1.            BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, was incorporated on January 31, 1996 as the successor of a company incorporated on January 31, 1929.  As of April 29, 2017, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operated, through its subsidiaries, 261 stores, including nine furniture galleries and four clearance centers, in 25 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates.

 

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (the “Parent”) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”).  All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and do not include all information and footnotes required in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim periods have been included.  The Company’s business is seasonal in nature and results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results for the full fiscal year.  These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017.

 

For purposes of the following discussion, references to the “first quarter of 2017” and the “first quarter of 2016” are to the 13 weeks ended April 29, 2017 and April 30, 2016, respectively.  References to “fiscal 2017” are to the 53 weeks ending February 3, 2018; references to “fiscal 2016” are to the 52 weeks ended January 28, 2017.

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that management make estimates and assumptions about future events.  These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses.  Such estimates include those related to merchandise returns, the valuation of inventories, long-lived assets, intangible assets, insurance reserves, contingencies, litigation and assumptions used in the calculation of income taxes and retirement and other post-employment benefits, among others.  These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and judgments.  Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances.  Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate.  As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates.  Changes in those estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.

 

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

 

Effective January 29, 2017, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Stock Compensation.  The new standard is intended to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions.  In connection with the adoption of this standard, the Company made a policy election to record the expense associated with forfeitures under its share-based payment plans when they occur (rather than estimating forfeitures and recording over the vesting term of the award).  The Company made this election to reduce the complexity of accounting for its awards.  The Company used a modified retrospective approach to recording this change and recorded a $500 increase to both additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit at the time of the adoption to eliminate the forfeiture estimates previously recorded for awards outstanding as of January 29, 2017.