Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Commitments and Contingencies

v3.19.3.a.u2
Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 26, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies.  
Commitments and Contingencies

9. Commitments and Contingencies

Lease Commitments

In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we adopted ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” which requires that lessees recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for all leases on the balance sheet with an option to exclude short-term leases (leases with terms of 12 months or less), which we elected. We adopted ASU No. 2016-02 using the modified retrospective approach and elected the package of practical expedients to use in transition, which permitted us not to reassess, under the new standard, our prior conclusions about lease identification and lease classification. The cumulative effect adjustment upon adoption of ASU No. 2016-02 resulted in an immaterial adjustment to retained earnings. The adoption also resulted in the addition of $620.8 million of right-of-use assets and a corresponding $683.0 million of lease liabilities to our balance sheet, while eliminating deferred rent and tenant improvement allowances. Additionally, we do not separate lease and nonlease components of contracts.

The majority of our long-term operating lease agreements are for our corporate office, retail locations, and distribution centers, which expire in various years through 2040. The initial lease terms for these facilities range from 10-15 years, with the exception of three buildings which have 20-year initial lease terms. The majority of our building leases also include options to extend, which are factored into the recognition of their respective assets and liabilities when appropriate based on management’s assessment of the probability that the options will be exercised. Additionally, one building lease contains variable lease payments, which are determined based on a percentage of retail sales over a contractual level, and we sublease real estate within one distribution center to a third party. Certain of our lease agreements include escalating rents over the lease terms which, under Topic 842, results in rent being expensed on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease that commences on the date we have the right to control the property. Our lease agreements do not contain any residual value guarantees or restrictive covenants that would reasonably be expected to have a material impact on our business.

When readily determinable, the rate implicit in the lease is used to discount lease payments to present value; however, substantially all of our leases do not provide a readily determinable implicit rate. If the rate implicit in the lease is not readily determinable, we use a third party to assist in the determination of a secured incremental borrowing rate, determined on a collateralized basis, to discount lease payments based on information available at lease commencement. The secured incremental borrowing rate is estimated based on yields obtained from Bloomberg for U.S. consumers with a BB- credit rating and is adjusted for collateralization as well as inflation.

Lease Position

The table below presents supplemental balance sheet information related to operating leases.

As of

in thousands, except lease term and discount rate

Classification

December 26, 2019

Assets

Building

Right-of-use assets

$

808,989

Equipment

Right-of-use assets

7,322

Land

Right-of-use assets

2,378

Software

Right-of-use assets

3,567

Total operating lease assets

$

822,256

Liabilities

 

Current

 

Building

Current portion of lease liabilities

$

67,500

Equipment

Current portion of lease liabilities

3,758

Land

Current portion of lease liabilities

170

Software

Current portion of lease liabilities

3,164

Total current operating lease liabilities

74,592

Noncurrent

Building

Lease liabilities

837,510

Equipment

Lease liabilities

3,902

Land

Lease liabilities

2,357

Software

Lease liabilities

500

Total noncurrent operating lease liabilities

844,269

Total operating lease liabilities

$

918,861

Weighted-average remaining lease term

 

10 years

Weighted-average discount rate

5.3%

Lease Costs

The table below presents components of lease expense for operating leases.

    

Fiscal Year Ended

in thousands

Classification

December 26, 2019

Operating lease cost (1)

Selling and store operating

$

116,623

Sublease income

Selling and store operating

 

(2,414)

Total lease cost

$

114,209

(1) Includes variable lease costs, which are immaterial.

Undiscounted Cash Flows

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases (with initial or remaining lease terms in excess of one year) as of December 26, 2019, were:

in thousands

    

Amount

2020

$

122,303

2021

 

127,449

2022

 

120,091

2023

 

116,505

2024

 

113,019

Thereafter

 

622,954

Total minimum lease payments (2)

$

1,222,321

Less: amount of lease payments representing interest

303,460

Present value of future minimum lease payments

918,861

Less: current obligations under leases

74,592

Long-term lease obligations

$

844,269

(2) Future lease payments exclude approximately $165.8 million of legally binding minimum lease payments for operating leases signed but not yet commenced.

For the year ended December 26, 2019, cash paid for operating leases was $112.8 million.

Right-of-Use Asset Impairment and Write Off

During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, we began the move from our former store support center in Smyrna, Georgia to a nearby location in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to this period, we expected to fully cover future payments under the operating lease agreement with proceeds from a sublease. As of the end of our fiscal third quarter, we no longer expected to find a sublease tenant that would fully cover these future payments and concluded that the right-of-use asset related to the operating lease was not recoverable. Therefore, we determined the fair value of the right-of-use asset based on a discounted cash flow analysis reflective of the income expected from a sublease. Based on the excess of the asset’s carrying value over fair value, we recognized an impairment of $4.1 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2019 in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

In addition, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, we completed the move to our new location and terminated the lease for our previous store support center facility in Smyrna, Georgia. As a result, we recognized a loss of $1.9 million related to the settlement of our remaining obligations under the lease and the write off of the remaining right-of-use asset for the facility upon lease termination. This loss was recognized in general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Litigation

On May 20, 2019, an alleged stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action lawsuit, Taylor v. Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 1:19-cv-02270-SCJ (N.D. Ga.), in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against the Company and certain of our officers, directors and stockholders. On August 14, 2019, the Court named a lead plaintiff, and

the case was re-captioned In re Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:19-cv-02270-SCJ (N.D. Ga.). The operative complaint alleges certain violations of federal securities laws based on, among other things, purported materially false and misleading statements and omissions allegedly made by the Company between May 23, 2018 and August 1, 2018 and seeks class certification, unspecified monetary damages, costs and attorneys’ fees and equitable relief. The Company denies the material allegations in this lawsuit, which is in the early stages and has not yet been certified as a class, and intends to defend itself vigorously. In addition, the Company maintains insurance that may cover any liability arising out of this litigation up to the policy limits and subject to meeting certain deductibles and to other terms and conditions thereof. Estimating an amount or range of possible losses resulting from litigation proceedings is inherently difficult, particularly where the matters involve indeterminate claims for monetary damages and are in the stages of the proceedings where key factual and legal issues have not been resolved. For these reasons, we are currently unable to predict the ultimate timing or outcome of or reasonably estimate the possible losses or a range of possible losses resulting from this litigation.

We are also subject to various other legal actions, claims and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, which may include claims related to general liability, workers’ compensation, product liability, intellectual property and employment-related matters resulting from our business activities. As with most actions such as these, an estimation of any possible and/or ultimate liability cannot always be determined. We establish reserves for specific legal proceedings when we determine that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. These various other ordinary course proceedings are not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, cash flows, or results of operations, however regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, and other factors.