment test. The amendment requires an entity to perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The new guidance is effective for annual periods or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, or the Company's first quarter of fiscal 2021. The amendment should be applied on a prospective basis. Based on the Company's most recent annual goodwill impairment test performed as of July 1, 2018, there were no reporting units for which the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeded its fair value; therefore, this ASU would not currently have an impact on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. However, if upon adoption the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the Company would be impacted by the amount of impairment recognized. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract . This ASU aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). ASU 2018-15 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company in fiscal 2021. The amendments in this ASU should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2018-15 will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Fair Value Disclosures In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Me asurement . This ASU modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. ASU 2018-13 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted and is effective for the Company in fiscal 2021. The amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU 2018-13 will have on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Fair Value Measurement	Fair Value Measurements ASC 820 establishes a single authoritative definition of fair value, a framework for measuring fair value and expands disclosure of fair value measurements. ASC 820 requires financial assets and liabilities to be categorized based on the inputs used to calculate their fair values as follows: Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 - Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. Level 3 - Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, which reflect the Company’s own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability (including assumptions about risk). The Company’s financial instruments include cash and equivalents, short term investments consisting of bank certificates of deposit, accounts receivable and payable, derivative instruments, short-term borrowings, and accrued liabilities. The carrying amount of these instruments approximates fair value because of their short-term nature.
Goodwill	Goodwill The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually (as of the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter), or whenever events occur or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount, by first assessing qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If it is determined that it is more likely than not the fair value of the reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, it is unnecessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the two-step test is performed to identify potential goodwill impairment. Based on certain circumstances, the Company may elect to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test, which compares the fair value of the Company’s reporting units to their related carrying values, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company performs an additional step to determine the implied fair value of goodwill associated with that reporting unit. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by first allocating the fair value of the reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities and then computing the excess of the reporting unit’s fair value over the amounts assigned to the assets and liabilities. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment, and, accordingly, the Company recognizes such impairment. The Company’s goodwill impairment analysis also includes a comparison of the aggregate estimated fair value of its two reporting units to the Company’s total market capitalization.

Basis of Presentation Basis of

Basis of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Restrictions on Cash and Cash Equivalents	The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets to the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows as of March 30, 2019, March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018, respectively (in thousands). March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 329,724 $ 132,265 $ 482,106 Restricted cash 16,115 13,948 10,899 Total Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 345,839 $ 146,213 $ 493,005
Schedule of Cash, Cash Equivalents	The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets to the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows as of March 30, 2019, March 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018, respectively (in thousands). March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 329,724 $ 132,265 $ 482,106 Restricted cash 16,115 13,948 10,899 Total Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 345,839 $ 146,213 $ 493,005
Schedule of New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles	Had the Company not adopted the provisions under this ASU, its condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2019 would have been presented as follows (in thousands): As Presented March 31, 2019 Adjustments Balances without Adoption of ASC 606 March 31, 2019 Current assets Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts $ 456,129 $ (8,280 ) $ 447,849 Prepaid expenses and other $ 33,161 $ (4,980 ) $ 28,181 Total current assets $ 1,352,287 $ (13,260 ) $ 1,339,027 Current liabilities Accrued expenses $ 136,413 $ (13,260 ) $ 123,153 Total current liabilities $ 299,128 $ (13,260 ) $ 285,868

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Summary of Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of March 30, 2019 (in thousands): Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (a) $ — $ — $ 7,729 $ 7,729 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 7,729 $ 7,729 The following table presents the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of March 31, 2018 (in thousands): Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (a) $ — $ — $ 9,148 $ 9,148 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 9,148 $ 9,148 The following table presents our financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis based upon the level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements fall, as of September 29, 2018 : Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Liabilities: Liability for contingent consideration (b) $ — $ — $ 8,224 $ 8,224 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 8,224 $ 8,224 (a) The liability for contingent consideration relates to an earn-out for B2E, acquired in December 2012, future performance-based contingent payments for Hydro-Organics Wholesale, Inc., acquired in October 2015 and future performance-based contingent payment for Segrest, Inc., acquired in October 2016. The fair value of the estimated contingent consideration arrangement is determined based on the Company’s evaluation as to the probability and amount of any earn-out that will be achieved based on expected future performance by the acquired entity. This is presented as part of long-term liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets. (b) The liability for contingent consideration relates to an earn-out for B2E, acquired in December 2012, future performance-based contingent payments for Hydro-Organics Wholesale, Inc., acquired in October 2015, future performance-based contingent payment for Segrest, Inc., acquired in October 2016, and future performance-based contingent payments for Bell Nursery, acquired in March 2018. The contingent period for Bell Nursery expired in December 2018. Performance thresholds that would have necessitated payment were not met, and accordingly, no payment was made. The fair value of the estimated contingent consideration arrangement is determined based on the Company’s evaluation as to the probability and amount of any earn-out that will be achieved based on expected future performance by the acquired entity. This is presented as part of long-term liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Summary of Changes in Fair Value of Level 3 Financial Instruments	The following table provides a summary of the changes in fair value of the Company's Level 3 financial instruments for the periods ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 (in thousands): Amount Balance September 29, 2018 $ 8,224 Estimated contingent performance-based consideration established at the time of acquisition — Changes in the fair value of contingent performance-based payments established at the time of acquisition (429 ) Performance-based payments (66 ) Balance March 30, 2019 $ 7,729 Amount Balance September 30, 2017 $ 9,343 Estimated contingent performance-based consideration established at the time of acquisition — Changes in the fair value of contingent performance-based payments established at the time of acquisition (72 ) Performance-based payments (123 ) Balance March 31, 2018 $ 9,148

Inventories, net (Tables)

Inventories, net (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Inventories, Net of Allowance for Obsolescence	Inventories, net of allowance for obsolescence, consist of the following (in thousands): March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 Raw materials $ 136,879 $ 117,370 $ 117,539 Work in progress 58,529 40,491 35,691 Finished goods 305,569 293,988 263,845 Supplies 16,181 13,673 10,748 Total inventories, net $ 517,158 $ 465,522 $ 427,823

Other Intangible Assets (Tables

Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Gross and Net Acquired Intangible Assets	The following table summarizes the components of gross and net acquired intangible assets: Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) March 30, 2019 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 18.6 $ (15.2 ) $ — $ 3.4 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 89.2 (15.2 ) (26.0 ) 48.0 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 128.3 (47.5 ) (2.5 ) 78.3 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 26.0 (15.5 ) — 10.5 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.2 — (1.2 ) 6.0 Total 33.2 (15.5 ) (1.2 ) 16.5 Total other intangible assets $ 250.7 $ (78.2 ) $ (29.7 ) $ 142.8 Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2018 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 16.9 $ (13.4 ) $ — $ 3.5 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 87.5 (13.4 ) (26.0 ) 48.1 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 115.7 (37.5 ) — 78.2 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 22.1 (13.5 ) — 8.6 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.8 — (1.2 ) 6.6 Total 29.9 (13.5 ) (1.2 ) 15.2 Total other intangible assets $ 233.1 $ (64.4 ) $ (27.2 ) $ 141.5 Gross Accumulated Amortization Accumulated Impairment Net Carrying Value (in millions) September 29, 2018 Marketing-related intangible assets – amortizable $ 18.6 $ (14.2 ) $ — $ 4.4 Marketing-related intangible assets – nonamortizable 70.6 — (26.0 ) 44.6 Total 89.2 (14.2 ) (26.0 ) 49.0 Customer-related intangible assets – amortizable 128.3 (42.5 ) — 85.8 Other acquired intangible assets – amortizable 25.4 (14.5 ) — 10.9 Other acquired intangible assets – nonamortizable 7.8 — (1.2 ) 6.6 Total 33.2 (14.5 ) (1.2 ) 17.5 Total other intangible assets $ 250.7 $ (71.2 ) $ (27.2 ) $ 152.3

