SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Business, Consolidation and Presentation
The Home Depot, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") operate The Home Depot stores, which are full-service, warehouse-style stores averaging approximately 104,000 square feet of enclosed space, with approximately 24,000 additional square feet of outside garden area. The stores stock approximately 30,000 to 40,000 different kinds of building materials, home improvement supplies and lawn and garden products that are sold to do-it-yourself customers, do-it-for-me customers and professional customers. The Company also offers over 700,000 products through its Home Depot and Home Decorators Collection websites. At the end of fiscal 2013, the Company was operating 2,263 The Home Depot stores, which included 1,977 stores in the United States, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam ("U.S."), 180 stores in Canada and 106 stores in Mexico. The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Fiscal Year
The Company’s fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Sunday nearest to January 31. Fiscal year ended February 2, 2014 ("fiscal 2013") includes 52 weeks, fiscal year ended February 3, 2013 ("fiscal 2012") includes 53 weeks and fiscal year ended January 29, 2012 ("fiscal 2011") includes 52 weeks.
Use of Estimates
Management of the Company has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses in preparing these financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The carrying amounts of Cash and Cash Equivalents, Receivables and Accounts Payable approximate fair value due to the short-term maturities of these financial instruments. The fair value of the Company’s Long-Term Debt is discussed in Note 10.
Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company’s cash equivalents are carried at fair market value and consist primarily of money market funds.
Accounts Receivable
The Company has an agreement with a third-party service provider who directly extends credit to customers, manages the Company’s private label credit card program and owns the related receivables. The Company evaluated the third-party entities holding the receivables under the program and concluded that they should not be consolidated by the Company. The agreement with the third-party service provider expires in 2018, with the Company having the option, but no obligation, to purchase the receivables at the end of the agreement. The deferred interest charges incurred by the Company for its deferred financing programs offered to its customers are included in Cost of Sales. The interchange fees charged to the Company for the customers’ use of the cards and any profit sharing with the third-party service provider are included in Selling, General and Administrative expenses ("SG&A"). The sum of the three is referred to by the Company as "the cost of credit" of the private label credit card program.
In addition, certain subsidiaries of the Company extend credit directly to customers in the ordinary course of business. The receivables due from customers were $57 million and $42 million as of February 2, 2014 and February 3, 2013, respectively. The Company’s valuation reserve related to accounts receivable was not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company as of the end of fiscal 2013 or 2012.
Merchandise Inventories
The majority of the Company’s Merchandise Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market, as determined by the retail inventory method. As the inventory retail value is adjusted regularly to reflect market conditions, the inventory valued using the retail method approximates the lower of cost or market. Certain subsidiaries, including retail operations in Canada and Mexico, and distribution centers, record Merchandise Inventories at the lower of cost or market, as determined by a cost method. These Merchandise Inventories represent approximately 26% of the total Merchandise Inventories balance. The Company evaluates the inventory valued using a cost method at the end of each quarter to ensure that it is carried at the lower of cost or market. The valuation allowance for Merchandise Inventories valued under a cost method was not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company as of the end of fiscal 2013 or 2012.
Independent physical inventory counts or cycle counts are taken on a regular basis in each store and distribution center to ensure that amounts reflected in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements for Merchandise Inventories are properly stated. During the period between physical inventory counts in stores, the Company accrues for estimated losses related to shrink on a store-by-store basis based on historical shrink results and current trends in the business. Shrink (or in the case of excess inventory, "swell") is the difference between the recorded amount of inventory and the physical inventory. Shrink may occur due to theft, loss, inaccurate records for the receipt of inventory or deterioration of goods, among other things.
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. The Company provides for federal, state and foreign income taxes currently payable, as well as for those deferred due to timing differences between reporting income and expenses for financial statement purposes versus tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted income tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of a change in income tax rates is recognized as income or expense in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Company recognizes the effect of income tax positions only if those positions are more likely than not of being sustained. Recognized income tax positions are measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized. Changes in recognition or measurement are reflected in the period in which the change in judgment occurs.
The Company and its eligible subsidiaries file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return. Non-U.S. subsidiaries and certain U.S. subsidiaries, which are consolidated for financial reporting purposes, are not eligible to be included in the Company’s consolidated U.S. federal income tax return. Separate provisions for income taxes have been determined for these entities. The Company intends to reinvest substantially all of the unremitted earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries and postpone their remittance indefinitely. Accordingly, no provision for U.S. income taxes for these non-U.S. subsidiaries was recorded in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings.
Depreciation and Amortization
The Company’s Buildings, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold Improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the original term of the lease or the useful life of the improvement, whichever is shorter. The Company’s Property and Equipment is depreciated using the following estimated useful lives:
|
| |
| Life |
Buildings | 5 – 45 years |
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | 2 – 20 years |
Leasehold Improvements | 5 – 45 years |
Capitalized Software Costs
The Company capitalizes certain costs related to the acquisition and development of software and amortizes these costs using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the software, which is three to six years. These costs are included in Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment as discussed further in Note 2. Certain development costs not meeting the criteria for capitalization are expensed as incurred.
