Big Lots 2010 Annual Report Download - page 107

33
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates, judgments, and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported
amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period, as well as the related disclosure of contingent
assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. The use of estimates, judgments, and assumptions
creates a level of uncertainty with respect to reported or disclosed amounts in our consolidated financial
statements or accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates, judgments, and
assumptions, including those that management considers critical to the accurate presentation and disclosure of
our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates, judgments,
and assumptions on historical experience, current trends, and various other factors that management believes
are reasonable under the circumstances. Because of the inherent uncertainty in using estimates, judgments, and
assumptions, actual results may differ from these estimates.
Our significant accounting policies, including the recently adopted accounting standards and recent accounting
standards – future adoptions, if any, are described in note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial
statements. We believe the following assumptions and estimates are the most critical to understanding and
evaluating our reported financial results. Management has reviewed these critical accounting estimates and
related disclosures with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.
Merchandise Inventories
Merchandise inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market using the average cost retail inventory
method. Market is determined based on the estimated net realizable value, which generally is the merchandise
selling price at or near the end of the reporting period. The average cost retail inventory method requires
management to make judgments and contains estimates, such as the amount and timing of markdowns to clear
slow-moving inventory, the estimated allowance for shrinkage, and the estimated amount of excess or obsolete
inventory, which may impact the ending inventory valuation and prior or future gross margin. These estimates
are based on historical experience and current information.
When management determines the salability of merchandise inventories is diminished, markdowns for
clearance activity and the related cost impact are recorded at the time the price change decision is made. Factors
considered in the determination of markdowns include current and anticipated demand, customer preferences,
the age of merchandise, and seasonal trends. Timing of holidays within fiscal periods, weather, and customer
preferences could cause material changes in the amount and timing of markdowns from year to year.
The inventory allowance for shrinkage is recorded as a reduction to inventories, charged to cost of sales,
and calculated as a percentage of sales for the period from the last physical inventory date to the end of the
reporting period. Such estimates are based on our historical and current year inventory results. Independent
physical inventory counts are taken at each store once a year. During 2011, the majority of these counts will
occur between January and June. As physical inventories are completed, actual results are recorded and new
go-forward shrink accrual rates are established based on individual store historical results. Thus, the shrink
accrual rates will be adjusted throughout the January through June inventory cycle based on actual results. At
January 29, 2011, a 10% difference in our shrink reserve would have affected gross margin, operating profit and
income from continuing operations before income taxes by approximately $3 million. While it is not possible
to quantify the impact from each cause of shrinkage, we have loss prevention programs and policies aimed at
minimizing shrinkage.
Long-Lived Assets
Our long-lived assets primarily consist of property and equipment. We perform annual impairment reviews of
our long-lived assets at the store level. When we perform the annual impairment reviews, we first determine
which stores had impairment indicators present. We use actual historical cash flows to determine which stores
had negative cash flows in each of the past two years (on a rolling basis). For each store with two years of
negative cash flows, we obtain future cash flow estimates based on operating performance estimates specific
to each store’s operations that are based on assumptions currently being used to develop our company level