Long-Term Debt (Tables)

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Long-Term Debt	Long-term debt consists of the following: March 30, 2019 March 31, 2018 September 29, 2018 (in thousands) Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 $ 400,000 $ 400,000 $ 400,000 Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 300,000 300,000 300,000 Unamortized debt issuance costs (7,791 ) (9,053 ) (8,425 ) Net carrying value 692,209 690,947 691,575 Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 — — — Other notes payable 5,556 157 578 Total 697,765 691,104 692,153 Less current portion (5,119 ) (20 ) (122 ) Long-term portion $ 692,646 $ 691,084 $ 692,031

Supplemental Equity Informati_2

Supplemental Equity Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Summary of Changes in Carrying Amounts of Equity Attributable to Controlling Interest and Noncontrolling Interest	The following table provides a summary of the changes in the carrying amounts of equity attributable to controlling interest and noncontrolling interest through the six months ended March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2018 . Controlling Interest (in thousands) Common Class A Class Additional Retained Accumulated Total Noncontrolling Total September 29, 2018 $ 121 $ 439 $ 16 $ 590,168 $ 362,923 $ (1,218 ) $ 952,449 $ 385 $ 952,834 Comprehensive income — — — — 1,803 (274 ) 1,529 (164 ) 1,365 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,261 — — 2,261 — 2,261 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — — — (386 ) — — (386 ) — (386 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 1 — 408 — — 409 — 409 Balance December 29, 2018 $ 121 $ 441 $ 16 $ 592,451 $ 364,726 $ (1,492 ) $ 956,263 $ 221 $ 956,484 Comprehensive income $ — $ — $ — $ — 42,391 212 42,603 331 $ 42,934 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,473 — — 2,473 — 2,473 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — 2 — (1,773 ) — — (1,771 ) — (1,771 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 1 — (820 ) — — (819 ) — (819 ) Other — — — — — — — 1 1 Balance March 30, 2019 $ 121 $ 444 $ 16 $ 592,331 $ 407,117 $ (1,280 ) $ 998,749 $ 553 $ 999,302 Controlling Interest (in thousands) Common Stock Class A Common Stock Class B Stock Additional Paid In Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Total Noncontrolling Interest Total Balance September 30, 2017 $ 122 $ 380 $ 16 $ 396,790 $ 239,329 $ (951 ) $ 635,686 $ 1,456 $ 637,142 Comprehensive income — — — — 26,247 44 26,291 203 26,494 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,143 — — 2,143 — 2,143 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement — — — (2,397 ) — — (2,397 ) — (2,397 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — — — 166 — — 166 — 166 Distribution to Noncontrolling interest — — — — — — — (1,597 ) (1,597 ) Balance December 30, 2017 $ 122 $ 380 $ 16 $ 396,702 $ 265,576 $ (907 ) $ 661,889 $ 62 $ 661,951 Comprehensive income $ — $ — $ — $ — 45,234 234 45,468 532 46,000 Amortization of share-based awards — — — 2,321 — — 2,321 — 2,321 Restricted share activity, including net share settlement (1 ) — — (3,873 ) — — (3,874 ) — (3,874 ) Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options — 2 — (1,298 ) — — (1,296 ) — (1,296 ) Distribution to Noncontrolling interest — — — — — — — — — Balance March 31, 2018 $ 121 $ 382 $ 16 $ 393,852 $ 310,810 $ (673 ) $ 704,508 $ 594 $ 705,102

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The following is a reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations for income from continuing operations (in thousands except share and per share amounts). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 March 30, 2019 Income Shares Per Share Income Shares Per Share Basic EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 42,391 57,050 $ 0.74 $ 44,194 56,976 $ 0.78 Effect of dilutive securities: Options to purchase common stock 609 (0.01 ) 639 (0.01 ) Restricted shares 367 — 398 (0.01 ) Diluted EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 42,391 58,026 $ 0.73 $ 44,194 58,013 $ 0.76 Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 March 31, 2018 Income Shares Per Share Income Shares Per Share Basic EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 45,234 50,871 $ 0.89 $ 71,481 50,816 $ 1.41 Effect of dilutive securities: Options to purchase common stock 1,092 (0.02 ) 1,120 (0.03 ) Restricted shares 695 (0.01 ) 757 (0.02 ) Diluted EPS: Net income available to common shareholders $ 45,234 52,658 $ 0.86 $ 71,481 52,693 $ 1.36

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Financial Information Relating to Company's Business Segments	These operating segments are Pet segment and Garden segment and are presented in the table below (in thousands). Three Months Ended Six Months Ended March 30, March 31, March 30, March 31, Net sales: Pet segment $ 338,183 $ 321,653 $ 678,599 $ 646,737 Garden segment 335,518 291,441 457,092 408,368 Total net sales $ 673,701 $ 613,094 $ 1,135,691 $ 1,055,105 Operating Income Pet segment 26,984 32,784 56,739 68,960 Garden segment 53,355 50,746 48,718 53,046 Corporate (18,186 ) (17,744 ) (33,123 ) (33,699 ) Total operating income 62,153 65,786 72,334 88,307 Interest expense - net (8,385 ) (9,882 ) (16,462 ) (17,100 ) Other income (expense) 500 1,505 308 (1,584 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 11,546 11,643 11,819 (2,593 ) Income including noncontrolling interest 42,722 45,766 44,361 72,216 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 331 532 167 735 Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,391 $ 45,234 $ 44,194 $ 71,481 Depreciation and amortization: Pet segment $ 8,039 $ 6,944 $ 16,095 $ 14,089 Garden segment 2,312 1,707 5,138 3,276 Corporate 1,526 2,471 2,996 4,920 Total depreciation and amortization $ 11,877 $ 11,122 $ 24,229 $ 22,285 March 30, March 31, September 29, Assets: Pet segment $ 700,638 $ 660,344 $ 683,938 Garden segment 687,951 581,105 407,483 Corporate 657,551 462,514 815,788 Total assets $ 2,046,140 $ 1,703,963 $ 1,907,209 Goodwill (included in corporate assets above): Pet segment $ 268,289 $ 262,770 $ 268,289 Garden segment 12,888 5,473 12,888 Total goodwill $ 281,177 $ 268,243 $ 281,177 The tables below present the Company's disaggregated revenues by segment (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Other pet products $ 233.0 $ — $ 233.0 $ 442.3 $ — $ 442.3 Dog and cat products 105.2 — 105.2 236.3 — 236.3 Garden controls and fertilizer products — 113.8 113.8 — 138.1 138.1 Other garden supplies — 221.7 221.7 — 319.0 319.0 Total $ 338.2 $ 335.5 $ 673.7 $ 678.6 $ 457.1 $ 1,135.7 Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Pet Segment Garden Segment Total Other pet products $ 218.8 $ — $ 218.8 $ 413.9 $ — $ 413.9 Dog and cat products 102.9 — 102.9 232.8 — 232.8 Garden controls and fertilizer products — 112.9 112.9 — 142.5 142.5 Other garden supplies — 178.5 178.5 — 265.9 265.9 Total $ 321.7 $ 291.4 $ 613.1 $ 646.7 $ 408.4 $ 1,055.1

