RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

12 Months Ended

Jul. 25, 2015

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

The Company’s ownership interest in its principal supplier, Wakefern, which is operated on a cooperative basis for its stockholder members, is 13.4% of the outstanding shares of Wakefern at July 25, 2015. The investment is pledged as collateral for any obligations to Wakefern. In addition, all obligations to Wakefern are personally guaranteed by certain shareholders of Village.

The Company is obligated to purchase 85% of its primary merchandise requirements from Wakefern until ten years from the date that stockholders representing 75% of Wakefern sales notify Wakefern that those stockholders request that the Wakefern Stockholder Agreement be terminated. If this purchase obligation is not met, Village is required to pay Wakefern’s profit contribution shortfall attributable to this failure. Similar payments are due if Wakefern loses volume by reason of the sale of Company stores or a merger with another entity. Village fulfilled the above obligation in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013. The Company also has an investment of approximately 8.2% in Insure-Rite, Ltd., a Wakefern affiliated company, that provides Village with liability and property insurance coverage.

Wakefern has increased from time to time the required investment in its common stock for each supermarket owned by a member, with the exact amount per store computed based on the amount of each store’s purchases from Wakefern. At July 25, 2015, the Company’s indebtedness to Wakefern for the outstanding amount of these stock subscriptions was $1,156. Installment payments are due as follows:  2016 -$430; 2017 - $344; 2018 - $287; 2019 - $95 and none thereafter. The maximum per store investment, which is currently $875, increased by $25 in both fiscal 2015 and 2014, resulting in additional investments of $738 and $657, respectively. Village receives additional shares of common stock to the extent paid for at the end of each fiscal year (September 30) of Wakefern calculated at the then book value of such shares. The payments, together with any stock issued thereunder, at the option of Wakefern, may be null and void and all payments on this subscription shall become the property of Wakefern in the event the Company does not complete the payment of this subscription in a timely manner.

Village purchases substantially all of its merchandise from Wakefern. Wakefern distributes as a “patronage dividend” to each member a share of substantially all of its earnings in proportion to the dollar volume of purchases by the member from Wakefern during the year. Patronage dividends and other vendor allowances and rebates amounted to $27,557, $26,438 and $24,779 in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Wakefern provides the Company with support services in numerous areas including advertising, supplies, liability and property insurance, technology support and other store services. Village incurred charges of $33,306, $32,808 and $29,973, from Wakefern in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively, for these services, which are reflected in operating and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, the Company has certain related party leases (see Note 6) with Wakefern.

On February 15, 2014, Village received $23,420 as prepayment of notes receivable due from Wakefern.  These notes earned interest at a fixed rate of 7%.  The Company invested the proceeds received and additional funds previously invested in demand deposits at Wakefern in variable rate notes receivable from Wakefern of $40,000 on February 15, 2014.  Half of these notes earn interest at the prime rate plus .25% and mature on August 15, 2017 and half earn interest at the prime rate plus 1.25% and mature on February 15, 2019.  Wakefern has the right to prepay these notes at any time. Under certain conditions, the Company can require Wakefern to prepay the notes, although interest earned since inception would be reduced as if it was earned based on overnight money market rates as paid by Wakefern on demand deposits.

At July 25, 2015, the Company had demand deposits invested at Wakefern in the amount of $35,428. These deposits earn overnight money market rates.

Interest income earned on investments with Wakefern was $2,399, $2,622 and $2,783, in fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.