Revenues
The Company recognizes revenue, net of estimated returns and sales tax, at the time the customer takes possession of merchandise or receives services. The liability for sales returns is estimated based on historical return levels. When the Company receives payment from customers before the customer has taken possession of the merchandise or the service has been performed, the amount received is recorded as Deferred Revenue in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets until the sale or service is complete. The Company also records Deferred Revenue for the sale of gift cards and recognizes this revenue upon the redemption of gift cards in Net Sales. Gift card breakage income is recognized based upon historical redemption patterns and represents the balance of gift cards for which the Company believes the likelihood of redemption by the customer is remote. During fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, the Company recognized $30 million, $33 million and $42 million, respectively, of gift card breakage income. This income is included in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings as a reduction in SG&A.
Services Revenue
Net Sales include services revenue generated through a variety of installation, home maintenance and professional service programs. In these programs, the customer selects and purchases material for a project, and the Company provides or arranges professional installation. These programs are offered through the Company’s stores and in-home sales programs. Under certain programs, when the Company provides or arranges the installation of a project and the subcontractor provides material as part of the installation, both the material and labor are included in services revenue. The Company recognizes this revenue when the service for the customer is complete.
All payments received prior to the completion of services are recorded in Deferred Revenue in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Services revenue was $3.5 billion, $3.2 billion and $2.9 billion for fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Self-Insurance
The Company is self-insured for certain losses related to general liability (including product liability), workers’ compensation, employee group medical and automobile claims. The expected ultimate cost for claims incurred as of the balance sheet date is not discounted and is recognized as a liability. The expected ultimate cost of claims is estimated based upon analysis of historical data and actuarial estimates.
Prepaid Advertising
Television and radio advertising production costs, along with media placement costs, are expensed when the advertisement first appears. Amounts included in Other Current Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets relating to prepayments of production costs for print and broadcast advertising as well as sponsorship promotions were not material at the end of fiscal 2013 and 2012.
Vendor Allowances
Vendor allowances primarily consist of volume rebates that are earned as a result of attaining certain purchase levels and advertising co-op allowances for the promotion of vendors’ products that are typically based on guaranteed minimum amounts with additional amounts being earned for attaining certain purchase levels. These vendor allowances are accrued as earned, with those allowances received as a result of attaining certain purchase levels accrued over the incentive period based on estimates of purchases.
Volume rebates and certain advertising co-op allowances earned are initially recorded as a reduction in Merchandise Inventories and a subsequent reduction in Cost of Sales when the related product is sold. Certain advertising co-op allowances that are reimbursements of specific, incremental and identifiable costs incurred to promote vendors’ products are recorded as an offset against advertising expense. In fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, gross advertising expense was $865 million, $831 million and $846 million, respectively, and is included in SG&A. Specific, incremental and identifiable advertising co-op allowances were $114 million, $85 million and $94 million for fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and are recorded as an offset to advertising expense in SG&A.
Cost of Sales
Cost of Sales includes the actual cost of merchandise sold and services performed, the cost of transportation of merchandise from vendors to the Company’s stores, locations or customers, the operating cost of the Company’s sourcing and distribution network and the cost of deferred interest programs offered through the Company’s private label credit card program.
The cost of handling and shipping merchandise from the Company’s stores, locations or distribution centers to the customer is classified as SG&A. The cost of shipping and handling, including internal costs and payments to third parties, classified as SG&A was $477 million, $435 million and $430 million in fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company evaluates its long-lived assets each quarter for indicators of potential impairment. Indicators of impairment include current period losses combined with a history of losses, management’s decision to relocate or close a store or other location before the end of its previously estimated useful life or when changes in other circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The evaluation for long-lived assets is performed at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows, which is generally the individual store level.
The assets of a store with indicators of impairment are evaluated by comparing its undiscounted cash flows with its carrying value. The estimate of cash flows includes management’s assumptions of cash inflows and outflows directly resulting from the use of those assets in operations, including gross margin on Net Sales, payroll and related items, occupancy costs, insurance allocations and other costs to operate a store. If the carrying value is greater than the undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized for the difference between the carrying value and the estimated fair market value. Impairment losses are recorded as a component of SG&A in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings. When a leased location closes, the Company also recognizes in SG&A the net present value of future lease obligations less estimated sublease income. The Company recorded impairments and lease obligation costs on closings and relocations in the ordinary course of business, as well as for the closing of seven stores in China in fiscal 2012, which were not material to the Consolidated Financial Statements in fiscal 2013, 2012 or 2011.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired. The Company does not amortize goodwill but does assess the recoverability of goodwill in the third quarter of each fiscal year, or more often if indicators warrant, by determining whether the fair value of each reporting unit supports its carrying value. Each year the Company may assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of each reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to complete quantitative impairment assessments, with a quantitative assessment completed at least once every three years. In fiscal 2013, the Company elected to estimate the fair values of its identified reporting units using the present value of expected future discounted cash flows.