Consolidating Condensed Finan_2

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Condensed Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Consolidating Condensed Statement of Operations	CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 214,042 $ 35,191 $ 449,810 $ (25,342 ) $ 673,701 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 163,133 30,343 297,864 (23,690 ) 467,650 Gross profit 50,909 4,848 151,946 (1,652 ) 206,051 Selling, general and administrative expenses 47,135 10,485 87,930 (1,652 ) 143,898 Operating income (loss) 3,774 (5,637 ) 64,016 — 62,153 Interest expense (10,482 ) (141 ) (17 ) — (10,640 ) Interest income 2,250 5 — — 2,255 Other (expense) income 305 243 (48 ) — 500 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates (4,153 ) (5,530 ) 63,951 — 54,268 Income tax expense (benefit) (1,748 ) (55 ) 13,349 — 11,546 Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates 44,796 — (101 ) (44,695 ) — Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interest 42,391 (5,475 ) 50,501 (44,695 ) 42,722 Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest — 331 — — 331 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,391 $ (5,806 ) $ 50,501 $ (44,695 ) $ 42,391 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 195,464 $ 32,433 $ 412,348 $ (27,151 ) $ 613,094 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 151,868 24,192 268,072 (25,495 ) 418,637 Gross profit 43,596 8,241 144,276 (1,656 ) 194,457 Selling, general and administrative expenses 41,677 6,532 82,118 (1,656 ) 128,671 Operating income (loss) 1,919 1,709 62,158 — 65,786 Interest expense (10,510 ) (62 ) (3 ) — (10,575 ) Interest income 692 1 — — 693 Other income 1,108 200 197 — 1,505 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates (6,791 ) 1,848 62,352 — 57,409 Income tax expense (benefit) (13,753 ) (1,549 ) 26,945 — 11,643 Equity in earnings of affiliates 38,272 — 3,841 (42,113 ) — Net income including noncontrolling interest 45,234 3,397 39,248 (42,113 ) 45,766 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 532 — — 532 Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 45,234 $ 2,865 $ 39,248 $ (42,113 ) $ 45,234 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 387,448 $ 58,820 $ 729,644 $ (40,221 ) $ 1,135,691 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 299,146 52,346 485,547 (37,581 ) 799,458 Gross profit 88,302 6,474 244,097 (2,640 ) 336,233 Selling, general and administrative expenses 90,800 17,836 157,903 (2,640 ) 263,899 Operating income (loss) (2,498 ) (11,362 ) 86,194 — 72,334 Interest expense (20,979 ) (255 ) (20 ) — (21,254 ) Interest income 4,783 9 — — 4,792 Other income (expense) 342 27 (61 ) — 308 Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates (18,352 ) (11,581 ) 86,113 — 56,180 Income tax expense (benefit) (3,836 ) (311 ) 15,966 — 11,819 Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates 58,710 — (1,213 ) (57,497 ) — Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interest 44,194 (11,270 ) 68,934 (57,497 ) 44,361 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 167 — — 167 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 44,194 $ (11,437 ) $ 68,934 $ (57,497 ) $ 44,194 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net sales $ 354,525 $ 46,176 $ 698,772 $ (44,368 ) $ 1,055,105 Cost of goods sold and occupancy 277,347 36,008 457,123 (41,667 ) 728,811 Gross profit 77,178 10,168 241,649 (2,701 ) 326,294 Selling, general and administrative expenses 78,316 10,437 151,935 (2,701 ) 237,987 Operating income (loss) (1,138 ) (269 ) 89,714 — 88,307 Interest expense (17,895 ) (78 ) (7 ) — (17,980 ) Interest income 878 2 — — 880 Other income (expense) (1,810 ) 254 (28 ) — (1,584 ) Income (loss) before taxes and equity in earnings of affiliates (19,965 ) (91 ) 89,679 — 69,623 Income tax expense (benefit) 672 (267 ) (2,998 ) — (2,593 ) Equity in earnings of affiliates 92,118 — 941 (93,059 ) — Net income including noncontrolling interest 71,481 176 93,618 (93,059 ) 72,216 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest — 735 — — 735 Net income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 71,481 $ (559 ) $ 93,618 $ (93,059 ) $ 71,481
Consolidating Condensed Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)	CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Three Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income (loss) $ 42,391 $ (5,475 ) $ 50,501 $ (44,695 ) $ 42,722 Other comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation 212 127 35 (162 ) 212 Total comprehensive income (loss) 42,603 (5,348 ) 50,536 (44,857 ) 42,934 Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests — 331 — — 331 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 42,603 $ (5,679 ) $ 50,536 $ (44,857 ) $ 42,603 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income $ 45,234 $ 3,397 $ 39,248 $ (42,113 ) $ 45,766 Other comprehensive income (loss): Foreign currency translation 234 206 (48 ) (158 ) 234 Total comprehensive income (loss) 45,468 3,603 39,200 (42,271 ) 46,000 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 532 — — 532 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 45,468 $ 3,071 $ 39,200 $ (42,271 ) $ 45,468 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income (loss) $ 44,194 $ (11,270 ) $ 68,934 $ (57,497 ) $ 44,361 Other comprehensive loss: — — — — Foreign currency translation (62 ) (2 ) (60 ) 62 (62 ) Total comprehensive income (loss) 44,132 (11,272 ) 68,874 (57,435 ) 44,299 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 167 — — 167 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 44,132 $ (11,439 ) $ 68,874 $ (57,435 ) $ 44,132 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net income $ 71,481 $ 176 $ 93,618 $ (93,059 ) $ 72,216 Other comprehensive loss: Foreign currency translation 278 249 (64 ) (185 ) 278 Total comprehensive income 71,759 425 93,554 (93,244 ) 72,494 Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests — 735 — — 735 Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company $ 71,759 $ (310 ) $ 93,554 $ (93,244 ) $ 71,759 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 322,149 $ 6,354 $ 1,221 $ — $ 329,724 Restricted cash 10,888 — 5,227 — 16,115 Accounts receivable, net 134,251 22,844 299,034 — 456,129 Inventories 138,778 46,035 332,345 — 517,158 Prepaid expenses and other 8,355 1,386 23,420 — 33,161 Total current assets 614,421 76,619 661,247 — 1,352,287 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 29,701 36,180 151,657 — 217,538 Goodwill 20,578 7,414 253,185 — 281,177 Other long-term assets 47,512 6,273 147,035 (5,682 ) 195,138 Intercompany receivable 59,152 — 680,937 (740,089 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,688,163 — — (1,688,163 ) — Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 41,488 $ 21,833 $ 94,275 $ — $ 157,596 Accrued expenses 55,181 6,200 75,032 — 136,413 Current portion of long-term debt 119 — 5,000 — 5,119 Total current liabilities 96,788 28,033 174,307 — 299,128 Long-term debt 692,459 — 187 — 692,646 Intercompany payable 662,927 77,163 — (740,090 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 26,248 (26,248 ) — Other long-term obligations 8,604 — 52,142 (5,682 ) 55,064 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity 998,749 20,737 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 998,749 Noncontrolling interest 553 — 553 Total equity 998,749 21,290 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 999,302 Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140
Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet	CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 322,149 $ 6,354 $ 1,221 $ — $ 329,724 Restricted cash 10,888 — 5,227 — 16,115 Accounts receivable, net 134,251 22,844 299,034 — 456,129 Inventories 138,778 46,035 332,345 — 517,158 Prepaid expenses and other 8,355 1,386 23,420 — 33,161 Total current assets 614,421 76,619 661,247 — 1,352,287 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 29,701 36,180 151,657 — 217,538 Goodwill 20,578 7,414 253,185 — 281,177 Other long-term assets 47,512 6,273 147,035 (5,682 ) 195,138 Intercompany receivable 59,152 — 680,937 (740,089 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,688,163 — — (1,688,163 ) — Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 41,488 $ 21,833 $ 94,275 $ — $ 157,596 Accrued expenses 55,181 6,200 75,032 — 136,413 Current portion of long-term debt 119 — 5,000 — 5,119 Total current liabilities 96,788 28,033 174,307 — 299,128 Long-term debt 692,459 — 187 — 692,646 Intercompany payable 662,927 77,163 — (740,090 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 26,248 (26,248 ) — Other long-term obligations 8,604 — 52,142 (5,682 ) 55,064 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity 998,749 20,737 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 998,749 Noncontrolling interest 553 — 553 Total equity 998,749 21,290 1,641,177 (1,661,914 ) 999,302 Total $ 2,459,527 $ 126,486 $ 1,894,061 $ (2,433,934 ) $ 2,046,140 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 123,840 $ 7,170 $ 1,255 $ — $ 132,265 Restricted cash 13,948 — — — 13,948 Accounts receivable, net 132,218 19,938 242,995 — 395,151 Inventories 137,108 43,438 284,976 — 465,522 Prepaid expenses and other 6,157 2,086 18,434 — 26,677 Total current assets 413,271 72,632 547,660 — 1,033,563 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 35,314 34,632 140,617 — 210,563 Goodwill 15,058 — 253,185 — 268,243 Other long-term assets 56,612 14,642 132,916 (12,576 ) 191,594 Intercompany receivable 54,117 — 610,760 (664,877 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,539,309 — — (1,539,309 ) — Total $ 2,113,681 $ 121,906 $ 1,685,138 $ (2,216,762 ) $ 1,703,963 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 48,659 $ 19,752 $ 82,564 $ — $ 150,975 Accrued expenses 63,951 5,303 47,160 — 116,414 Current portion of long-term debt — — 20 — 20 Total current liabilities 112,610 25,055 129,744 — 267,409 Long-term debt 690,947 — 137 691,084 Intercompany payable 597,619 67,258 — (664,877 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 25,228 (25,228 ) — Other long-term obligations 7,997 — 44,947 (12,576 ) 40,368 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity (deficit) 704,508 28,999 1,485,082 (1,514,081 ) 704,508 Noncontrolling interest — 594 — — 594 Total equity 704,508 29,593 1,485,082 (1,514,081 ) 705,102 Total $ 2,113,681 $ 121,906 $ 1,685,138 $ (2,216,762 ) $ 1,703,963 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED BALANCE SHEET September 29, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 474,210 $ 6,005 $ 1,891 $ — $ 482,106 Restricted cash 10,899 — — — 10,899 Accounts receivable, net 94,657 9,647 171,604 — 275,908 Inventories 123,178 32,556 272,089 — 427,823 Prepaid expenses and other assets 6,304 1,455 12,803 — 20,562 Total current assets 709,248 49,663 458,387 — 1,217,298 Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net 33,484 33,840 150,323 — 217,647 Goodwill 20,578 7,414 253,185 — 281,177 Other long-term assets 62,199 7,469 133,145 (11,726 ) 191,087 Intercompany receivable 40,365 — 769,886 (810,251 ) — Investment in subsidiaries 1,618,378 — — (1,618,378 ) — Total $ 2,484,252 $ 98,386 $ 1,764,926 $ (2,440,355 ) $ 1,907,209 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Accounts payable $ 33,122 $ 4,759 $ 72,378 $ — $ 110,259 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 44,142 4,746 53,695 — 102,583 Current portion of long term debt 116 — 6 — 122 Total current liabilities 77,380 9,505 126,079 — 212,964 Long-term debt 691,869 — 162 — 692,031 Intercompany payable 753,933 56,318 — (810,251 ) — Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries — — 25,036 (25,036 ) — Other long-term obligations 8,621 — 52,485 (11,726 ) 49,380 Total Central Garden & Pet shareholders’ equity (deficit) 952,449 32,178 1,561,164 (1,593,342 ) 952,449 Noncontrolling interest — 385 — — 385 Total equity 952,449 32,563 1,561,164 (1,593,342 ) 952,834 Total $ 2,484,252 $ 98,386 $ 1,764,926 $ (2,440,355 ) $ 1,907,209
Consolidating Condensed Statement of Cash Flows	CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Six Months Ended March 30, 2019 (in thousands) Parent Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net cash used by operating activities $ (23,565 ) $ (17,128 ) $ (38,626 ) $ — $ (79,319 ) Additions to property and equipment (1,716 ) (3,350 ) (9,236 ) — (14,302 ) Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired (11,137 ) — — — (11,137 ) Investments (1,749 ) — — — (1,749 ) Other investing activities (368 ) — — — (368 ) Intercompany investing activities (18,788 ) — 88,949 (70,161 ) — Net cash (used) provided by investing activities (33,758 ) (3,350 ) 79,713 (70,161 ) (27,556 ) Repayments of long-term debt (3 ) — (36,463 ) — (36,466 ) Repurchase of common stock (3,739 ) — — — (3,739 ) Payment of contingent consideration liability — — (66 ) — (66 ) Intercompany financing activities (91,005 ) 20,844 — 70,161 — Net cash provided (used) by financing activities (94,747 ) 20,844 (36,529 ) 70,161 (40,271 ) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (2 ) (17 ) (1 ) — (20 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (152,072 ) 349 4,557 — (147,166 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 485,109 6,005 1,891 — 493,005 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 333,037 $ 6,354 $ 6,448 $ — $ 345,839 CONSOLIDATING CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS Six Months Ended March 31, 2018 (in thousands) Parent Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Guarantor Subsidiaries Eliminations Consolidated Net cash used by operating activities $ (36,868 ) $ (11,840 ) $ (38,863 ) $ (6,387 ) $ (93,958 ) Additions to property, plant and equipment (4,923 ) (494 ) (12,149 ) — (17,566 ) Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired (63,372 ) — — — (63,372 ) Investments (6,555 ) — — — (6,555 ) Other investing activities (2,180 ) — — — (2,180 ) Intercompany investing activities (17,512 ) — 51,377 (33,865 ) — Net cash (used) provided by investing activities (94,542 ) (494 ) 39,228 (33,865 ) (89,673 ) Repayments under revolving line of credit (23,000 ) — — — (23,000 ) Borrowings under revolving line of credit 23,000 — — — 23,000 Repayments of long-term debt — — (360 ) — (360 ) Issuance of long-term debt 300,000 — — — 300,000 Payment of financing costs (4,765 ) — — — (4,765 ) Repurchase of common stock (8,473 ) — — — (8,473 ) Distribution to parent — (6,387 ) — 6,387 — Distribution to noncontrolling interest — (1,597 ) — — (1,597 ) Payment of contingent consideration — — (123 ) — (123 ) Intercompany financing activities (49,789 ) 15,924 — 33,865 — Net cash provided (used) by financing activities 236,973 7,940 (483 ) 40,252 284,682 Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 342 (129 ) (93 ) — 120 Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 105,905 (4,523 ) (211 ) — 101,171 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 31,883 11,693 1,466 — 45,042 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 137,788 $ 7,170 $ 1,255 $ — $ 146,213

Basis of Presentation - Narrati

Basis of Presentation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest owned by the subsidiary	20.00%
Restricted cash	$ 16,115	$ 13,948	$ 10,899
Restricted cash	16,115	13,948	10,899
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(147,166)	101,171
Net cash used in investing activities	$ (27,556)	(89,673)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-18
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Restricted cash		13,900	$ 12,600
Net cash used in investing activities		$ 1,300

Basis of Presentation - Cash, C

Basis of Presentation - Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 329,724	$ 482,106	$ 132,265
Restricted Cash	16,115	10,899	13,948
Total Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$ 345,839	$ 493,005	$ 146,213	$ 45,042

Basis of Presentation - Consoli

Basis of Presentation - Consolidated Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	$ 456,129	$ 275,908	$ 395,151
Prepaid expenses and other	33,161	20,562	26,677
Total current assets	1,352,287	1,217,298	1,033,563
Accrued expenses	136,413	102,583	116,414
Total current liabilities	299,128	$ 212,964	$ 267,409
Balances without Adoption of ASC 606 March 31, 2019
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	447,849
Prepaid expenses and other	28,181
Total current assets	1,339,027
Accrued expenses	123,153
Total current liabilities	285,868
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 | Adjustments
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	(8,280)
Prepaid expenses and other	(4,980)
Total current assets	(13,260)
Accrued expenses	(13,260)
Total current liabilities	$ (13,260)