The reporting units assessed for impairment during fiscal 2013 were U.S., Canada and Mexico. During fiscal 2013, the Company determined that its goodwill balances for each of these reporting units were not impaired, as the Company determined the fair value of each of these reporting units was substantially above its carrying value. In fiscal 2012, the Company recorded a charge of $97 million to impair all of the goodwill associated with the former China reporting unit. There were no impairment charges related to the remaining goodwill for fiscal 2013, 2012 or 2011.
The Company amortizes the cost of other intangible assets over their estimated useful lives, which range up to ten years, unless such lives are deemed indefinite. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are tested in the third quarter of each fiscal year for impairment, or more often if indicators warrant. There were no impairment charges related to other intangible assets for fiscal 2013, 2012 or 2011.
Stock-Based Compensation
The per share weighted average fair value of stock options granted during fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $13.10, $9.86 and $7.42, respectively. The fair value of these options was determined at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
|
| | | | | | | | |
| Fiscal Year Ended |
| February 2,
2014 | | February 3,
2013 | | January 29,
2012 |
Risk-free interest rate | 0.8 | % | | 1.2 | % | | 2.0 | % |
Assumed volatility | 26.3 | % | | 27.0 | % | | 27.3 | % |
Assumed dividend yield | 2.2 | % | | 2.3 | % | | 2.7 | % |
Assumed lives of options | 5 years |
| | 5 years |
| | 5 years |
|
Derivatives
The Company uses derivative financial instruments from time to time in the management of its interest rate exposure on long-term debt and its exposure on foreign currency fluctuations. The Company accounts for its derivative financial instruments in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification ("FASB ASC") Subtopic 815-10. The fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments is discussed in Note 10.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive Income includes Net Earnings adjusted for certain gains and losses that are excluded from Net Earnings under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Adjustments to Net Earnings and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income consist primarily of foreign currency translation adjustments.
Foreign Currency Translation
Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange on the last day of the reporting period. Revenues and expenses are generally translated using average exchange rates for the period and equity transactions are translated using the actual rate on the day of the transaction.
Segment Information
The Company operates within a single reportable segment primarily within North America. Net Sales for the Company outside the U.S. were $8.5 billion, $8.4 billion and $8.0 billion for fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Long-lived assets outside the U.S. totaled $2.9 billion and $3.1 billion as of February 2, 2014 and February 3, 2013, respectively.
The following table presents the Net Sales of each major product category (and related services) for each of the last three fiscal years (dollar amounts in millions):
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Product Category | Fiscal Year Ended |
February 2, 2014 | | February 3, 2013 | | January 29, 2012 |
| Net Sales | % of Net Sales | | Net Sales | % of Net Sales | | Net Sales | % of Net Sales |
Kitchen | $ | 7,978 |
| 10.1 | % | | $ | 7,022 |
| 9.4 | % | | $ | 6,609 |
| 9.4 | % |
Indoor Garden | 7,072 |
| 9.0 |
| | 6,699 |
| 9.0 |
| | 6,292 |
| 8.9 |
|
Paint | 7,026 |
| 8.9 |
| | 6,764 |
| 9.0 |
| | 6,278 |
| 8.9 |
|
Outdoor Garden | 6,094 |
| 7.7 |
| | 5,904 |
| 7.9 |
| | 5,615 |
| 8.0 |
|
Lumber | 5,814 |
| 7.4 |
| | 5,454 |
| 7.3 |
| | 4,934 |
| 7.0 |
|
Flooring | 5,734 |
| 7.3 |
| | 5,469 |
| 7.3 |
| | 5,167 |
| 7.3 |
|
Building Materials | 5,729 |
| 7.3 |
| | 5,594 |
| 7.5 |
| | 5,694 |
| 8.1 |
|
Plumbing | 5,437 |
| 6.9 |
| | 5,126 |
| 6.9 |
| | 4,887 |
| 6.9 |
|
Electrical | 5,364 |
| 6.8 |
| | 5,039 |
| 6.7 |
| | 4,582 |
| 6.5 |
|
Tools | 5,039 |
| 6.4 |
| | 4,795 |
| 6.4 |
| | 4,441 |
| 6.3 |
|
Hardware | 4,718 |
| 6.0 |
| | 4,580 |
| 6.1 |
| | 4,325 |
| 6.1 |
|
Millwork | 4,386 |
| 5.6 |
| | 4,281 |
| 5.7 |
| | 4,142 |
| 5.9 |
|
Bath | 3,706 |
| 4.7 |
| | 3,552 |
| 4.8 |
| | 3,309 |
| 4.7 |
|
Lighting | 2,369 |
| 3.0 |
| | 2,250 |
| 3.0 |
| | 2,092 |
| 3.0 |
|
Décor | 2,346 |
| 3.0 |
| | 2,225 |
| 3.0 |
| | 2,028 |
| 2.9 |
|
Total | $ | 78,812 |
| 100.0 | % | | $ | 74,754 |
| 100.0 | % | | $ | 70,395 |
| 100.0 | % |
Note: Certain percentages may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts in prior fiscal years have been reclassified to conform with the presentation adopted in the current fiscal year.