Fair Value Measurements - Summa

Fair Value Measurements - Summary of Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Details) - Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	$ 7,729	$ 8,224	$ 9,148
Liability for contingent consideration
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	7,729	8,224	9,148
Level 1
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	0	0	0
Level 1 | Liability for contingent consideration
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	0	0	0
Level 2
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	0	0	0
Level 2 | Liability for contingent consideration
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	0	0	0
Level 3
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	7,729	8,224	9,148
Level 3 | Liability for contingent consideration
Liabilities:
Liabilities, fair value disclosure	$ 7,729	$ 8,224	$ 9,148

Fair Value Measurements - Sum_2

Fair Value Measurements - Summary of Changes in Fair Value of Level 3 Financial Instruments (Details) - Level 3 - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 8,224	$ 9,343
Estimated contingent performance-based consideration established at the time of acquisition	0	0
Changes in the fair value of contingent performance-based payments established at the time of acquisition	(429)	(72)
Performance-based payments	(66)	(123)
Ending balance	$ 7,729	$ 9,148

Fair Value Measurements - Narra

Fair Value Measurements - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 14, 2017	Nov. 30, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, carrying value	$ 2,500,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets, impairment charge	2,500,000
Carrying value of senior subordinated notes	697,765,000	$ 692,153,000	$ 691,104,000
Senior notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying value of senior subordinated notes	$ 692,209,000	691,575,000	690,947,000
Senior notes | Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt, aggregate principal amount				$ 300,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage	5.125%			5.125%	5.125%
Estimated fair value of senior notes	$ 278,200,000	285,500,000	285,400,000
Carrying value of senior subordinated notes	295,900,000	295,600,000	295,300,000
Senior notes | 6.125% senior notes due in November 2023
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Debt, aggregate principal amount						$ 400,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage						6.125%
Estimated fair value of senior notes	417,700,000	414,400,000	419,000,000
Carrying value of senior subordinated notes	$ 396,300,000	$ 396,000,000	$ 395,600,000

Acquisitions (Details)

Acquisitions (Details) - Arden Companies - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2019	Feb. 01, 2019
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percent of investment purchased		55.00%
Payments to acquire investments	$ 13.4
Purchase price exceeding fair value of net tangible assets acquired	19
Payment for acquired debt extinguishment	36
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to acquire investments	$ 3

Inventories, net - Summary of I

Inventories, net - Summary of Inventories, Net of Allowance for Obsolescence (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Raw materials	$ 136,879	$ 117,539	$ 117,370
Work in progress	58,529	35,691	40,491
Finished goods	305,569	263,845	293,988
Supplies	16,181	10,748	13,673
Total inventories, net	$ 517,158	$ 427,823	$ 465,522

Goodwill - Narrative (Details)

Goodwill - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019USD ($)Segment	Mar. 31, 2018USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of reporting units | Segment	2
Impairment of goodwill | $	$ 0	$ 0

Other Intangible Assets - Compo

Other Intangible Assets - Components of Gross and Net Acquired Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	$ 250,700	$ 250,700	$ 233,100
Accumulated Amortization	(78,200)	(71,200)	(64,400)
Accumulated Impairment	(29,700)	(27,200)	(27,200)
Net Carrying Value	142,798	152,265	141,530
Marketing-related intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	89,200	89,200	87,500
Accumulated Amortization	(15,200)	(14,200)	(13,400)
Accumulated Impairment	(26,000)	(26,000)	(26,000)
Net Carrying Value	48,000	49,000	48,100
Other acquired intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	33,200	33,200	29,900
Accumulated Amortization	(15,500)	(14,500)	(13,500)
Accumulated Impairment	(1,200)	(1,200)	(1,200)
Net Carrying Value	16,500	17,500	15,200
Amortizable | Marketing-related intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	18,600	18,600	16,900
Accumulated Amortization	(15,200)	(14,200)	(13,400)
Accumulated Impairment	0	0	0
Net Carrying Value	3,400	4,400	3,500
Amortizable | Customer-related intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	128,300	128,300	115,700
Accumulated Amortization	(47,500)	(42,500)	(37,500)
Accumulated Impairment	(2,500)	0	0
Net Carrying Value	78,300	85,800	78,200
Amortizable | Other acquired intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	26,000	25,400	22,100
Accumulated Amortization	(15,500)	(14,500)	(13,500)
Accumulated Impairment	0	0	0
Net Carrying Value	10,500	10,900	8,600
Nonamortizable | Marketing-related intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	70,600	70,600	70,600
Accumulated Amortization	0	0	0
Accumulated Impairment	(26,000)	(26,000)	(26,000)
Net Carrying Value	44,600	44,600	44,600
Nonamortizable | Other acquired intangible assets
Acquired Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross	7,200	7,800	7,800
Accumulated Amortization	0	0	0
Accumulated Impairment	(1,200)	(1,200)	(1,200)
Net Carrying Value	$ 6,000	$ 6,600	$ 6,600

Other Intangible Assets - Narra

Other Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
2019 estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets	$ 10		$ 10
2020 estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets	10		10
2021 estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets	10		10
2022 estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets	10		10
2023 estimated annual amortization expense related to acquired intangible assets	10		$ 10
Marketing-related intangible assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lives of acquired intangible assets			4 years
Customer-related intangible assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lives of acquired intangible assets			10 years
Other acquired intangible assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lives of acquired intangible assets			11 years
Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lives of acquired intangible assets			3 years
Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining lives of acquired intangible assets			25 years
Selling, general and administrative expenses
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense for intangibles	3.4	$ 2.9	$ 6.9	$ 5.7
Pet segment | Selling, general and administrative expenses
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Asset impairment charge	$ 2.5

Long-Term Debt - Components of

Long-Term Debt - Components of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 14, 2017	Nov. 09, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 697,765,000	$ 697,765,000	$ 692,153,000	$ 691,104,000
Less current portion	(5,119,000)	(5,119,000)	(122,000)	(20,000)
Long-term portion	692,646,000	692,646,000	692,031,000	691,084,000
Senior notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs	(7,791,000)	(7,791,000)	(8,425,000)	(9,053,000)
Total	692,209,000	692,209,000	691,575,000	690,947,000
Senior notes | Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes	$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000	400,000,000	400,000,000			$ 400,000,000
Debt instrument maturity period		Nov. 1, 2023
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage	6.125%	6.125%					6.125%
Senior notes | Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes	$ 300,000,000	$ 300,000,000	300,000,000	300,000,000		$ 300,000,000
Total	$ 295,900,000	$ 295,900,000	295,600,000	295,300,000
Debt instrument maturity period		Feb. 1, 2028
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage	5.125%	5.125%			5.125%	5.125%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 0	$ 0	0	0
Debt instrument maturity period		Apr. 1, 2021
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Base rate borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility	0.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | LIBOR-based borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility	1.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Minimum | Base rate borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		0.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Minimum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		1.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Maximum | Base rate borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		0.50%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Maximum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		1.50%
Other notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 5,556,000	$ 5,556,000	$ 578,000	$ 157,000

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Det

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)	Dec. 14, 2017USD ($)	Apr. 22, 2016USD ($)	Nov. 09, 2015USD ($)	Mar. 30, 2019USD ($)	Mar. 30, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2018USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018USD ($)	Dec. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Letter of credit
Components of long-term debt
Letters of credit outstanding				$ 8,200,000	$ 8,200,000
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021
Components of long-term debt
Maturity date of senior subordinated notes					Apr. 1, 2021
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | LIBOR-based borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility				1.25%
Applicable interest rate on the credit facility				3.80%	3.80%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Base rate borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility				0.25%
Applicable interest rate on the credit facility				5.80%	5.80%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Minimum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility					1.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Minimum | Base rate borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility					0.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Maximum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility					1.50%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Maximum | Base rate borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility					0.50%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility
Components of long-term debt
Debt issuance cost				$ 1,200,000	$ 1,200,000
Credit facility, maximum principal amount		$ 400,000,000
Credit facility, additional borrowings available		$ 200,000,000
Line of credit outstanding borrowings				0	0
Letters of credit outstanding				0	0
Credit facility, available capacity				374,000,000	374,000,000
Debt instrument fixed charge coverage ratio		1
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | Federal funds rate
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		0.50%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | One-month LIBOR
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		1.00%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | Minimum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		1.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | Minimum | Base rate borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		0.25%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | Maximum | LIBOR-based borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		1.50%
Asset-based revolving credit facility, interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.50% or Base Rate plus a margin of 0.25% to 0.50%, final maturity April 2021 | Revolving credit facility | Maximum | Base rate borrowings
Components of long-term debt
Applicable interest margin rate on the credit facility		0.50%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Redemption period one
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	105.125%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Redemption period two
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	102.563%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Redemption period three
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	101.708%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Redemption period four
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	100.854%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Redemption period five
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	100.00%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Upon change of control
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage	101.00%
Senior notes, interest at 5.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due February 2028 | Senior notes
Components of long-term debt
Aggregate principal amount of debt	$ 300,000,000			$ 300,000,000	$ 300,000,000	$ 300,000,000	$ 300,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage	5.125%			5.125%	5.125%			5.125%
Maturity date of senior subordinated notes					Feb. 1, 2028
Debt issuance cost	$ 4,800,000
Redemption percentage	35.00%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Redemption period two
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage			104.594%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Redemption period three
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage			103.063%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Redemption period four
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage			101.531%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Redemption period five
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage			100.00%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Upon change of control
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage			101.00%
Senior notes, interest at 6.125%, payable semi-annually, principal due November 2023 | Senior notes
Components of long-term debt
Aggregate principal amount of debt			$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage			6.125%	6.125%	6.125%
Maturity date of senior subordinated notes					Nov. 1, 2023
Debt issuance cost			$ 6,300,000
Senior subordinated notes, interest at 8.25%, payable semi-annually, principal due march 2018 | Senior notes
Components of long-term debt
Aggregate principal amount of debt									$ 400,000,000
Debt instrument interest rate stated, percentage									8.25%
Maturity date of senior subordinated notes					Mar. 1, 2018
Senior subordinated notes, interest at 8.25%, payable semi-annually, principal due march 2018 | Senior subordinated notes
Components of long-term debt
Debt redemption price percentage					102.063%

Supplemental Equity Informati_3

Supplemental Equity Information - Summary of Changes in Carrying Amounts of Equity Attributable to Controlling Interest and Noncontrolling Interest (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 956,484	$ 952,834	$ 661,951	$ 637,142	$ 952,834	$ 637,142
Comprehensive income	42,934	1,365	46,000	26,494	44,299	72,494
Amortization of share-based awards	2,473	2,261	2,321	2,143
Restricted share activity, including net share settlement	(1,771)	(386)	(3,874)	(2,397)
Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options	(819)	409	(1,296)	166
Distribution to Noncontrolling interest			0	(1,597)
Other	1
Ending balance	999,302	956,484	705,102	661,951	999,302	705,102
Total
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	956,263	952,449	661,889	635,686	952,449	635,686
Comprehensive income	42,603	1,529	45,468	26,291
Amortization of share-based awards	2,473	2,261	2,321	2,143
Restricted share activity, including net share settlement	(1,771)	(386)	(3,874)	(2,397)
Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options	(819)	409	(1,296)	166
Ending balance	998,749	956,263	704,508	661,889	998,749	704,508
Additional Paid In Capital
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	592,451	590,168	396,702	396,790	590,168	396,790
Amortization of share-based awards	2,473	2,261	2,321	2,143
Restricted share activity, including net share settlement	(1,773)	(386)	(3,873)	(2,397)
Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options	(820)	408	(1,298)	166
Ending balance	592,331	592,451	393,852	396,702	592,331	393,852
Retained Earnings
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	364,726	362,923	265,576	239,329	362,923	239,329
Comprehensive income	42,391	1,803	45,234	26,247
Ending balance	407,117	364,726	310,810	265,576	407,117	310,810
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(1,492)	(1,218)	(907)	(951)	(1,218)	(951)
Comprehensive income	212	(274)	234	44
Ending balance	(1,280)	(1,492)	(673)	(907)	(1,280)	(673)
Noncontrolling Interest
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	221	385	62	1,456	385	1,456
Comprehensive income	331	(164)	532	203
Distribution to Noncontrolling interest			0	(1,597)
Other	1
Ending balance	553	221	594	62	553	594
Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	121	121	122	122	121	122
Restricted share activity, including net share settlement			(1)
Ending balance	121	121	121	122	121	121
Class A Common Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	441	439	380	380	439	380
Restricted share activity, including net share settlement	2	0
Issuance of common stock, including net share settlement of stock options	1	1	2
Ending balance	444	441	382	380	444	382
Class B Stock
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	16	16	16	16	16	16
Ending balance	$ 16	$ 16	$ 16	$ 16	$ 16	$ 16

Stock-Based Compensation - Narr

Stock-Based Compensation - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 5.9	$ 5.5
Tax benefit associated with share-based compensation expense	$ 1.4	$ 1.5

Earnings Per Share - Earnings P

Earnings Per Share - Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Basic EPS:
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders basic	$ 42,391	$ 45,234	$ 44,194	$ 71,481
Weighted average shares, basic (in shares)	57,050	50,871	56,976	50,816
Earnings per share, basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.74	$ 0.89	$ 0.78	$ 1.41
Effect of dilutive securities:
Effective of dilutive securities (in shares)	609	1,092	639	1,120
Options To Purchase Common Stock Earning Loss Per Share	$ (0.01)	$ (0.02)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.03)
Weighted Average Number of Shares, Restricted Stock	367	695	398	757
Restricted Earning Loss Per Share	$ 0	$ (0.01)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.02)
Diluted EPS
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders diluted	$ 42,391	$ 45,234	$ 44,194	$ 71,481
Weighted average shares, diluted (in shares)	58,026	52,658	58,013	52,693
Earnings per share, diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.73	$ 0.86	$ 0.76	$ 1.36

Earnings Per Share - Narrative

Earnings Per Share - Narrative (Details) - $ / shares shares in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Number of options to purchase common stock outstanding (in shares)	2.8	2.8	2.7
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	1.8	1.8
Minimum
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Options to purchase common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 8.56	$ 8.56	$ 6.43
Maximum
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Options to purchase common stock (in dollars per share)	$ 38.10	$ 38.10	$ 36.94

Segment Information - Narrative

Segment Information - Narrative (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments	2

Segment Information - Financial

Segment Information - Financial Information Relating to Company's Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018
Net sales:
Net sales	$ 673,701	$ 613,094	$ 1,135,691	$ 1,055,105
Operating Income
Total operating income	62,153	65,786	72,334	88,307
Interest expense - net	(8,385)	(9,882)	(16,462)	(17,100)
Other income (expense)	500	1,505	308	(1,584)
Income tax expense (benefit)	11,546	11,643	11,819	(2,593)
Income including noncontrolling interest	42,722	45,766	44,361	72,216
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	331	532	167	735
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	42,391	45,234	44,194	71,481
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization	11,877	11,122	24,229	22,285
Assets:
Assets	2,046,140	1,703,963	2,046,140	1,703,963	$ 1,907,209
Goodwill (included in corporate assets above):
Goodwill	281,177	268,243	281,177	268,243	281,177
Pet segment
Net sales:
Net sales	338,183	321,653	678,599	646,737
Garden segment
Net sales:
Net sales	335,518	291,441	457,092	408,368
Operating segments | Pet segment
Operating Income
Total operating income	26,984	32,784	56,739	68,960
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization	8,039	6,944	16,095	14,089
Assets:
Assets	700,638	660,344	700,638	660,344	683,938
Goodwill (included in corporate assets above):
Goodwill	268,289	262,770	268,289	262,770	268,289
Operating segments | Garden segment
Operating Income
Total operating income	53,355	50,746	48,718	53,046
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization	2,312	1,707	5,138	3,276
Assets:
Assets	687,951	581,105	687,951	581,105	407,483
Goodwill (included in corporate assets above):
Goodwill	12,888	5,473	12,888	5,473	12,888
Corporate
Operating Income
Total operating income	(18,186)	(17,744)	(33,123)	(33,699)
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization	1,526	2,471	2,996	4,920
Assets:
Assets	$ 657,551	$ 462,514	$ 657,551	$ 462,514	$ 815,788

Segment Information - Disaggreg

Segment Information - Disaggregated Revenues by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 673,701	$ 613,094	$ 1,135,691	$ 1,055,105
Pet segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	338,183	321,653	678,599	646,737
Garden segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	335,518	291,441	457,092	408,368
Other pet products
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	233,000	218,800	442,300	413,900
Other pet products | Pet segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	233,000	218,800	442,300	413,900
Other pet products | Garden segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Dog and cat products
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	105,200	102,900	236,300	232,800
Dog and cat products | Pet segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	105,200	102,900	236,300	232,800
Dog and cat products | Garden segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Garden controls and fertilizer products
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	113,800	112,900	138,100	142,500
Garden controls and fertilizer products | Pet segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Garden controls and fertilizer products | Garden segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	113,800	112,900	138,100	142,500
Other garden supplies
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	221,700	178,500	319,000	265,900
Other garden supplies | Pet segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Other garden supplies | Garden segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 221,700	$ 178,500	$ 319,000	$ 265,900

Consolidating Condensed Finan_3

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - Narrative (Details)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019
Senior notes
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Senior subordinated notes, maturity year	2023
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Collective ownership percentage on guarantor subsidiaries	100.00%

Consolidating Condensed Finan_4

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - Consolidating Condensed Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 673,701	$ 613,094	$ 1,135,691	$ 1,055,105
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	467,650	418,637	799,458	728,811
Gross profit	206,051	194,457	336,233	326,294
Selling, general and administrative expenses	143,898	128,671	263,899	237,987
Operating income	62,153	65,786	72,334	88,307
Interest expense	(10,640)	(10,575)	(21,254)	(17,980)
Interest income	2,255	693	4,792	880
Other (expense) income	500	1,505	308	(1,584)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	54,268	57,409	56,180	69,623
Income tax expense (benefit)	11,546	11,643	11,819	(2,593)
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Income including noncontrolling interest	42,722	45,766	44,361	72,216
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	331	532	167	735
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	42,391	45,234	44,194	71,481
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(25,342)	(27,151)	(40,221)	(44,368)
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	(23,690)	(25,495)	(37,581)	(41,667)
Gross profit	(1,652)	(1,656)	(2,640)	(2,701)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(1,652)	(1,656)	(2,640)	(2,701)
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates	(44,695)	(42,113)	(57,497)	(93,059)
Income including noncontrolling interest	(44,695)	(42,113)	(57,497)	(93,059)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	(44,695)	(42,113)	(57,497)	(93,059)
Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	214,042	195,464	387,448	354,525
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	163,133	151,868	299,146	277,347
Gross profit	50,909	43,596	88,302	77,178
Selling, general and administrative expenses	47,135	41,677	90,800	78,316
Operating income	3,774	1,919	(2,498)	(1,138)
Interest expense	(10,482)	(10,510)	(20,979)	(17,895)
Interest income	2,250	692	4,783	878
Other (expense) income	305	1,108	342	(1,810)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	(4,153)	(6,791)	(18,352)	(19,965)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(1,748)	(13,753)	(3,836)	672
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates	44,796	38,272	58,710	92,118
Income including noncontrolling interest	42,391	45,234	44,194	71,481
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	42,391	45,234	44,194	71,481
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	35,191	32,433	58,820	46,176
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	30,343	24,192	52,346	36,008
Gross profit	4,848	8,241	6,474	10,168
Selling, general and administrative expenses	10,485	6,532	17,836	10,437
Operating income	(5,637)	1,709	(11,362)	(269)
Interest expense	(141)	(62)	(255)	(78)
Interest income	5	1	9	2
Other (expense) income	243	200	27	254
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	(5,530)	1,848	(11,581)	(91)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(55)	(1,549)	(311)	(267)
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates	0	0	0	0
Income including noncontrolling interest	(5,475)	3,397	(11,270)	176
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	331	532	167	735
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	(5,806)	2,865	(11,437)	(559)
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	449,810	412,348	729,644	698,772
Cost of goods sold and occupancy	297,864	268,072	485,547	457,123
Gross profit	151,946	144,276	244,097	241,649
Selling, general and administrative expenses	87,930	82,118	157,903	151,935
Operating income	64,016	62,158	86,194	89,714
Interest expense	(17)	(3)	(20)	(7)
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	(48)	197	(61)	(28)
Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest	63,951	62,352	86,113	89,679
Income tax expense (benefit)	13,349	26,945	15,966	(2,998)
Equity in earnings (losses) of affiliates	(101)	3,841	(1,213)	941
Income including noncontrolling interest	50,501	39,248	68,934	93,618
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	$ 50,501	$ 39,248	$ 68,934	$ 93,618

Consolidating Condensed Finan_5

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - Consolidating Condensed Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	$ 42,722		$ 45,766		$ 44,361	$ 72,216
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	212		234		(62)	278
Total comprehensive income	42,934	$ 1,365	46,000	$ 26,494	44,299	72,494
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	331		532		167	735
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	42,603		45,468		44,132	71,759
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	(44,695)		(42,113)		(57,497)	(93,059)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	(162)		(158)		62	(185)
Total comprehensive income	(44,857)		(42,271)		(57,435)	(93,244)
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	(44,857)		(42,271)		(57,435)	(93,244)
Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	42,391		45,234		44,194	71,481
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	212		234		(62)	278
Total comprehensive income	42,603		45,468		44,132	71,759
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	42,603		45,468		44,132	71,759
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	(5,475)		3,397		(11,270)	176
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	127		206		(2)	249
Total comprehensive income	(5,348)		3,603		(11,272)	425
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	331		532		167	735
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	(5,679)		3,071		(11,439)	(310)
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	50,501		39,248		68,934	93,618
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	35		(48)		(60)	(64)
Total comprehensive income	50,536		39,200		68,874	93,554
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0		0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Central Garden & Pet Company	$ 50,536		$ 39,200		$ 68,874	$ 93,554

Consolidating Condensed Finan_6

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - Consolidating Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 29, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 329,724		$ 482,106	$ 132,265
Restricted cash	16,115		10,899	13,948
Accounts receivable, net	456,129		275,908	395,151
Inventories, net	517,158		427,823	465,522
Prepaid expenses and other	33,161		20,562	26,677
Total current assets	1,352,287		1,217,298	1,033,563
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	217,538		217,647	210,563
Goodwill	281,177		281,177	268,243
Other long-term assets	195,138		191,087	191,594
Intercompany receivable	0		0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Total	2,046,140		1,907,209	1,703,963
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	157,596		110,259	150,975
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	136,413		102,583	116,414
Current portion of long-term debt	5,119		122	20
Total current liabilities	299,128		212,964	267,409
Long-term debt	692,646		692,031	691,084
Intercompany payable	0		0	0
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Other long-term obligations	55,064		49,380	40,368
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	998,749		952,449	704,508
Noncontrolling interest	553		385	594
Total equity	999,302	$ 956,484	952,834	705,102	$ 661,951	$ 637,142
Total	2,046,140		1,907,209	1,703,963
Eliminations
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0
Restricted cash	0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0		0	0
Inventories, net	0		0	0
Prepaid expenses and other	0		0	0
Total current assets	0		0	0
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	0		0	0
Goodwill	0		0	0
Other long-term assets	(5,682)		(11,726)	(12,576)
Intercompany receivable	(740,089)		(810,251)	(664,877)
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,688,163)		(1,618,378)	(1,539,309)
Total	(2,433,934)		(2,440,355)	(2,216,762)
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	0		0	0
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	0		0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0	0
Total current liabilities	0		0	0
Long-term debt	0		0
Intercompany payable	(740,090)		(810,251)	(664,877)
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	(26,248)		(25,036)	(25,228)
Other long-term obligations	(5,682)		(11,726)	(12,576)
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	(1,661,914)		(1,593,342)	(1,514,081)
Noncontrolling interest			0	0
Total equity	(1,661,914)		(1,593,342)	(1,514,081)
Total	(2,433,934)		(2,440,355)	(2,216,762)
Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	322,149		474,210	123,840
Restricted cash	10,888		10,899	13,948
Accounts receivable, net	134,251		94,657	132,218
Inventories, net	138,778		123,178	137,108
Prepaid expenses and other	8,355		6,304	6,157
Total current assets	614,421		709,248	413,271
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	29,701		33,484	35,314
Goodwill	20,578		20,578	15,058
Other long-term assets	47,512		62,199	56,612
Intercompany receivable	59,152		40,365	54,117
Investment in subsidiaries	1,688,163		1,618,378	1,539,309
Total	2,459,527		2,484,252	2,113,681
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	41,488		33,122	48,659
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	55,181		44,142	63,951
Current portion of long-term debt	119		116	0
Total current liabilities	96,788		77,380	112,610
Long-term debt	692,459		691,869	690,947
Intercompany payable	662,927		753,933	597,619
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Other long-term obligations	8,604		8,621	7,997
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	998,749		952,449	704,508
Noncontrolling interest			0	0
Total equity	998,749		952,449	704,508
Total	2,459,527		2,484,252	2,113,681
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	6,354		6,005	7,170
Restricted cash	0		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	22,844		9,647	19,938
Inventories, net	46,035		32,556	43,438
Prepaid expenses and other	1,386		1,455	2,086
Total current assets	76,619		49,663	72,632
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	36,180		33,840	34,632
Goodwill	7,414		7,414	0
Other long-term assets	6,273		7,469	14,642
Intercompany receivable	0		0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Total	126,486		98,386	121,906
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	21,833		4,759	19,752
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	6,200		4,746	5,303
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0	0
Total current liabilities	28,033		9,505	25,055
Long-term debt	0		0	0
Intercompany payable	77,163		56,318	67,258
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Other long-term obligations	0		0	0
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	20,737		32,178	28,999
Noncontrolling interest	553		385	594
Total equity	21,290		32,563	29,593
Total	126,486		98,386	121,906
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,221		1,891	1,255
Restricted cash	5,227		0	0
Accounts receivable, net	299,034		171,604	242,995
Inventories, net	332,345		272,089	284,976
Prepaid expenses and other	23,420		12,803	18,434
Total current assets	661,247		458,387	547,660
Land, buildings, improvements and equipment, net	151,657		150,323	140,617
Goodwill	253,185		253,185	253,185
Other long-term assets	147,035		133,145	132,916
Intercompany receivable	680,937		769,886	610,760
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0	0
Total	1,894,061		1,764,926	1,685,138
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable	94,275		72,378	82,564
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	75,032		53,695	47,160
Current portion of long-term debt	5,000		6	20
Total current liabilities	174,307		126,079	129,744
Long-term debt	187		162	137
Intercompany payable	0		0	0
Losses in excess of investment in subsidiaries	26,248		25,036	25,228
Other long-term obligations	52,142		52,485	44,947
Total Central Garden & Pet Company shareholders’ equity	1,641,177		1,561,164	1,485,082
Noncontrolling interest	0		0	0
Total equity	1,641,177		1,561,164	1,485,082
Total	$ 1,894,061		$ 1,764,926	$ 1,685,138

Consolidating Condensed Finan_7

Consolidating Condensed Financial Information of Guarantor Subsidiaries - Consolidating Condensed Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash used by operating activities	$ (79,319)	$ (93,958)
Additions to property and equipment	(14,302)	(17,566)
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	(11,137)	(63,372)
Investments	(1,749)	(6,555)
Other investing activities	(368)	(2,180)
Intercompany investing activities	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(27,556)	(89,673)
Repayments on revolving line of credit	0	(23,000)
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0	23,000
Repayments of long-term debt	(36,466)	(360)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	300,000
Payment of financing costs	0	(4,765)
Repurchase of common stock	(3,739)	(8,473)
Distribution to parent		0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest	0	(1,597)
Payment of contingent consideration liability	(66)	(123)
Intercompany financing activities	0	0
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(40,271)	284,682
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(20)	120
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(147,166)	101,171
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	493,005	45,042
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	345,839	146,213
Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investments
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash used by operating activities	0	(6,387)
Additions to property and equipment	0	0
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	0	0
Investments	0	0
Other investing activities	0	0
Intercompany investing activities	(70,161)	(33,865)
Net cash used in investing activities	(70,161)	(33,865)
Repayments on revolving line of credit		0
Borrowings under revolving line of credit		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Payment of financing costs		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Distribution to parent		6,387
Distribution to noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of contingent consideration liability	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	70,161	33,865
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	70,161	40,252
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	0	0
Parent | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash used by operating activities	(23,565)	(36,868)
Additions to property and equipment	(1,716)	(4,923)
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	(11,137)	(63,372)
Investments	(1,749)	(6,555)
Other investing activities	(368)	(2,180)
Intercompany investing activities	(18,788)	(17,512)
Net cash used in investing activities	(33,758)	(94,542)
Repayments on revolving line of credit		(23,000)
Borrowings under revolving line of credit		23,000
Repayments of long-term debt	(3)	0
Issuance of long-term debt		300,000
Payment of financing costs		(4,765)
Repurchase of common stock	(3,739)	(8,473)
Distribution to parent		0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of contingent consideration liability	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	(91,005)	(49,789)
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(94,747)	236,973
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	342
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(152,072)	105,905
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	485,109	31,883
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	333,037	137,788
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash used by operating activities	(17,128)	(11,840)
Additions to property and equipment	(3,350)	(494)
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	0	0
Investments	0	0
Other investing activities	0	0
Intercompany investing activities	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,350)	(494)
Repayments on revolving line of credit		0
Borrowings under revolving line of credit		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Payment of financing costs		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Distribution to parent		(6,387)
Distribution to noncontrolling interest		(1,597)
Payment of contingent consideration liability	0	0
Intercompany financing activities	20,844	15,924
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	20,844	7,940
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(17)	(129)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	349	(4,523)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	6,005	11,693
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	6,354	7,170
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash used by operating activities	(38,626)	(38,863)
Additions to property and equipment	(9,236)	(12,149)
Payments to acquire companies, net of cash acquired	0	0
Investments	0	0
Other investing activities	0	0
Intercompany investing activities	88,949	51,377
Net cash used in investing activities	79,713	39,228
Repayments on revolving line of credit		0
Borrowings under revolving line of credit		0
Repayments of long-term debt	(36,463)	(360)
Issuance of long-term debt		0
Payment of financing costs		0
Repurchase of common stock	0	0
Distribution to parent		0
Distribution to noncontrolling interest		0
Payment of contingent consideration liability	(66)	(123)
Intercompany financing activities	0	0
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities	(36,529)	(483)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(1)	(93)
Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	4,557	(211)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	1,891	1,466
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$ 6,448	$ 1,255

Contingencies Contingencies (De

Contingencies Contingencies (Details) $ in Millions	Jun. 27, 2018USD ($)claim
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of claims | claim	3
Damages awarded | $	$ 12.6